The Bulldogs men’s tennis team won the Southeastern Conference title Sunday, defeating No. 1 seed Kentucky in the finals at Mississippi State’s A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre.It was the 34th SEC crown for the Bulldogs, and their eights tournament crown.

The win improved Georgia’s record to 23-2 on the season, and they now head into next month’s NCAA tournament on a high note. This is the first SEC title win since 2007. That year the Bulldogs went on to win the national championship in Athens.

“Our previous encounter with Kentucky was a loss that really hurt,” said Bulldog head coach Manuel Diaz. “Our goal was to learn from that day. We felt like we’d had the match in hand and probably tried too hard. I think today we showed maturity, and that’s necessary to close out an important match against a very good team. This was a big moment of growth for us and proved that that loss was a turning point. It put us in a position to win today because this time we knew how to handle it. That’s the biggest thing I take from this.”

Bulldogs Tennis Team Wins SEC Title - Dawn of the Dawg - Dawn of the Dawg - A Georgia Bulldogs Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more.

Nov 29, 2008; Athens, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs former head coach Vince Dooley on the field during the game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-US PRESSWIRE

Former Georgia football coach and Athletic Director Vince Dooley is the 2012 recipient of the Duffy Daugherty Memorial Award, named for Michigan State coach Duffy Daugherty.

The award, to be presented on April 26 in Bath, Michigan, is given annually to an individual making outstanding contributions to amateur football. Past recipients have included Bobby Bowden, Joe Paterno and Eddie Robinson.

“I am so very proud,” Dooley said. “Knowing Duffy as I did, this award means so much to me. As both a coach and person, he was always jovial and fun and it was just great to be around him. My wife Barbara especially loved him. With all the respect everyone had for Duffy, as well as his tremendous coaching record, this is a great honor for me.”

Dooley coached the Bulldogs from 1963-88 with a career record of 201-77-10, including winning the 1980 national championship, as well as six SEC titles. He was Director of Athletics from 1979-2004.

Vince Dooley to Receive 2012 Duffy Daugherty Award - Dawn of the Dawg - Dawn of the Dawg - A Georgia Bulldogs Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more.