BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – Gardner-Webb's Johan Fors became the fourth Runnin' Bulldog to win Big South Player of the Week honors the conference announced on Sunday afternoon.

Fors (Dalsjofors, Sweden / Sven Eriksongymnasiet) is the second consecutive Gardner-Webb student-athlete to receive recognition, as Breno Plentz was named Player of the Week on April 8. Maximilian Scholl and Millen Hurrion have also previously been honored by the conference.

Fors went a combined 4-1 between singles and doubles play in matches against UNC Asheville and Longwood to help the Runnin' Bulldogs clinch a share of the Big South regular season title and the #1 seed for the upcoming conference tournament.

"Johan is very deserving of this award, and it's a great accomplishment," said head coach Mike Griffith. "He is peaking at the right time and playing the best tennis I have ever seen him play. It is great that our guys playing on courts three through six are clinching matches for us as it has taken a lot of pressure off our No. 1 and 2 singles players."

Fors suffered a setback in singles vs. UNC Asheville to start the week in but rebounded with a pair of wins in a road contest at Hampton. Against the Pirates, Fors teamed up with Plentz to win at No. 2 doubles, 6-2, and outscored Basil Post at No. 5 singles, 12-1 in two sets.

Two days later, he played an instrumental role in the Runnin' Bulldogs defeat of Longwood, which gave the 'Dogs the top seed in the league tournament. In doubles action, he played alongside Ross Gilbert in the No. 2 flight and won, 6-2. On court five in singles play, he earned a 6-1, 6-1 win over Marc Casasnovas.

Fors and the Runnin' Bulldogs will begin Big South tournament play on Thursday at 9 a.m. against the winner of the USC Upstate vs. Hampton match. The semifinals will take place on Friday with the championship match set for Saturday, April 20 at 12 p.m. Radford University will host the tournament.