TAMPA, Fla. – The Sun Conference announces its major award winners for the 2023-24 women's tennis season as voted on by the league's head coaches.
Keiser's Violet Apisah is this year's Player of the Year. Apisah is undefeated against NAIA opponents and in the Sun Conference this season, and is currently ranked No. 2 nationally in singles. She is also a three-time NAIA National Player of the Week. Apisah and her counterpart Patricia Apisah earn the Doubles Team of the Year honor after also going 7-0 in conference this year and are undefeated in the NAIA. The Apisah dual are currently ranked No. 7 nationally in doubles.
Cherry Xiang of SCAD Savannah is this year's Freshman of the Year. Xiang competed in position three in both singles and doubles for the majority of the season, helping the Bees to an 11-4 overall record and a 6-1 record in the SUN. Xiang will compete with her team as the two seed in this week's Sun Conference Tournament Championship.
Coastal Georgia's Lisa McKenzie is the Champion of Character award recipient. McKenzie serves as a Resident Assistant (RA) on CCGA's campus and is a member of the Student Athlete Leadership Team. She also has humbly co-created a student-led prayer group and another small group for female student-athletes. As stated by her Head Coach Zack Rogers, "There are probably at least 50 other things that would make her worthy of this award, but she would never let you know she did them."
Keiser Head Coach Daniel Finn earns the Coach of the Year award after leading his team to an undefeated conference slate. Finn, in his ninth year at the helm, has coached the No. 2 nationally ranked Seahawks to a 14-5 overall record, only suffering losses to NCAA Division I and Division II opponents. Finn has led the women's team to five National Championship matches during his tenure, and look to make a run again this year as they currently sit undefeated in the NAIA.
2023-24 Sun Conference Women's Tennis Postseason Award Winners
Player of the Year
Violet Apisah, Keiser
Doubles Team of the Year
Patricia Apisah & Violet Apisah, Keiser
Freshman of the Year
Cherry Xiang, SCAD Savannah
Champion of Character
Lisa McKenzie, Coastal Georgia
Coach of the Year
Daniel Finn, Keiser
Click here to see the full list of this year's 13 All-Conference honorees.
Click here for more information on the 2024 Sun Conference Women's Tennis Championship.
ABOUT THE SUN CONFERENCE
Now entering its 34th year, The Sun Conference, a 501c3 organization, continues to be one of the most successful intercollegiate athletic conferences in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Under the guidance of Commissioner Dustin Wilke, the league sponsors championships in 24 NAIA sports. Learn more at thesunconference.com
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