TEMPE, Ariz.-The Gonzaga University men's tennis team received academic honors from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) recently as the entire squad was designated an All-Academic team and three players were named Scholar-Athletes.

As a group, the Zags posted a 3.45 GPA during the 2015-16 school year, well above the minimum of 3.20 the ITA requires. This is the second time in the last four years the Zags have earned the award; they last were an ITA All-Academic Team in 2013.

Additionally, three Bulldogs - Connor Arend, Hayden Smith, and Vicente Varas - were named ITA Scholar-Athletes, their first ITA honors. Arend posted a 3.85 GPA as a mechanical engineering major in 2015-16. The sophomore tallied four singles victories last year, picking up his first career win Sept. 18 at the EWU Fall Classic. He also played in four dual matches during the spring's dual season.

Smith, meanwhile, led the squad with a 3.88 GPA during his final year at Gonzaga. He also picked up 12 singles wins and 14 doubles victories during the year, earning West Coast Conference All-Academic honors. The Breakfast Point, Australia, native graduated in May with a degree in accounting.

Another senior, Varas earned the Scholar-Athlete award after finishing his academic career with a 3.76 as a civil engineering major. He too won WCC All-Academic honors after eight singles wins and five in doubles play. He won his first career tournament bracket in the fall after taking the EWU Fall Classic's Black Bracket. The Sammamish, Wash., native also graduated Cum Laude in May.

For the most up-to-date information on Gonzaga men's tennis, check www.GoZags.com or follow the team on twitter at @ZagMTennis.