THREE GOLDEN SUN NAMED ALL-GSC WOMEN'S TENNIS SELECTIONS; SAKI MATSUOKA NAMED WEST DIVISION FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR

        RUSSELLVILLE, Arkansas – Arkansas Tech Women’s Tennis made history Friday as three Golden Suns were named All-Gulf South Conference West Division selections and Saki Matsuoka (Saitama, Japan) became the first Golden Sun to be named GSC West Division Freshman of the Year.

The All-GSC teams were voted on by the league’s head coaches in their own respective divisions and the coaches were not allowed to vote for their own players.

In addition to being named the GSC West Division Freshman of the Year, Matsuoka was also named a First-Team All-GSC West Division selection, the first such honor for a Tech player since Julie Raspaut was named a first-team selection in 2005.

“What a tremendous honor for Saki and for our tennis program,” Golden Suns Head Coach Abby Davis said. “Saki has had a tremendous season and was deserving of being the West Division Freshman of the Year.”

Along with Matsuoka, junior Anna Carson (Fort Smith, Ark.) and senior Whitney Simmons (Pottsville, Ark.) were named Second-Team All-GSC West Division selections. For Simmons, it was her third straight season being named a Second-Team All-GSC selection and becomes just the 23rd player in GSC history to be named a three-time All-GSC honoree.

“Whitney and Anna have had good seasons for our team and I’m glad they were recognized by the league’s coaches,” Davis added.

In addition to becoming the 25th player in GSC history to named a three-time All-GSC honoree, Simmons became just the second Golden Sun to ever be named a three-time All-Conference selection as Carin Pinion was named a three-time All-AIC selection from 1993-95.

Along with announcing the All-GSC teams on Friday, the league handed out its individual honors as Delta State sophomore Cecile Benzaki was named the GSC West Division Player of the Year, while West Florida’s Suzanna Cavalcante was named the GSC’s East Division Player of the Year for the third consecutive season and North Alabama’s Pippa Reakes and Valdosta State’s Tina Trautman shared GSC East Division Freshman of the Year honors.

Matsuoka earns First-Team All-GSC West Division honors after posting a 9-8 overall record in singles and was 15-4 in doubles action, including teaming with Carson to go 13-3 at No. 1 doubles. In addition, she was 3-3 at No. 1 singles and was 5-4 at No. 2 singles. In GSC matches, Matsuoka went 1-4 playing the No. 1 singles spot, but was 5-1 at the No. 1 doubles spot.

Carson earns Second-Team honors after posting a 6-8 overall record in singles and teamed with Matsuoka to go 15-4 in doubles action. Carson, who played mostly the No. 1 singles spot, went 3-2 in singles action in GSC play. In doubles action, Carson was 5-1 in GSC matches at the No. 1 spot.

Simmons earns her third straight Second-Team honor after posting a 15-7 overall record in singles and was 3-3 in singles action in GSC matches. In addition, she posted a combined 13-8 record in doubles action, including teaming with junior Kristen Brown (Winona, Texas) to go 13-6 in doubles, playing mostly at the No. 3 spot (9-6). On the season, she played mostly No. 6 singles and posted a 7-5 record, but also was 5-1 at No. 5 singles. Simmons, who is one of the team’s three seniors this season, has gone 48-47 in singles matches at Tech and has a combined doubles record of 46-55.

Joining Matsuoka on the West Division First-Team were Delta State’s threesome of Benzaki, Katherina Nett and Milena Araujo, along with Harding’s duo of Alicia Williams and Karina Gomes. The other two members of the first team were Henderson State’s Iustina Gasca-Silva and Ouachita Baptist’s Mariana Divardin.

Simmons and Carson were joined on the West Division Second-Team by Southern Arkansas’ threesome of Rachel Vinsant, Meaghan Ocanas and Aneeka Bhalla, along with Delta State’s Krystle Ozols, Henderson State’s Melissa West and Ouachita Baptist’s Kristie Reid.

Cavalcante and Reakes were joined on the East Division First-Team by her UWF teammates, Paola Arevalo and Renata Mattos, along with Valdosta State teammates Dominique Rothlaender and Raphaella Durante. North Alabama’s Yuliya Zelenskaya and Montevallo’s Rachel Hartley rounded out the first team.

Trautman was joined on the All-GSC East Division by her VSU teammate, Natali Gumbrecht. Other second team members were North Alabama teammates, Mallory Waites and Jessica Strucher.

Matsuoka, Carson and Simmons and the rest of the Golden Suns return to action on Saturday, April 19, when they play their first-ever GSC Tournament match against fourth-ranked Valdosta State. The match is scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. and will be held at Lagoon Park in Montgomery, Ala.

2007-08 All-GSC Women's Tennis Teams

-- Tech Athletics --