Westmont’s Barnard receives NAIA honor

Westmont’s Joshua Barnard was named the NAIA Men’s Tennis Player of the Week. He is the first Warrior to receive the honor.

Joshua Barnard is Westmont's first NAIA National Tennis Player of the Week.

Joshua Barnard is Westmont’s first NAIA Men’s National Tennis Player of the Week.

The junior was selected based on his performances from March 31-April 6 and was chosen from a pool of over 25 nominees.

Barnard aided fifth-ranked Westmont (12-5, 7-2 GSAC) to a flawless 3-0 streak with an untarnished 6-0 record in doubles and singles play combined. The Warriors claimed their three matches 8-1, 7-2, and 9-0.

Barnard, the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s  No. 45-ranked NAIA singles player,  took down the fourth-ranked singles athlete from No. 11 Concordia (Calif.) (6-1, 6-0) on April 1 and third-ranked NCAA Division III Williams (Mass.) (6-1, 6-2) on April 2. Barnard then swept his No. 3 singles opponent from Arizona Christian (6-0, 6-0) on April 5. On the year, Barnard possesses a 13-2 record in singles play.

Along with wingman Rodrigo Schaefer, Barnard amassed an unblemished week at No. 1 doubles with victories over the ITA’s #13-rated NAIA doubles tandem from Concordia (9-8 (7-2)), as well as the top doubles pairing from Williams (9-7). Barnard and Schaefer are the ITA’s second-ranked doubles team in the NAIA.