ORLANDO – For the second consecutive year, multiple Knights took home ITA Southeast Region awards including Head Coach Lloyd Bruce-Burgess as well as Yassine Dlimi, as announced by the ITA on Tuesday.
Leading the charge, Bruce-Burgess was tabbed the ITA Southeast Region Head Coach of the Year following yet another historic year at the helm. Under his leadership, the Knights advanced to both the ITA Indoor Championship as well as the Sweet 16 for the second year in a row.
The Black and Gold were rewarded for their historic regular season that saw an undefeated record on home courts at the USTA National Campus by hosting the first two rounds of the NCAA Championship on those very courts.
All under Bruce-Burgess’ direction, the Knights defeated all in-state opponents on this season’s schedule, ending the year at No. 2 in the Southeast region only trailing Georgia.
Joining Bruce-Burgess, Dlimi was honored as the Southeast Region’s Senior Player of the Year, completing all four years in Black and Gold.
The two-year captain capped off his four-year campaign with back-to-back wins in the NCAA Championship in dramatic fashion. The Morocco native completed his time at the USTA National Campus with a clutch clinch over Ganesan of Florida in a tiebreak-comeback win to send the Knights to the Sweet 16. At the Wake Forest Super Regional, Dlimi picked up the lone win on court one, defeating one of college tennis’ bests in DK Suresh.
Prior to his postseason stint in his final year, Dlimi racked up an impressive resume in his tenure as a Knight. As a freshman, Dlimi wasted no time making his mark, stepping confidently into lineup spots on courts one through three and delivering performances strong enough to earn American Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year honors.
As a sophomore, Dlimi secured the program’s top front‑court responsibilities and put together a remarkable 12‑match unbeaten streak, including nine consecutive victories.
The 2025 season marked a true breakout year. Dlimi captured a career‑high 17 singles wins and climbed to No. 52 in the ITA national rankings, earning a spot on the All‑Big 12 Singles First Team. His historic year included multiple top‑25 victories, highlighted by a signature win over TCU’s seventh‑ranked Jack Pinnington Jones. That triumph began a dramatic 4-3 comeback against the No. 2 Horned Frogs in the Big 12 Tournament semifinals, sending the Knights to their first-ever Big 12 Championship match.
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UCF is a proud member of the Big 12 Conference. Our mission is to positively transform the lives of our students academically, athletically, and personally through a nationally competitive intercollegiate athletics program that enhances the reputation and visibility of the University. We strive to be Florida's preeminent athletic program representing UCF and our community with distinction on the national stage as "Orlando's Hometown Team". To learn more about UCF and Athletics, please visit our websites at www.ucf.edu and www.ucfknights.com.