Detroit senior Pjotrs Necajevs and UIC sophomore Mariya Kovaleva were recognized as the 2010 Horizon League Men's and Women's Tennis Players of the Year for the second straight season on Friday as the League announced this year's All-League teams and specialty award winners at a championship banquet.
Necajevs highlighted the Titan roster playing the No. 1 position and dominated in conference play this year. The Riga, Latvia, native only lost twice in singles action this year and won all seven singles matches at No. 1 against League foes.
Kovaleva, a native of Almaty, Kazakhstan, was also a force in League competition, posting an undefeated record at No. 1 singles on the women's side. She triumphed over key conference foes to lead the Flames to another perfect League season.
Wright State freshman Tore Waldhausen and Detroit freshman Carolina Salas Espinosa earn Newcomer of the Year accolades.
Waldhausen, a native of Wernigerode, Germany, carried a 15-7 overall singles record this season, and went 5-2 in League play at No. 2.
Espinosa, a native of Monterrey, Mexico, went 7-6 at No. 1 and 4-2 at No. 2 singles on the season. She also carried a 6-2 League record in the No. 1 singles spot.
Cleveland State's Brian Etzkin and UIC's Shannon Tully were named the Men's and Women's Coach of the Year, respectively, after their squads each posted undefeated League records. Etzkin, in his eighth year at CSU, led his team to an 18-6 overall record and a 7-0 League mark earning his second consecutive honor. He has won the last two League championships, and looks to defend this weekend. Tully, in her ninth season, is honored as Coach of the Year for the seventh time. The Flames seek their ninth-consecutive Horizon League championship, and currently own 121-straight League victories after posting an 8-0 conference record, and an 18-3 overall mark in 2010.
The League's final specialty honor, the Herb Foster Sportsmanship Award, was presented to Necajevs, Butler senior Ben Raynauld and Cleveland State senior Charlotte Gibbons. The award was named in honor of the late coach who led Wright State from 1996-2004, and recognizes student-athletes who display admirable conduct both on and off the courts.
In addition to Necajevs, other members of the men's All-League First Team include Raynauld, Cleveland State senior Phil Orno and sophomore Yannick Goossens, UIC senior Sebastian Lystad, and Wright State senior Nick Camilleri. Members of the All-League Second Team include Waldhausen, Cleveland State's Ryan Hamning, Detroit's Cesar Escobar Serrano, UIC's Luiz Gonzaga, Green Bay's Paul Swanson and Youngstown State's Tariq Ismail.
Kovaleva is joined on the women's All-League First Team by her teammates, senior Elena Antakova and junior Ilinca Cristescu, Espinosa, Cleveland State sophomore Catrine Bjerrehus, Green Bay junior Emily Lawent and Youngstown State freshman Margarita Sadovnikova. Gibbons is accompanied on the All-League Second Team by team members Maria Lazaris and Nicole Janek, Butler's Molly Casperson and Becky Jenkins and Detroit's Amanda Cornwell.
The 2010 Horizon League Men's and Women's Tennis Championships continue tomorrow morning with the men taking the court at 10:30 a.m. The women begin at 2:30 p.m.
