TAMPA, Fla. – The 2026 All-Sun Conference Women’s Tennis Teams and Specialty Award winners were announced Monday afternoon following a vote of the league’s head coaches.

Highlighting the specialty award winners, Keiser’s Violet Apisah was named the Sun Conference Player of the Year. Apisah also teamed with Patricia Apisah to earn Doubles Team of the Year honors after leading one of the top tandems in the conference and country throughout the season.

Violet Apisah is currently ranked No. 1 nationally in both ITA singles and doubles. She captured the ITA Cup Singles National Championship this past fall and finished as the doubles runner-up. During the spring season, she went a perfect 6-0 in conference singles play (15-0 overall). In doubles, Violet and Patricia Apisah are ranked No. 1 nationally and went undefeated on the season at the No. 1 position, posting a 7-0 mark in conference play and a 17-0 overall record, while helping Keiser to a runner-up finish in the conference and an 18-1 overall regular-season mark.

Keiser freshman Ella Sahnis was recognized as the Freshman of the Year following her debut campaign. Sahnis competed at the No. 5 and No. 6 positions throughout the season and went undefeated in conference play. She also held leads in multiple unfinished matches against nationally ranked opponents, including No. 10 Ivet Prat and No. 5 Javiera Verdugo.

New College of Florida’s Madeleine Chellas was named the Sun Conference Women’s Tennis Champions of Character award recipient for her leadership and service both on and off the court. According to head coach Erin Bryce, “As only a freshman, Madeleine exemplifies all of the core values defined by being a champion of character. She shows integrity by always respecting her opponent and playing by the rules, respect for her teammates by being the biggest cheerleader, respect for her coaches by leading by example, respect for her professors by being a perfect student and always giving her best, responsibility by being the first to arrive every day, always being professional and always prepared, sportsmanship by giving great calls, positive commands to others, and humility, and servant leadership through countless volunteer activities and tutoring to her teammates when they need her.”

Chellas is active across campus as an orientation leader, admissions representative, and Knack tutor, while also participating in the Socratic Experience and TP USA. She has earned All Strong SAT designations (or equivalent of a 4.0 GPA) and represented New College at the Day at the Capitol in Tallahassee. On the court, she competes at the No. 1 position for the Banyans and is ranked No. 38 in the ITA NAIA rankings.

Southeastern’s Drew Dickens was named Coach of the Year after guiding the Fire to a historic season. Southeastern captured its first-ever Sun Conference Regular Season Championship, finishing a perfect 7-0 in league play and 13-4 overall.

The Sun Conference Women’s Tennis Championship is set to begin later this week. For more information on this year’s championship, click here.

* - Repeat All-Conference honorees from last year

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