The Liberty men’s tennis squad was honored for its efforts in the classroom during the 2022-23 school year in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s (ITA) academic awards listing.

The Universal Tennis NIT champion Flames featured five 2023 ITA Scholar-Athletes in Ernst Gouws, Zion Heaven, Chase Robinson, Josh Wilson and Christiaan Worst. In addition, Liberty earned 2023 ITA All-Academic Team recognition.

The ITA Scholar-Athlete distinction is given to student-athletes who are varsity letter winners, have a grade point average (GPA) of 3.50 or above for the current school year and have been enrolled at their present school for at least two semesters. The Flames have featured 29 ITA Scholar-Athletes during head coach Derek Schwandt’s six years at Liberty.

Heaven, Wilson and Worst are each five-time ITA Scholar-Athlete award winners. Meanwhile, Qouws and Robinson are first-time honorees.

The ITA All-Academic Team award recognizes programs which held a cumulative GPA of 3.20 or above during the 2022-23 academic year. Liberty posted a 3.23 team GPA this past year, the third-highest of any men’s team on campus. The Flames are maintaining a 3.32 cumulative team GPA, the third highest among men’s programs at Liberty. The Flames have earned ITA All-Academic Team distinction in each of the last six years.

Ernst Gouws | Freshman | Stellenbosch, South Africa

• 2022-23 GPA: 3.82
  • Major: Business Administration – Entrepreneurship
  • Utilized redshirt season

Zion Heaven | Senior (Fifth Year) | Ewa Beach, Hawaii

• 2022-23 GPA: 4.00
  • Major: Business Administration – Finance
• Graduate: M.B.A. – Finance
  • Five-time ITA Scholar-Athlete (2019-23)
• Two-time ASUN Academic Honor Roll (2021-22)
• Totaled 11 singles wins on the year, including an 8-3 tournament mark
  • Accumulated 8-10 doubles record

Chase Robinson | Freshman | Spartanburg, S.C.

• 2022-23 GPA: 4.00
• Major: Business Administration
• Utilized redshirt season

Josh Wilson | Senior (Fifth Year) | Reigate, United Kingdom

• 2022-23 GPA: 4.00
  • Major: Business Administration – Finance
• Graduate: M.B.A. – Finance
  • Five-time ITA Scholar-Athlete (2019-23)
• Three-time ASUN Men’s Tennis Scholar-Athlete of the Year (2021-23)
• Three-time ASUN All-Academic team (2021-23)
• Four-time ASUN Academic Honor Roll (2019-22)
• CSC Academic All-District Men’s Tennis Team (2023)
• Two-time VaSID Academic All-State Team (2021, 2023)
• Three-time ASUN All-Conference first team (2019, 2022-23), ASUN All-Conference second team (2021)
• VaSID All-State singles first team (2019), three-time VaSID All-State singles second team (2020, 2022-23), VaSID All-State doubles second team with partner Christiaan Worst (2023)
• Eight-time ASUN Player of the Week
• Finished season as No. 10-ranked singles player in Atlantic Region
• Wilson posted a 17-14 overall record and an 11-9 (5-1 ASUN) spring season record
• Leader in program history with 92 career singles victories and tied for first with 82 doubles triumphs

Christiaan Worst | Junior (Fifth Year) | Pretoria, South Africa

• 2022-23 GPA: 4.00
• Major: Business Administration – Finance
• Graduate: M.B.A. – Finance
  • Five-time ITA Scholar-Athlete (2019-23)
• Two-time ASUN All-Academic team (2022-23)
  • Two-time ASUN Academic Honor Roll (2021-22)
• CSC Academic All-District Men’s Tennis Team (2023)
• ASUN All-Conference third team (2023)
• ASUN Player of the Week
• 2021 ASUN Doubles Pair of the Year with partner Deji Thomas-Smith
• VaSID All-State doubles second team with partner Josh Wilson (2023)
• Finished year second on team with 22 doubles wins
• Accumulated an overall 16-16 singles record with a 13-9 (4-2 ASUN) spring record