April 27, 2011
LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - UNLV's Lucia Batta was named the 2011 Mountain West Conference Women's Tennis Freshman of the Year as the league announced its annual awards Wednesday.
The native of Budapest, Hungary, took over the team's No. 1 spot in singles as a rookie and produced a 24-11 overall record that included a 4-4 mark vs. MWC opponents. Batta, who rose to as high as No. 41 in the nation in the ITA Rankings, is the fourth-ever women's conference freshman of the year from UNLV, joining Elena Gantcheva in 2005, Gyorgyi Zsiros in 2002 and Agnieszka Abram in 2001 (all as members of the MWC).
Batta was also one of four Lady Rebels to earn a spot on the all-conference team. Also being named All-MWC in singles was another freshman, Aleksandra Josifoska. The native of Skopje, Macedonia, went 7-1 in league play as part of her 23-4 overall record that included a stunning 18-2 mark at the No. 2 singles position.
UNLV placed two doubles teams on the list. Sophomore Nives Pavlovic, who was on the All-MWC singles team a year ago, earned a spot with her partner, Josifoska, as the duo went 17-9 overall and 5-3 in conference action at the top of the lineup.
Batta was named along with senior Anna Maskaljun, who earned all-league in doubles for the second consecutive season. The duo went 20-3 overall, including a perfect 8-0 in MWC play at the No. 2 spot. Maskaljun, a native of Tallin, Estonia, recently moved into second place on the school's career doubles wins list with a record of 87-39.
The honors were decided by voting among the nine head coaches. The 2011 MWC Player of the Year was Utah's Anastasia Putilina while the league's coach of the year will be announced next week.
"What a great honor for Lucia and our program," said head coach Kevin Cory. "I am also happy to see Aleksandra and two of our doubles teams named to the all-conference team."
Top seeded and 38th-ranked UNLV (19-4 overall) is currently in Fort Collins, Colo., where it begins a drive for its fourth MWC tournament title on Thursday. The Lady Rebels will face the winner of today's opening match between host Colorado State and New Mexico.
2011 MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE WOMEN'S TENNIS AWARDS
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Anastasia Putilina, UtahFRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Lucia Batta, UNLVCOACH OF THE YEAR: To Be Announced Next Week
2011 ALL-MWC CONFERENCE TEAMSINGLESChristen Monreal, Sr., Air ForceCallie Craig, Fr., BYUMegan Price, Jr., BYUMichaela Bezdickova, Fr., New MexicoJulia Trunk, Sr., San Diego StateJulia Wais, So., San Diego StateGaby Mastromarino, Jr., TCUKatariina Tuohimaa, Sr., TCULucia Batta, Fr., UNLVAleksandra Josifoska, Fr., UNLVEvgenia Kryuchkova, Sr., UtahSarah Pham, Fr., UtahAnastasia Putilina, Jr., UtahVeronica Popovici, Fr., Wyoming
DOUBLESMegan Price/Callie Craig, BYURoxanne Ellison/Sierra Ellison, San Diego StateMaria Babanova/Katariina Tuohimaa, TCULucia Batta/Anna Maskaljun, UNLVNives Pavlovic/Aleksandra Josifoska, UNLVAnastasia Putilina/Paige Miles, UtahSimona Synkova/Kim van Ginkel, Wyoming
