Palladino, Revall Claim ITA Regional Awards
Big Rapids, Mich. - Ferris State University men's tennis head
coach Alex Palladino and senior Kyle Revall
(West Lafayette, Ind./Mattawan) have both claimed postseason
regional accolades from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association
(ITA).
The ITA recently chose Palladino as its Midwest Region Coach of
the Year while Revall was honored as the ITA Midwest Region Arthur
Ashe Award recipient for Leadership and Sportsmanship.
This year marks the first time the Bulldog men's squad has had an
individual receive either of these awards since 2002 when former
head coach Paul Marcum claimed the regional coaching honor and past
standout Matt Cole picked up the region's Arthur Ashe Award en
route to attaining the national Arthur Ashe honor as well.
Revall, who ranked 12th in the most recent ITA Division II Midwest
Regional Singles Rankings, received All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate
Athletic Conference (GLIAC) laurels for the first time this
campaign and posted an 8-7 overall record this year at the number
one singles position. He posted a 4-3 individual ledger in
GLIAC singles matches and won five of his last eight decisions
overall. In doubles play, Revall teamed with junior
Steven
Roberts at the top flight to record a 4-3 mark in
GLIAC competition and a 7-12 overall record. They won seven
of their last 11 matches as a duo.
The 6-1 Revall concluded his Bulldog career with a 22-18 singles
mark along with a 19-25 record in doubles play over the course of
his two-year Bulldog stint.
Meanwhile, Palladino earned his first regional Coach of the Year
recognition after leading the Bulldog men's team to its 13th
consecutive NCAA Division II Tournament appearance in
2009-10. FSU concluded the season wtih a 12-8 overall ledger
and placed third overall at the 2010 GLIAC Men's Tennis Tournament
(April 17-18) in Midland, Mich. Ferris also placed second
overall in the conference during regular-season competition with a
6-1 league record this season.
Palladino, who also serves as FSU's women's tennis head coach,
wrapped up his third season directing the Bulldog program. He
was hired prior to the 2007-08 campaign after serving as a tennis
instructor in West Michigan for the last 20 years since his own
collegiate playing career ended in 1987.
In his three years directing the Bulldog men's tennis program, FSU
has compiled a 36-27 overall record and posted three consecutive
6-1 conference regular-season marks. The Bulldogs have also
won at least 10 matches in a season each of the last three
years. This past season, Palladino also guided the Ferris
women's team to a 12-9 overall record and the program's first trip
to the NCAA-II Tournament since 2007.
Palladino, who competed at the NCAA Division III level for
Kalamazoo College from 1984-87, led the Hornets to back-to-back
NCAA-III National Championships his final two collegiate playing
years under head coach George Acker. He captured NCAA-III national
titles in doubles play as both a junior and senior. Twice, he
reached the NCAA-III championship match as a singles player at
Kalamazoo.
While at Kalamazoo College, Palladino earned four varsity letters
and also claimed the school's Most Accomplished Athlete Award as a
senior. He competed at both the top singles and doubles flights as
a collegian. In addition, Palladino was a four-time All-Michigan
Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) selection and named
league MVP his final campaign.
After finishing his collegiate career, Palladino served in a
variety of tennis roles. He spent two years as a teaching
professional in Chicago and five years at the East Hills club in
Grand Rapids. In 1986, Palladino became the Director of Tennis at
the Michigan Athletic Club in Grand Rapids where he worked until
2001 when he moved into a similar role with the Champion Health and
Fitness Club in Rockford. He's also worked as the tennis director
at the Kent Country Club in Grand Rapids.
As a professional player, Palladino has won the adult men's
Midwest Indoor Championship numerous times, traveled on the
Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Satellite Circuit and
earned victories over players ranked as high as #145 in the world.
He has also previously been honored as the United States
Professional Tennis Association's (USPTA) Midwest Player of the
Year and recognized as the West Michigan Adult Player of the Year
several times.
As the governing body of collegiate tennis, the ITA promotes both
the athletic and academic achievements of the collegiate tennis
community. The ITA, which is compromised of nearly 1,700 men's and
women's varsity coaches representing over 1,200 institutions,
administers numerous regional and national championships and the
Campbell/ITA College Tennis Rankings for over 15,000 college
varsity student-athletes at the NCAA Divisions I, II and III, NAIA
and Junior College levels. The ITA also has a comprehensive awards
program for players and coaches to honor excellence in academics,
leadership and sportsmanship. The official ITA web site is
www.itatennis.com.
