WALTHAM, Mass. – Brandeis men's tennis player Jeffrey Chen '22 of Northfield, Illinois, has been named as a College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Division III Third Team Academic All-American for the 2020-21 school year.
This marks the second year in a row that Brandeis has placed a member on the CoSIDA Academic All-America Men's At-Large Team, following fencer Chris Armstrong '20 last year. Chen is Brandeis's third men's tennis player in program history to earn CoSIDA honors, joining Ezra Bernstein '12 in 2012 and Jon Cordish '90 in 1990. This is the 24th time a Brandeis student-athlete has earned CoSIDA Academic All-America honors, and Chen is the 19th athlete to make the list.
Click here for the full 2021 CoSIDA Academic All-America At-Large teams.
Chen earned All-America honors on the court this year after turning in one of the best doubles seasons in program history along with partner Adam Tzeng '22. Chen and Tzeng moved up to first doubles this year after two seasons in the second spot. After going 4-4 in dual matches, including 2-1 in the NCAA tournament, Chen earned All-America honors by making a run to the finals of the NCAA Division III Doubles championship. After a 6-0, 6-2, win in the first round over opponents from Christopher Newport, he and Tzeng defeated the top-seeded team from Case Western Reserve, 6-7 (6-8), 7-6 (7-4), 6-1, in the quarterfinals. The pair had another come-from-behind win in the semifinals, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-2), against Gustavus Adolphus. In the finals, a duo from Carleton College that included the Division III singles champion, emerged with a 6-3, 6-2, win. In both their quarterfinal and semifinal matches, Chen and Tzeng fought off three match points to secure the win and earn their status as All-Americans. In three seasons, Chen and Tzeng are now 27-9 for their career as a pairing.
In singles action, Chen put together a team-best 6-1 record, mostly at third singles. Among his wins was the clinching point in the team's 5-3 victory over Southern Virginia University that put Brandeis in the NCAA Division III Team tournament quarterfinals for the first time in program history.
Off the court, Chen finished his junior year with a 3.60 grade-point average as an economics and business double major. A four-time Dean's List and two-time Academic All-University Athletic Association selection, Chen completed his bachelor's degree in three years as part of Brandeis's BA/MA program in business. He has also been recognized as an Intercollegiate Tennis Association All-Academic selection.
The Brandeis men's tennis team finished the 2021 season with an 8-2 record under second-year head coach Pauri Pandian. The Judges received the second NCAA Division III Tournament berth in program history, earning the team's first-ever win, 5-0, over Grove City, and advancing to their first-ever quarterfinals with a 5-3 win over Southern Virginia. The Judges fell in the quarters to eventual champion Emory. The Judges return all but two of their NCAA tournament starters in 2021-22.
Chen is a 2018 graduate of New Trier High School.
For more information on Brandeis Men's Tennis, visit the team's web page at www.brandeisjudges.com/sports/mten. Follow Brandeis Athletics on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, @BrandeisJudges.