Lilley Nice and Maddie Stephens Named All-SSC
Earn all-SSC honors for second time in program history.
MELBOURNE, Fla. – Twenty student-athletes have been named to the 2017 All-Sunshine State Conference Women's Tennis Teams, it was announced Friday. The University of Tampa had a pair of student-athletes honored in Lilley Nice and Maddie Stephens.
Barry University, SSC regular season and tournament champion, claims eight awards including, Coach of the Year and Freshman of the Year.
Voting for the All-SSC teams was conducted among the league's women's tennis coaches.
Women's Tennis All-SSC History: All-SSC Teams | Athletes & Coaches of the Year
Nice, a freshman from The Woodlands, Texas, earned honorable mention all-SSC honors in both singles and also doubles with Stephens. Nice concluded her freshman campaign with a 12-6 singles record while playing number three for the Spartans. She was also 15-4 overall in doubles.
Stephens, a sophomore from Fort Worth, Texas, is an honorable mention dopubles player with Nice. In doubles play this season, she finished 15-4 overall, playing the number two doubles spot.
Luicelena Perez of Nova Southeastern University is named SSC Athlete of the Year after a 17-0 singles record and a 13-4 doubles record with partner Isabella Lowery this season. Perez, senior from Valencia, Venezuela, becomes the first Shark to win SSC Player of the Year.
Dasha Salnikova is awarded Freshman of the Year award after a 9-3 first year singles record at Barry. The Neuilly-su-seine, France product also finished with a 6-2 overall 4-1 SSC doubles record along with teammate Isabel Rapisarda Calvo. It is the sixth Freshman of the Year honor for the Buccaneers women's tennis program.
His peers have named Avi Kigel as SSC Coach of the Year after leading Barry to a 22-0 overall record in the regular season and a 10th conference tournament championship. Under Kigel, No. 2 Barry heads into a 24th straight regional, and has earned the right to host. The honor is the seventh of Kigel's career and the 11th in program history.
Lynn's Rosie WIllig earns First Team accolades in doubles and singles for the third consecutive season. Willig was also named Freshman of the Year and All-SSC Second Team in 2014. Zuza Maciejewska (Barry) is named First Team singles this year after picking up doubles honors last season. Grace Mpassy (Lynn), Sonja Larsen (Barry), Marine Beugre-Goyot (Saint Leo) move up to First Team singles from Second Team singles last season.
Athlete of the Year – Luicelena Perez, Nova Southeastern
Freshman of the Year – Dasha Salnikova, Barry
Coach of the Year – Avi Kigel, Barry
2017 All-SSC Women's Tennis Team
FIRST TEAM SINGLES
Luicelena Perez, Nova Southeastern (Jr.)
Grace Mpassy, Lynn (Jr.)^
Zuza Maciejewska, Barry (So.)*^
Rosie Willig, Lynn (Sr.)*~%
Sonja Larsen, Barry (Jr.)^~
Marine Beugre-Guyot, Saint Leo (Sr.)*^
FIRST TEAM DOUBLES
Stefanie Stemmer / Rosie Willig*~%, Lynn (Gr./Sr.)
Grace Mpassy^ / Diana Bogolii*, Lynn (Jr./Sr.)
Ana Pain^~+% / Sonja Larsen^~, Barry (Sr./Jr.)
SECOND TEAM SINGLES
Isabel Rapisarda Calvo, Barry (Sr.)
Sasha Nionova, Florida Southern (Jr.)
Dasha Salnikova, Barry (Fr.)
Simone Pratt, Nova Southeastern (Jr.)
Alahna Reto, Florida Tech (So.)
Kristyna Jurkova, Saint Leo (Fr.)
SECOND TEAM DOUBLES
Lucielena Perez / Isabella Lowery, Nova Southeastern (Sr./So.)
Verna Schmid / Zuza Maciejewska, Barry*^ (So./So.)
Simone Pratt / Natassia Rubel, Nova Southeastern (Jr. / Sr.)
HONORABLE MENTION SINGLES
Lilley Nice, Tampa (Fr.)
HONORABLE MENTION DOUBLES
Lilley Nice / Maddie Stephens, Tampa (Fr. / So.)
*=2016 All-SSC First Team
^=2016 All-SSC Second Team
~=2015 All-SSC First Team
+=2015 All-SSC Second Team
= = 2014 All-SSC First Team
% = 2014 All-SSC Second Team