FRISCO, Texas – Extending their success off the court and into the classroom, the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi tennis program saw six student-athletes honored with Southland Conference All-Academic recognition, announced by the league office Wednesday.
The Islanders' women had all six All-Conference honorees earn a spot among the All-Academic teams. All-Conference First-Team selections senior
Emma Aucagne, senior
Naomi Moi McKenzie, senior
Valeria Cherfus, and sophomore
Palina Saulevich each secured a spot on the Academic First-Team while senior
Kateryna Rublevska, an All-Conference Second-Team recipient, earned a spot on the Academic Second Team.
On the men's side, senior
Avery Zavala was named to the All-Academic First-Team after earning All-Conference honors in both singles and doubles this year.
"We are just incredibly proud of these Islanders and their commitment to excellence in the classroom as well as on the tennis court! Watching them work to earn these grades from studying in vans, hotel lobbies, being constantly on the road, and having all the other duties of being a student-athlete is inspiring! They are the sharpest up-and-coming stars in the job world and future champions as leaders in their families, communities, and careers," said head coach
Steve Moore.
Aucagne, the 2024 SLC Player of the Year, now becomes a three-time All-Academic First-Team selection after concluding her undergraduate with a 3.98 overall GPA in her criminal justice degree. The Saint-Fons, France native played at No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles for the Islanders this year where she earned All-Conference First-Team and Second-Team recognitions, respectively. She was a senior captain for a team that went undefeated in SLC play this year to win its second straight regular season championship as well as helping the team make history by advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth straight year.
McKenzie, from Brisbane, Australia, earned her first All-Academic accolade after joining the Islanders last season. This year, she was honored on the All-Conference First-Team at No. 2 singles and joined forced with Aucagne at No. 1 doubles for Second-Team recognition. She went 12-1 record in SLC play over the last two seasons to help the Islanders to back-to-back regular season titles in addition to not dropping a singles match at this year's SLC Tournament to aid in the historical mark of making the NCAA Tournament four years in a row. Through all of this, she has held perfect in her criminal justice degree with a 4.00 cumulative GPA.
Cherfus also saw her name honored on the All-Academic Team for the first time after coming to the Island last season. From Kharkiv, Ukraine, Cherfus earned All-Conference First-Team honors at No. 4 singles and Second-Team honors at No. 3 doubles. She never dropped a league match the last two years, posting a perfect SLC record en route to A&M-Corpus Christi's consecutive regular season titles. Cherfus won every SLC Tournament match she played to help the Islanders win that title for the fourth year in a row and advance to the NCAA Tournament. She has hoisted a 3.96 overall GPA in her management information systems program.
Saulevich joined her upperclassman on the First Team for both All-Academic and All-Conference after drawing her sophomore season to a close at No. 6 singles. A native out of Minsk, Belarus, she was a perfect 5-0 in conference play this year through her singles match to help the Islanders to their second straight SLC regular season title. She then took to No. 5 singles in the conference tournament where she helped the Islanders make history as four-time SLC Tournament champions to advance to the NCAA Tournament. Through this, she maintained a perfect 4.00 overall GPA in her marketing degree.
Rublevska, from Kharkiv, Ukraine, is also now a three-time All-Academic selection with her perfect 4.00 overall GPA through her business degree. The senior captain was honored on the All-Conference Second Team at No. 5 singles and at No. 3 doubles this year, as she has put up a 13-1 singles record against Southland opponents over the last two seasons to help the Islanders win back-to-back regular season titles. Additionally, she has been a part of the historical run of four straight trips to the NCAA Tournament after helping the Islanders secure every SLC Tournament title since her freshman year.
Zavala, from Amarillo, Texas, earned All-Academic First-Team honors for the first time after joining the Islanders last year. This season, he was recognized on the All-Conference First Team at No. 1 doubles and the Second Team at No. 1 singles where he posted the league-best 3-1 singles record in conference play at that top spot. He never dropped a doubles match in league play this year and was a two-time SLC Player of the Week recipient. He has maintained a 3.625 cumulative GPA in his accounting degree.
Click here to view the women's All-Academic teams.
Click here to view the men's.
A&M-Corpus Christi Tennis
- 16 NCAA Tournaments
- 34 SLC Championships
- 4 Top-40 National Rankings
- 3.0 GPA 41 Straight Semesters
- Islanders have received a No. 3 seed at the NCAA Tournament three times
- Women's tennis has cracked the ITA top-75 national rankings three times
- Men's tennis has cracked the ITA national rankings 10 consecutive years
- Ranked nationally in NCAA DI as high as No. 35 for the men and No. 60 for the women
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