LMU's Giurea Earns Men's Tennis Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award

ROCK HILL, S.C. (TheSAC.com) – Lincoln Memorial's Alexandru Giurea has been named the South Atlantic Conference Men's Tennis Scholar-Athlete of the Year, the Conference office announced today. Giurea becomes the latest Railsplitter to earn the prestigious honor, which recognizes excellence in athletics, academics, leadership, and service.

A senior from Romania majoring in Business Analytics, Giurea carries a 3.908 GPA while excelling as one of the top players in the SAC throughout his career. He has been named to the Dean's List all four years at Lincoln Memorial and earned CSC Academic All-America honors in both 2024 and 2025. He also garnered the D2 ADA Academic Achievement Award, SAC Commissioner's Honor Roll recognition, and was named a First Century Bank Scholar-Athlete of the Week.

On the court, Giurea has built one of the most accomplished careers in recent LMU men's tennis history. He was named the 2022-23 SAC Freshman of the Year and earned Third-Team All-SAC Singles honors during his freshman campaign. As a sophomore, he collected Second-Team All-SAC Singles accolades before earning First-Team All-SAC honors in both singles and doubles as a junior. This season, Giurea once again earned First-Team All-SAC Singles recognition after opening the spring with an 8-1 singles record at the No. 1 position and helping LMU secure the No. 3 seed in the SAC Tournament.

Throughout his four-year career, Giurea consistently competed at the top of the Railsplitters lineup, compiling strong records in both singles and doubles play while facing some of the top competition in the region.

Away from the court, Giurea has been heavily involved on campus and in the community. He served as a SAAC representative for the LMU men's tennis team and participated in the LMU C.O.R.E. Business Club, Delta Mu Delta Society, LMU Choir, and Chi Alpha Sigma National Honor Society. He was also recognized as an A.B.E. Award winner.

"Alex has consistently demonstrated strong character, commitment, and professionalism both on court and in the classroom," LMU head coach Abraham Lascari Diaz said in his nomination letter. "His work ethic and attitude set him apart, and he has represented Lincoln Memorial University with integrity throughout his career."

2026 SAC Men's Tennis Scholar-Athlete of the Year Finalists

• Alexandru Giurea (LMU) - Winner
• Carlo Rosellini (Wingate)
• Vadym Rogynskyi (LRU)