BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- Navy's Chris Garner helmed the Patriot League Men's Tennis Coaching Staff of the Year while Herrick Legaspi, Charlie Spencer and J.J. Etterbeek received all-league accolades for the sport, the league office announced today.  Legaspi and Spencer earned first-team honors and Etterbeek was named to the league's second team.

Garner, associate head coach John Moreland and volunteer assistant coach Jim Laitta guided the Mids to an overall record of 27-17, a share of the Patriot League regular season title with a 6-1 record and to a Patriot League Tournament title.  Garner has taken Navy to the championship match of the postseason in each of his 11 opportunities to do so, with the Mids winning seven titles in this span.  He has been named the league's coach of the year after each of his championship campaigns and has compiled a 91-10 record against league foes in his career.

The Mids will play at top-seeded Wake Forest later today in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.  It is the sixth time in the last eight years in which Navy is playing in the NCAA Tournament as the league champion.  

Legaspi earned first-team all-league honors for the second year in a row following a second-team laurel in 2024.  He has posted a 16-6 record in dual matches, an overall mark which featured a 14-4 record when playing No. 1 singles.  Legaspi tallied a 7-1 record in singles against league opponents at the top spot in the lineup.  

Spencer was named the most valuable player of last week's Patriot League Tournament as he posted a 3-0 record in singles and a 5-1 mark overall in Navy's three victories.  He tallied an 11-5 record in singles this spring, which included an 8-1 record against league foes.  Spencer primarily played at the No. 3 flight where he totaled a 7-1 record in league matches.

Legaspi and Spencer also formed Navy's No. 1 doubles tandem during much of the league season.  The team tallied a 4-2 mark in finished matches played against league opponents and a 7-3 record in all matches.

Spencer and team captain Etterbeek each received their first postseason award from the league this season.  Etterbeek finished league play with a 6-0 record in singles and a 5-0 record in doubles.  Those were part of a 16-7 singles record and a 12-8 mark in doubles during the entire spring campaign.  He played at all three flights in doubles (3-0 at No. 3) and at three flights in singles (3-0 at No. 5) over the course of the league season.

2026 Patriot League Men's Tennis Major Awards
Player of the Year - Amar Tahirovic, Bucknell
Rookie of the Year - Aleksandar Daskalovic, Lehigh
Doubles Team of the Year - Amar Tahirovic and Brendan McDonald, Bucknell
Coaching Staff of the Year - Navy, Head Coach Chris Garner 

Men's Tennis All-League First Team 
Amar Tahirovic, Bucknell
Herrick Legaspi, Navy
Alex Van Lumich, Lehigh
Jackson Armistead, Army West Point
Jimin Jung, Army West Point
Charlie Spencer, Navy 

Men's Tennis All-League Second Team *
Sean Jaeger, Lehigh
Ricky Espaillat, Lafayette
Matt Carlson, Holy Cross
Liam Kilmer, Bucknell
Petter Hagen, Loyola Maryland 
Alon Ton, Army West Point
JJ Etterbeek, Navy

*Additional member added to the second team due to tie in voting