IRVING, Texas – The Big 12 Conference announced its yearly award recipients Thursday afternoon, along with All-Big 12 teams for singles and doubles ahead of the NCAA Tournament. Four members of Sun Devil Women’s Tennis earned spots on the All-Big 12 team in singles and doubles and one received a major yearly award.
Junior Emilija Tverijonaite was named Big 12 Player of the Year, becoming the first Sun Devil in program history to earn a player of the year honor in any conference. She boasts a 14-3 record in singles this spring, all from the No. 1 position and became the sixth Sun Devil in program history to reach 30 singles wins.
Tverijonaite added an 8-2 record in Big 12 matches and won eight-straight matches during conference play. During the season, she went 5-1 against ranked singles opponents, which was highlighted by two top-20 wins against No. 17 Valeria Ray (Vanderbilt) and No. 16 Jada Hossam (USC) in January.
Graduate Vivian Ovrootsky earned Big 12 Newcomer of the Year, after posting a league-best 18-1 record in singles play this spring. The graduate transfer went unbeaten in the regular season - winning 17 matches in straight sets - and 37 of 42 sets since January 17.
Ovrootsky, won 30 singles matches this season, setting a career high and achieving 100 career singles wins. Additionally, the San Jose, California native went 13-0 from the No. 3 position and had a team-best nine wins in Big 12 play.
The Sun Devils lead the conference with three selections on the All-Big 12 First Team Singles with Tverijonaite, Ovrootsky and junior Sara Svetac. Tverijonaite and Svetac are named on the All-Big 12 First Team for the second-consecutive year. Svetac went 8-4 this spring and 3-1 in conference play in singles, including a 6-2 record from the No. 2 position.
Rounding out the honors, Ovrootsky and sophomore Lily Taylor were named to the All-Big 12 Second Team Doubles. The duo went 4-2 in conference play from the No. 1 position and ended the regular season on a three-match winning streak. This is Taylor’s second career All-Big 12 honor after earning second team honors last season in doubles with Patricija Spaka as a freshman.
The Sun Devils will begin action in the first round of the NCAA Tournament tomorrow, May 1, against Denver at 1 p.m. MST from Whiteman Tennis Center. Tickets are available for $5 for both the first and second round matches.
Women’s Awards
Player of the Year- Emilija Tverijonaite, Arizona State
Freshman of the Year- Jennifer Jackson, TCU
Newcomer of the Year- Vivian Ovrootsky, Arizona State
Scholar-Athlete of the Year- Josie Usereau, Arizona
Coach of the Year- Lee Taylor Walker, TCU
All-Big 12 First Team Singles
Martyna Ostrzygalo, Arizona
Vivian Ovrootsky, Arizona State
Sara Svetac, Arizona State
Emilija Tverijonaite, Arizona State
Na Dong, Baylor
Zuzana Kubacha, Baylor
Gracie Levelston, BYU
Jantje Tilbuerger, UCF
Kyoka Kuba, Kansas
Raquel Caballero Chica, TCU
Hailey Murphy, Texas Tech
Emma Kamper, Utah
All-Big 12 First Team Doubles
Maria Garcia/Josie Usereau, Arizona
Na Dong/Alian Zack, Baylor
Jantje Tilbuerger/Marina Gatell, UCF
Maralgoo Chogsomjav/Martaa Chogsomjav, Kansas State
Anastasiya Komar/Rose Marie Nijkamp, Oklahoma State
Yekaterina Dmitrichenko/Hailey Murphy, Texas Tech
All-Big 12 Second Team Singles
Josie Usereau, Arizona
Olivia Bergler, UCF
Marina Gatell, UCF
Aya El Sayed, Colorado
Heike Janse Van Vuuren, Kansas
Maralgoo Chogsomjav, Kansas State
Olivia Lincer, Oklahoma State
Cayetana Gay, TCU
Cristina Ramos Sierra, TCU
Yu-Chin Tsai, TCU
Yekaterina Dmitrichenko, Texas Tech
Sara Akid, Utah
All-Big 12 Second Team Doubles
Lily Taylor/Vivian Ovrootsky, Arizona State
Sophie Schouten/Chem Doha Zeghlouli, Houston
Cayetana Gay/Tomi Main, TCU
Jennifer Jackson/Raquel Caballero Chica, TCU
Yu-Chin Tsai/Victoria Gomez O’Hayon, TCU
Elena Daskalova/Mariia Hlahola, Texas Tech
All-Big 12 Freshman Team
Ciara Moore, Arizona
Mu-Jie Tzeng, Baylor
Marina Gatell, UCF
Martaa Chogsomjav, Kansas State
Luca Udvardy, Oklahoma State
Jennifer Jackson, TCU