Sun Conference

League Announces Women’s Tennis All-Conference Teams

4/19/2012 10:06:30 PM

Click here for photo gallery

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Embry-Riddle senior Yi Ching Chen was named The Sun Conference Women’s Tennis Player of the Year and leads the 2012 All-Conference  team which was announced by the league office following the conference tournament banquet, which was hosted by Embry-Riddle at the Sunset Harbor Yacht Club on Thursday.

Southeastern’s Chelsey Lynn was tabbed as the league’s Champions of Character Award winner and Embry-Riddle’s Dave Paschal garnered Coach of the Year honors for the third straight year. These individual honors, as well as the seven-member first team and six members of the second team, were determined by a vote of the league’s head coaches.

Third-ranked Embry-Riddle, who was 7-0 in the league and earned the No. 1 seed in this weekend’s tournament, led all schools with six All-Conference selections. Regular season runner-up SCAD and Webber International each had three student-athletes voted to the All-TSC team.

A senior on the Eagles’ roster, Chen earned her second Player of the Year honor in as many seasons and secured her third appointment to the first team All-Conference roster. Ranked sixth in the most recent ITA/NAIA national singles poll Chen was 7-0 in league play in 2012 with all of those wins coming in straight sets. The Kaohsiung, Taiwan native has never lost a conference match in her three seasons in the league and owns an All-time Sun Conference record of 17-0. She currently stands at 21-6 in singles play.

Chen also comprised one half of the duo that captured in the inaugural doubles team of the Year Award. Chen teamed up with fellow senior Josefine Strom for a 22-5 doubles record, including a 5-1 ledger in the league play. The duo captured its second straight USTA/ITA Florida Regional title in the fall and is currently ranked fourth in the national doubles poll.

Lynn is the second straight Southeastern women’s tennis player to receive the Champions of Character Award. A senior from New Smyrna Beach, Fla., Lynn was the league’s Player of the Week on Feb. 13 an gave new meaning to the role of team captain in 2011-12, serving as a player/coach for the Fire lineup at the USTA/ITA Regional tournament. A Communications major, Lynn carries a 3.49 grade point average and has given 60 plus hours of service back to the community throughout the year.

“During a transition in coaching that took some months to complete, Chelsey went above and beyond with her effort to provide servant/leadership to the team and her teammates,” SEU Head Coach Bill May stated. “Chelsey served to guide practices, order uniforms and equipment, organize practices, and guide her teammates; all of which were sophomores and freshmen. She committed herself to sharing her faith and character with each of her opponents this season and to competing beyond reproach in a sport that often does not have officials to make important calls.

“During her effort to absorb responsibilities generally held by a coach, her role as team captain, her commitment to leadership and character development, and her commitment to respect, honesty and integrity against all opponents, Chelsey has maintained a positive outlook and exhibited all aspects related to exceptional character; she is a Champion of Character.”

Paschal earned the fourth women’s tennis Coach of the Year honor of his career, and the third in the last three seasons, after leading the Eagles to a 7-0 league record and the conference regular season title. Under Paschal’s guidance the Eagles have been ranked No. 3 throughout the 2011-12 season and bring an 18-3 overall record into tournament play.

The league also announced the 2012 Academic All-Conference team on Thursday. Of the 20 academic honorees, three hold the distinction of being 4.0 students, including Southeastern’s Wendy Reade (So., Accounting), Embry-Riddle’s Elis Lagerstrom (So., Human Factors Psychology) and Ave Maria’s Heather Esker. To be eligible, student-athletes must have completed at least one full year at the nominating institution and have 3.5 or better cumulative grade point average.


The Sun Conference tournament gets underway at 8:30 a.m. on Friday when Embry-Riddle takes on fourth-seeded Webber International. The second semifinal, slated for 11 a.m., will feature second-seeded SCAD Savannah against No. 3 seed St. Thomas. The championship match will be played at 1 p.m. on Saturday with the tournament champion earning an automatic bid to the NAIA National Championship in Mobile, Ala., May 15-19.


First Team All-Conference

Magdalena Bresson (SCAD Savannah) • Sr. • Delray Beach, Fla. • 10-4
Yi Ching Chen (Embry-Riddle) • Sr. • Kaohsiung, Taiwan • 20-5
Rocio Frej Vitalle (Embry-Riddle) • Sr. • Zaragoza, Spain • 20-5
Ekaterina Kamendova (Embry-Riddle) • Sr. • Moscow, Russia • 18-4
Kristina Marova (Embry-Riddle) • So. • Stare Sediste, Czech Republic • 18-6
Paola Montero (Embry-Riddle) • So. • Maracay, Venezuela • 14-6
Theresa Schmaus (SCAD Savannah) • So. • Morbach, Germany • 12-4

Second Team All-Conference

Maria Barragan (SCAD Savannah) • Fr. • Guayaquil, Ecuador • 8-5
Gabriella Bongiovanni (St. Thomas) • So. • North Miami Beach, Fla. • 7-6
Nathalia Chaddad (Webber International) • So. • Brazil • 10-13
Laura Nowak (Webber International) • So. • Mainz, Germany • 12-9
Julija Stojkovska (Webber International) • Jr. • Halmstad, Sweden • 15-7
Josefine Strom (Embry-Riddle) • Sr. • Vanersborg, Sweden • 13-9

Doubles Team of the Year
Yi Ching Chen/Josefine Strom (Embry-Riddle) • Record: 21-6

Player of the Year
Yi Ching Chen (Embry-Riddle)

Coach of the Year
Dave Paschal (Embry-Riddle)

Champions of Character Award Winner
Chelsey Lynn (Southeastern)
 

Academic All-Conference