Moravian Academy coach Rick Brown was named The Morning Call Girls Tennis Coach of the Year on December 22, 2020. 

According to Dante Terenzio of The Morning Call, the well-deserved honor was given to Brown "[f]or keeping his team on track, despite tough circumstances." Brown led the Lions to become the Colonial League and District XI Class 2A champions. The girls tennis team was crowned runner-up at the state finals. 

In addition to great team success, individual tennis player Francesca Bartolacci '24  was a District XI champion, later taking fourth in the PIAA singles tournament. Her sister, Isabella Bartolacci '22 finished second in the District XI doubles tournament with teammate Jamilie Atiyeh '22. 

Brown attributes his team's success to striking the balance between working hard and having fun. He told Terenzio, "The standards have been set. If you're going to play at Moravian, you better be playing in the offseason [...] Another big thing is our practices are fun. We work on a lot of things, but the coaching staff also tries to make it fun and we make sure to be flexible with their academics." 

"It was and truly is tough times," Brown said. "We're blessed to have gotten the whole season in. What a big relief." 

Read the full story here.