
MT Velcz Snags Big 12 Player of the Week Honors
2/17/2026 1:00:00 PM | Men's Tennis
BU senior earns first conference honor of the season for the Bears
IRVING, Texas – After a competitive week of competition against top-10 foes, Baylor men's tennis Zsombor Velcz earned Big 12 Player of the Week honors for his undefeated 5-0 record through three matches.
Velcz went undefeated on the week, earning two straight-set singles and three doubles victories alongside partner Alexandru Chirita at the No. 2 position and extended his strong start against top competition.
Ranked No. 106 nationally in singles, Velcz defeated Texas A&M's Montsi 6-4, 6-4, followed by an almost ranked win over UCF's No. 108 Abderrahman before going unfinished 7-5, 3-3, and closed the weekend with a 6-3, 7-6(3) victory against Wake Forest's Aryan Shah.
In doubles, Velcz, alongside Chirita, continued to anchor Court Two, picking up wins of 6-2 against No. 38 Frusina and Montsi of Texas A&M, 6-1 against Abderrahman and Benchakroun of UCF, and 6-3 against Shah and Szymkowaik of Wake Forest.
With Velcz's 5-0 record this week against three consecutive top-10 teams, he led Baylor to three straight upsets of top-10 wins, the first time BU has accomplished the feat since 2021. His clutch tie-breaker victory against Wake Forest's Shah helped give Baylor a thrilling 4-3 win over the reigning national champions of Wake Forest and advance Baylor to the semifinals of the ITA Indoor Championships.
WHAT'S NEXT
Baylor travels to Winston-Salem on Sunday, Feb. 22, to take on No. 3 Wake Forest in a road match.
Velcz went undefeated on the week, earning two straight-set singles and three doubles victories alongside partner Alexandru Chirita at the No. 2 position and extended his strong start against top competition.
Ranked No. 106 nationally in singles, Velcz defeated Texas A&M's Montsi 6-4, 6-4, followed by an almost ranked win over UCF's No. 108 Abderrahman before going unfinished 7-5, 3-3, and closed the weekend with a 6-3, 7-6(3) victory against Wake Forest's Aryan Shah.
In doubles, Velcz, alongside Chirita, continued to anchor Court Two, picking up wins of 6-2 against No. 38 Frusina and Montsi of Texas A&M, 6-1 against Abderrahman and Benchakroun of UCF, and 6-3 against Shah and Szymkowaik of Wake Forest.
With Velcz's 5-0 record this week against three consecutive top-10 teams, he led Baylor to three straight upsets of top-10 wins, the first time BU has accomplished the feat since 2021. His clutch tie-breaker victory against Wake Forest's Shah helped give Baylor a thrilling 4-3 win over the reigning national champions of Wake Forest and advance Baylor to the semifinals of the ITA Indoor Championships.
WHAT'S NEXT
Baylor travels to Winston-Salem on Sunday, Feb. 22, to take on No. 3 Wake Forest in a road match.
- BaylorBears.com -
Players Mentioned
Baylor Tennis (W): Highlights vs. Illinois and Tulane | January 17-18, 2026
Thursday, January 22
Baylor Tennis (M): Highlights vs. Wisconsin | January 19, 2026
Thursday, January 22
Baylor Tennis (M): Highlights vs. Lamar | January 17th 2026
Monday, January 19
Baylor Tennis (M): 4-0 Sweep vs Lamar! | January 17th, 2026
Monday, January 19















