Five Women's Tennis Players Named All-Conference USA
Apr 29, 2005 | Women's Tennis
April 29, 2005
NEW ORLEANS, La. - After winning its third consecutive Conference USA Championship and its fourth in five seasons, the Tulane women's tennis team placed five players on the All-Conference USA team, and coach David Schumacher was tabbed the Coach of the Year the league announced on Friday.
Tulane had two first-team selections in senior Maria Ivanov and junior Jenny Kuehn, while Darya Ivanov and Julie Smekodub earned second-team honors and Nancy Kockott was named to the third team.
In addition to earning all-conference accolades, the Ivanov sisters, currently ranked No. 28 by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA), were recognized as the Most Outstanding Doubles Team of the Conference USA Tournament after upsetting the No. 32 duo of Story Tweedie-Yates and Ana Cetnik of TCU in the tournament final.
"Maria and Darya are one of the top doubles teams in the country and they bring their best stuff to the court," Schumacher said. "They are capable of beating nearly any opponent, and hopefully they will get a chance to show that at the NCAA Tournament."
A former C-USA Freshman of the Year, Maria Ivanov earned the third first-team selection of her career, earning the distinction previously in 2002 and 2004 while landing on the second team in 2003. This season the native of Adelaide, Australia compiled an overall mark of 11-19 at the top spot in the singles lineup, including upsets of two higher-ranked opponents in one weekend. She was named the Conference USA Player of the Week on January 19, and has been ranked as high as No. 28 in doubles play with her sister, Darya, and No. 112 in singles.
Kuehn, who also earns her the third first-team all-conference mention of her career, had five upset wins this season and has been ranked by the ITA as high as 37th in singles and 29th in doubles with partner Julie Smekodub. A two-time C-USA Player of the Year and member of the league's All Decade Team, Kuehn has won 19 singles matches, 14 of which have come in straight sets, and has accumulated a 20-3 mark in doubles with Smekodub.
"Maria is one of the most talented players that I have ever seen in collegiate tennis, and Jenny has been a solid athletic performer throughout her career," Schumacher said. "Both of them are very deserving of this honor."
Also no stranger to conference recognition, Smekodub is a repeat selection to the second team, earning the honor last season after taking first-team lauds as a freshman. In singles play, the junior from Brooklyn, N.Y. has a record of 18-7 after putting up a mark of 15-6 during the spring. Her win over TCU's Kewa Nichols last Sunday clinched the third consecutive league title for the Wave. On the doubles court, she and partner Kuehn are in the midst of a 14-match winning streak.
Sophomore Darya Ivanov earned her second second-team All-C-USA selection in as many years after posting a record of 23-9 in singles play. The two-time C-USA Player of the Week picked up big wins at the ITA Riviera All-American over then- No. 30 Sasha Podkolzina and then-No. 51 Dominika Dieskova and has won 16 of her last 18 matches.
Kockott, a senior hailing from East London, South Africa, was named to the third team for the third time in her career. She has been ranked as high as No. 51 in the ITA singles poll during her final Tulane campaign and advanced to the main draw of the ITA Southwest Regional in October. In her final Tulane campaign, Kockott has compiled an overall record of 16-11 and has taken the court with five different partners and has amassed a mark of 21-4 in doubles play.
"Our strength all season has been our depth, and to have five members of our team named to the all-conference team is a testament to that depth," Schumacher said.
Schumacher, who was recognized as the Conference USA Coach of the Decade earlier this spring, earned his fourth Conference USA Coach of the Year honor, his third in as many seasons, after leading Tulane to its fourth league title in five years. His Green Wave team started the season ranked No. 9, marking its highest national ranking in school history, is currently ranked 14th in the nation with a record of 23-5 on the year. Tulane led all Conference USA teams with five all-league selections. TCU and USF had four selections apiece, while DePaul and Houston each had two.
The Green Wave will learn its NCAA itinerary when the NCAA selection show airs at approximately 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 4, on ESPNEWS.
2005 Conference USA Women's Tennis Awards
First Team All-Conference
Helena Besovic, TCU
Ana Cetnik, TCU
Neyssa Etienne, USF
Maria Ivanov, Tulane
Jenny Kuehn, Tulane
Story Tweedie-Yates, TCU
Second Team All-Conference
Beatrix Csordas, DePaul
Biljana Dimovska, Houston
Darya Ivanov, Tulane
Marina Parashkevova, DePaul
Julie Smekodub, Tulane
Courtney Vernon, USF
Third Team All-Conference
Liz Cruz, USF
Gabriela Duch, USF
Nancy Kockott, Tulane
Kami Miller, Houston
Kewa Nichols, TCU
Robyn White, Louisville
Coach of the Year
David Schumacher, Tulane
Player of the Year
Story Tweedie-Yates, TCU
Freshman of the Year
Beatrix Csordas, DePaul
Outstanding Singles Player of the Championship
Story Tweedie-Yates, TCU
Outstanding Doubles Team of the Championship
Maria and Darya Ivanov, Tulane
