Islanders Dominate Women's Tennis Awards

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – The Southland Conference announced Wednesday afternoon that Texas A&M-Corpus Christi women's tennis took home a league-best seven individual awards and All-Southland selections.
 
Louise Trigona's Freshman of the Year selection and Director of Tennis Steve Moore's Coach of the Year honor highlighted the individual awards while the Islanders claimed four of the six singles spots on the First Team.
 
Trigona earned the Islanders' first Freshman of the Year since Doris Kuselj in 2010. The rookie dominated the Southland Conference at the number four spot, going 8-0 on the year. She also added a pair of singles win at number three to bring her overall Southland record to 10-1 in 2017. Trigona's stellar campaign also earned her the First Team All-Southland nod at the number four slot.
 
"We're incredibly proud of Louise for the way she matured and grew," said Director of Tennis Steve Moore. "Louise made the choice to become very coachable and extremely mentally tough. She was already very talented and you saw her really blossom once she made that choice. She is playing at an extremely high level.
 
What I am most proud of," continued Moore, "is the way she fights for her teammates and the heart and spirit she brings to matches. She really cares about the team and her teammates."
 
Joining Trigona on the first team, Jelena Dzinic, Maria Maldonado and Marina Vicens Miquel gave the Islanders four of the six spots.
 
Dzinic earned her second consecutive First Team All-Southland selection. The junior finished with an impressive 9-2 record over the 11 Southland matches. In her number two spot of the order, Dzinic ended the season at 8-2 to pick up the honor.
 
Maldonado's First Team selection gave the Islanders a pair of freshman on the squad. Spending her season in the fifth spot of the Islander lineup, Maldonado ended the regular season with a 10-1 ledger in conference play. The Spaniard went 8-1 when in the fifth spot to earn the First Team recognition.
 
Vicens Miquel rounds out the Islanders' First Team honorees with her honor at the number six spot. The sophomore was unbeatable in conference action, going a perfect 11-0 on the year. Perhaps even more impressive, Vicens Miquel earned her first-ever All-Southland honor by dropping just two sets this season.
 
Bringing home the Islanders fifth All-Southland recognition, Hortense Boscher was named Honorable Mention at the number one spot. Boscher went 6-3 in Southland matches, all at the top of the order.
 
"This team was a family and a true team," said Moore. "They fought for each other and they worked as hard as any team in the country. They embraced discipline and hard work and it showed, especially at the end. I feel this team is as physically fit as any in the country because they made the choice to put in the hard work and sacrifice. Again, though, the thing that is most special to me about this team is the way the care for and fight for each other."
 
COACH OF THE YEAR
 
For an 11th consecutive season, Director of Tennis Steve Moore has picked up a Southland Conference Coach of the Year award. The incredible 11-year run is the longest by any coach in any sport in Southland Conference history.

The women's coach of the year nod is Moore's second in-a-row after earning the honor in 2016.
 
Moore has now guided the Islanders to back-to-back Southland regular season titles and three of the past four. Under Moore's guidance, the Blue and Green also owns a dominant 24-1 mark against conference foes over the past two seasons.
 
TOURNEY TIME
 
Corpus Christi will aim for its second straight Southland Tournament Championship and NCAA Tournament berth this weekend in Beaumont. The Islanders will open their title defense on Friday in a 2 p.m. tilt against 8-seed Stephen F. Austin.
 
To follow along with the Islanders at the Southland Conference Tournament, follow @IslandersTennis on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.