| VSU Leads Individual Honors |
Birmingham, AL—The Gulf South Conference announced its 2009 Women's Tennis All-Conference Team today.
Valdosta State led way as the only squad with four All-GSC First Team members. Arkansas Tech, Delta State, Ouachita Baptist and West Florida added two First Team selections apiece, while Harding, Henderson State, North Alabama and West Alabama collected one First Team selection.
VSU SWEEPS EAST PLAYER HONORSValdosta State's Natali Gumbrecht is the first GSC East Division Player of the Year from VSU since 2005. Gumbrecht took the league by storm this season, leading the Lady Blazers to the division crown and a berth in the GSC Title Match. Her honor marks VSU's ninth all-time winner.
VSU's Kristel de Groot was named GSC Freshman of the Year. De Groot's is the second straight Lady Blazer to post the accolade after teammate Tina Trautmann shared last year's award.
FIRST-EVER HONOREE IN WEST DIVISION AWARDSHarding senior Alicia Williams capped off her four-year career in grand fashion, becoming the school's first-ever GSC West Division Player of the Year since the Lady Bisons joined the league in 2000-01.
Delta State's Lisa James snapped its 11-year drought in the GSC Freshman of the Year process, claiming the Lady Statesmen's first award since Adri Van Der Wath in 1998. James' honor was also DSU's third overall honor.
DSU'S ATKINSON NAMED COACH OF THE YEAR
The GSC Coach of the Year comes from the West Division for the first time since 2004, when Delta State's Asa Atkinson was selected. Atkinson led the Lady Statesmen to the Division Title behind a perfect 6-0 Conference record and a No. 25 national ranking.
ALL-GSC TEAMA pair of four-time All-GSC First Teamers highlighted the 2009 All-GSC Teams.
West Florida's Suzanna Cavalcante and HU's Williams upped the number of all-time four-time First Team winners to 10. Valdosta State duo Dominique Rothlaender and Raphaella Durante are three-time All-GSC First Team honorees. Returning from the 2008 First Team are West Alabama's Nicole Shanahan, Arkansas Tech's Saki Matsuoka and Delta State's Cecile Benzaki, while VSU's Gumbrecht returns to the First Team after stint on last year's Second Team.
North Alabama's Mallory Waites makes her inaugural First Team appearance, following a pair of Second Team nods in 2007 and 2008. Making the jump from last year's Second Team were VSU's Tina Trautmann and ATU's Anna Carsonduo, while Ouachita Baptist's Natalia Drada moves up from the 2007 Second Team.
2009 ALL-GSC WOMEN'S TENNIS FIRST TEAM
EAST DIVISION
|
Player |
School |
Year |
Hometown |
|
#^Mallory Waites |
UNA |
JR |
Birmingham, AL |
|
!$Dominique Rothlaender |
VSU |
SO |
Cologne, Germany |
|
#$Natali Gumbrecht |
VSU |
JR |
Sachsen bei Ansbach, Germany |
|
!$Raphaella Durante |
VSU |
JR |
Rennes, France |
|
#Tina Trautmann |
VSU |
SO |
Ahrensburg, Germany |
|
!Nicole Shanahan |
UWA |
SO |
Wodonga, Australia |
|
!$%Suzanna Cavalcante |
UWF |
SR |
Sao Paulo, Brazil |
|
Paulina Ojeda |
UWF |
SO |
Santiago, Chile |
|
!—2008 All-GSC First Team |
#—2008 All-GSC Second Team | ||
|
$—2007 All-GSC First Team |
^—2007 All-GSC Second Team | ||
|
%—2006 All-GSC First Team |
|||
East Division Player of the Year—Natali Gumbrecht, Valdosta State
East Division Freshman of the Year—Kristel de Groot, Valdosta State
WEST DIVISION
|
Player |
School |
Year |
Hometown |
|
#Anna Carson |
ATU |
SR |
Fort Smith, AR |
|
!Saki Matsuoka |
ATU |
SO |
Saitama, Japan |
|
!Cecile Benzaki |
DSU |
JR |
Marseille, France |
|
Lisa Jamais |
DSU |
FR |
Reunion Island, France |
|
!$%Alicia Williams |
HU |
SR |
Greenville, MS |
|
Rebecca Staton |
HSU |
JR |
Lafayette, LA |
|
Tavu Fa |
OBU |
JR |
Fiji |
|
^Natalia Drada |
OBU |
SR |
Santiago de Cali, Columbia |
|
!—2008 All-GSC First Team |
#—2008 All-GSC Second Team | ||
|
$—2007 All-GSC First Team |
^—2007 All-GSC Second Team | ||
|
%—2006 All-GSC First Team |
|||
West Division Player of the Year—Alicia Williams, Harding
West Division Freshman of the Year— Lisa James, Delta State
GSC Coach of the Year—Asa Atkinson, Delta State
2009 ALL-GSC WOMEN'S TENNIS SECOND TEAM
EAST DIVISION
|
Player |
School |
Year |
Hometown |
|
Alex Mangum |
UM |
JR |
San Antonio, TX |
|
Kristi Kelly |
UM |
JR |
Tallahassee, FL |
|
Lenka Hola |
UNA |
SR |
Brno, Czech Republic |
|
Mariana Freitas |
UWA |
SO |
Lisbon, Portugal |
|
Brittany Williams |
UWA |
SR |
Richford, NY |
|
Renata Mattos |
UWF |
SR |
Sao Paulo, Brazil |
|
Taylor Brewster |
UWF |
SO |
Fergus, Ontario, Canada |
WEST DIVISION
|
Player |
School |
Year |
Hometown |
|
Kristen Brown |
ATU |
SR |
Winona, TX |
|
Morgan Mills |
CBU |
JR |
Memphis, TN |
|
Katharina Nett |
DSU |
JR |
Grafschaft, Germany |
|
Lola Pardo |
HU |
JR |
Hendaye, France |
|
Stephanie Schnobel |
HSU |
JR |
Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
|
Estphanie Lau |
HSU |
JR |
Lima, Peru |
|
Meaghan Ocanas |
SAU |
SR |
Rowlett, TX |
#GSC#
| Downloadable Files |
| Complete Release (PDF) |