WALTHAM, Mass. – Men’s tennis graduate student
Dylan Walters of
Baltimore, Maryland, and women’s tennis junior
Rebecca Suarez of
New York, New York, have been named the Brandeis University Athletes of the Week for the week ending April 16. The Brandeis Athlete of the Week program is presented by The Chateau Restaurant and Jake N Joes Bar and Grill.
In the Judges’ lone win last week, a 5-2 victory for the then-#36-ranked Judges over #41 MIT, Walters won a pair of matches at #1. He teamed with first-year
Daniel Shemesh of
Modiin, Israel, for a 6-1 win at #1 doubles, then took a 7-5, 6-4, victory at #1 singles for the team’s third point after MIT had tied the match at 2-all. The win was Brandeis’s third in a row and sixth in seven matches as they improved to 6-4 on the season.
This is Walters’ fourth career UAA Weekly honor. In 2024, he was named a first-team All-UAA selection at 1
st singles, and also earned second-team at #3/4 in 2022. Walters also became the Judges’ seventh All-American in Brandeis history last year after winning a first-round match at the NCAA Division III singles tournament.
The 7-5 Judges, now ranked 33
rd nationally, meet Trinity College on Friday, April 18, at 3 p.m., and #3-ranked Tufts on Saturday at 2 p.m. to close out the regular season before the UAA tournament in Florida next week.
Suarez went 4-0 in two matches over the weekend. She helped Brandeis to a 7-0 win over Endicott College on the team’s Senior Day with wins of 6-0 at #1 doubles and 6-1, 6-0, at #1 singles. In a 5-2 upset over #12-ranked Wellesley, Suarez and partner senior
Bhakti Parwani of
Ahmedabad, India, won, 6-3, at #1 to help Brandeis win the doubles point, then cruised to a 6-4, 6-0, win at #1 singles, earning the team’s second point. The win over the Blue was Brandeis’s seventh in a row, with the first six coming by 7-0 scores. The team moved over .500 for the first time this season at 7-6.
This is the second UAA Player of the Week honor of Suarez’ career. She is a three-time All-UAA performer who was a second-team doubles selection last year and a first-team selection in singles and doubles as a first-year. She and Parwani were the third doubles team in school history selected to the NCAA Division III tournament last year, falling to the top seed in the opening round.
The Judges, now ranked #36 in Division III, return to action on Wednesday afternoon at Trinity (Conn.) College at 4 p.m. and close out their regular season on April 17 against Springfield College at home on April 18 before the UAA Tournament next week in Florida.
This is the ninth year that the Brandeis Athlete of the Week program has been presented by The Chateau Restaurant Group. The Athlete of the Year Program highlights a top Brandeis student-athlete who has had an outstanding athletic achievement from the week prior. Each selected student-athlete will be featured on the Brandeis athletics homepage and inside the Chateau Waltham and Jake N Joes
Owned and operated by the Nocera Family, the Chateau Restaurant of Waltham opened in 1933 and set the standard for providing the tradition of Italian family dining, friendly service and quality food at reasonable prices for its customers. Located on 195 School Street, with 900 seats, the Chateau is always ready to accommodate large parties.
The Nocera Family consists of 6 brothers who have always had a passion for playing sports. In 2010, The Nocera Family launched a new concept, Jake n JOES Sports Grille. Jake n JOES Waltham opened in 2014 and is the best place to watch a game and enjoy quality food.
"Brandeis student-athletes are fantastic role models in our community,” says Chateau President Joe Nocera, “They exemplify the ideals of excellence and commitment both on and off the playing field. The Chateau Waltham and Jake n JOES Waltham are proud to partner with Brandeis Athletics to continue to enhance a positive focus within the Waltham Community."
Walters is a 2020 graduate of the Gilman School. For more information on Brandeis men’s tennis, visit their web page at
https://brandeisjudges.com/sports/mten.
Suarez is a 2022 graduate of the International Virtual Learning Academy. For more information on Brandeis women’s tennis, please visit our homepage at
https://brandeisjudges.com/sports/wten.
For more information on Brandeis athletics, visit our web page at
www.brandeisjudges.com or follow us on Instagram and Facebook @BrandeisJudges.
