KENNESAW, Ga. – Kennesaw State head men’s tennis coach T.J. Greggs has announced that sophomore Ryan Bouttell has been named team captain for the 2010 season.

“Ryan is an excellent choice for captain,” said Greggs. “He is the type of player that will never give up and that’s the attitude we want the rest of our team to have.”

Bouttell becomes the first underclassman to be named team captain in the brief history of the men’s program. The Kirkland, Quebec native enjoyed a solid freshman season in which he finished with a 12-3 singles record including a win over the No. 69-ranked Alain Humblet of Appalachian State.

“This is a huge honor for me and I’m excited to be a role model and leader for this team,” said Bouttell. “This is a great opportunity to help move our team in a positive direction. We have a couple of great leaders on this team and to have the coaches select me is a great honor.”

Arguably the Owls most successful player last year, Bouttell had a 7-1 conference record and ended the year on a five-match winning streak.

“Ryan utilizes every bit of talent he had in a match and works hard on the court and in the classroom to be the best he can be and that’s what translates into a good leader for our team.”

Bouttell and the Owls open up the season on Jan. 29 when Kennesaw State travels to play the Memphis Tigers.