#5 Women's Tennis | 4/27/2017 12:30:00 PM

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The Gulf South Conference reannounced its annual All-Conference honors for women's tennis on Wednesday as UWF placed four on the First Team and had two of the Tri-Players of the Year.

This year's 16-member team was comprised of 10-different countries, including Italy, Argentina, Poland, France, Spain, Uzbekistan, Germany, Croatia, Colombia and the USA. Both West Florida and Valdosta State led all schools, placing four student-athletes each on the squad. The Argonauts, the 2017 GSC Women's Regular Season- and Tournament Champions, had all four named to the First Team. West Alabama had three honorees, followed by North Alabama, with two. Rounding out the list were Lee, Shorter and Mississippi College, all with one.
 
GSC Tri-Players of the Year
West Florida senior Paula Lopez and junior Paula Coyos, both natives of Tucumán, Argentina, and West Alabama junior Amina Mukhametshina, all shared top honors this season in being named the GSC Tri-Players of the Year. Mukhametshina, the ITA No. 6 singles player in the country, led her No. 25 UWA squad (16-7; 8-2 GSC) with an impressive, undefeated 18-0 No. 1 singles record. The Tashkent, Uzbekistan, native was 9-0 in conference matchups and went 2-0 versus nationally-ranked foes. She, along with primary playing partner, Georgina Morral, currently rank as the No. 25 doubles team in all of NCAA Division II. Her doubles record overall was 17-2, including 16-2 with Morral. Coyos was 18-5 in singles play this season, including 8-0 in GSC play, while Lopez was 17-7 and currently riding a 10-match winning streak. Coyos, who has now won her last nine-straight singles matches, was 16-2 out of the No. 2 slot, while Lopez, the ITA No. 28 singles player in the nation, was 16-6 in the No. 1. The two played big roles in helping guide the ITA-ranked No. 7 team in the nation, UWF, to a 23-6 record (10-0 GSC). The two were also a stout doubles team, going 20-5, including 7-0 in league action, this season. The duo won four-straight and are 9-1 in their last 10 matches together, while also ranking No. 23 in the nation. UWF will serve as the three-seed in the NCAA Division II Women's Tennis Tournament and has won its last four-consecutive matches.
 
GSC Freshman of the Year
North Alabama freshman Nina Linke, earned GSC Freshman of the Year accolades in a campaign in which she built a 15-3 singles record (7-2 GSC) and went 13-5 in doubles play, helping UNA to a national Top-25 ITA ranking. Her season highs include having gone 10-1 in No. 3 singles and 12-4 in No. 3 doubles. She was 1-1 against nationally-ranked singles opponents and is 6-3 in her last 10 matches, while, along with primary playing partner, Claire DeGeorge, was 13-4, including 7-2 in conference matches.
 
GSC Coach of the Year
West Florida head coach Derrick Racine was named the GSC Coach of the Year for the 12th time in his career at UWF after leading his squad to yet another GSC Women's Tennis Regular Season- and Tournament Championships. UWF went 23-6, including an unblemished 10-0 in conference play, and currently rank as the No. 7 team in the nation by the ITA. The Argonauts were 6-4 against nationally-ranked opponents this regular season, including key wins against No. 9 UC San Diego (7-2), No. 14 Valdosta State (7-2), No. 19 Georgia College (7-2), No. 21 Midwestern State (6-3), No. 33 Florida Southern (6-3) and No. 38 Rollins (6-3). UWF is heading to the NCAA Division II Women's Tennis Tournament as the three-seed in South Region 2.


2017 All-GSC Women's Tennis Team

First Team
Paula Coyos, UWF
Bea Morales Hernandez, VSU
Amina Mukhametshina, UWA
Nina Linke, UNA
Paula Lopez, UWF
Jordana Lujan, UWF
Laura Ubeda, VSU
Diana Vlad, UWF
 
Second Team
Anja Cosovic, VSU
AnneMarie Kimball, MC
Aleksandra Durzynski, SU
Francesca Tondi, LEE
Olivera Ngouabeu, UNA
Sabrina Schmidt, VSU
Evelyn Moreno, UWA
Georgina Morral, UWA

GSC Tri-Players of the Year:  Paula Lopez and Paula Coyos (UWF) and Amina Mukhametshina (UWA)
GSC Freshman of the Year:  Nina Linke, UNA
GSC Coach of the Year:  Derrick Racine, UWF