SENATOBIA - In a season full of firsts for coach Will Irvin and the Northwest men's tennis squad, sophomore Chris Albert has helped the Rangers with another notable accomplishment.

Albert, a native of Vicksburg, signed to continue his tennis career with the University of Tennessee-Southern last week, becoming Irvin's first athlete to sign with a four-year program.

Albert spent most of the season playing at No. 1 doubles with Ian Gordon and at No. 2 singles. Though he only won two singles matches, Albert consistently battled against some of the toughest players in the MACCC. One of his closest battles came in a three-set loss to future UT-Southern teammate Rage Matuck on February 23.

In doubles, Albert and Gordon collected four victories, all against MACCC opponents. Additionally, Albert picked up another doubles win against Southwest Mississippi while paired with freshman Noah Lary.

"Having him for the short amount of time that we did was a blessing," said Northwest coach Will Irvin, on Albert. "He played at the top of our lineup and was a true leader for us as a super sophomore. He's a hard-worker, he's determined and smart, and the biggest growth he had this season was his maturity. Chris will be successful in whatever he does, both on and off the court."

A member of the Mid-South Conference, UT-Southern competes in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The Firehawks collected a 13-11 overall record this season.