BUFFALO, NY - University at Buffalo men's tennis coach Russ Crispell was awarded the prestigious United States Professional Tennis Registry's "Make a Difference" Award at the United States Tennis Association's Eastern Division Annual Awards dinner on January 29 in White Plains, New York.

Crispell was honored for his continued efforts to grow the game of tennis in his local community as the creator and developer of the University Tennis Club forming the non-profit, community-based club at the University's varsity tennis courts. In four years the club has grown from forty members to its current roll of over four hundred.

The University Tennis Club, regarded as the premier outdoor facility in Western New York, plays host to several USTA events including league play, tournaments and clinics as well as hosting local high school and college events.

In his seventh season, as Bulls head coach Crispell has a 79-62 career record entering the 2000 spring season.

Crispell also recently announced the signing of freshman Fery Kasiman. Kasiman, a native of Jakarta, Indonesia is ranked 920th in the International Tennis Federation's 18-and-under Division, the highest ranking ever for a Bulls tennis player. Kasiman graduated from high school in Hilton Head, SC and participated in Dennis VanDer Meer's world class academy.

In the first tournament of his collegiate career, Kasiman reached the B-singles finals of the Cornell Invitational in Ithaca last week. Kasiman defeated opponents from Binghamton, Massachusetts and St. Bonaventure to reach the semifinal round where he downed the tournament's No. 1 seed, Russ Gimelstob of Cornell, 7-6 (2), 6-1. Kasiman eventually fell to Cornell's Joe Chrisman in the finals 7-5, 6-2 after losing an early 5-3 lead.