Marshall University Athletics
Anna Smith Earns Second Team All-Conference USA Honors
4/26/2019 11:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Sophomore led Marshall with 30 wins during 2018-19 season
DALLAS – Sophomore Anna Smith was named a Second Team All-Conference USA Singles player for the 2018 season, the league office announced Friday morning.
The honor is Smith's first all-conference honor. The Venetia, Pennsylvania, native won a career-best 30 matches for the Herd in her second season. Smith won 19 singles matches and 11 doubles matches, with 12 of her singles wins and eight of her doubles wins coming in the spring season. Each of those marks led Marshall, marking the second straight season Smith led the Herd in singles and doubles wins.
"This is a well-earned honor for Anna," head coach John Mercer said. "She has worked hard both on and off the court and has really taken her game to another level this year. We look forward to seeing how high her ceiling is during the next two years."
In addition to her all-conference recognition, Smith was named to the Conference USA All-Academic team last week, becoming the fifth different Marshall player to be named to both the all-conference and all-academic teams in the same year since Marshall joined Conference USA prior to the 2005-06 season.
Smith's all-Conference honor marks the 14th consecutive year Marshall has placed someone on the All-Conference USA teams. Marshall's streak of all-conference honorees has also been extended to 18 consecutive seasons dating back to the Thundering Herd's tenure in the Mid-American Conference.
All-Conference Teams
First Team Singles
Martina Kudelova, Florida Atlantic
Maria Kononova, North Texas
Tamuna Kutubidze, North Texas
Holly Hutchinson, Old Dominion
Nataliia Vlasova, Old Dominion
Michaela Haet, Rice (Player of the Year)
Anastasia Smirnova, Rice
Victoria Smirnova, Rice (Outstanding Singles Player of the Championship)
Second Team Singles
Rocio Safont, Charlotte
Basak Akbas, FIU
Natalie Kallmunzerova, Florida Atlantic
Anna Smith, Marshall
Oleksandra Andrieieva, Old Dominion
Brooke Pilkington, Old Dominion (Newcomer of the Year)
Yulia Starodubtseva, Old Dominion
Anna Bowtell, Rice
Priya Niezgoda, Rice
Kirsten Prelle, UTEP
First Team Doubles
Kamila Umarova/Basak Akbas, FIU
Maria Kononova/Tamuna Kutubidze, North Texas
Holly Hutchinson/Brooke Pilkington, Old Dominion (Co-Outstanding Doubles Team of the Championship)
Linda Huang/Michaela Haet, Rice
Priya Niezgoda/Anastasia Smirnova, Rice
Second Team Doubles
Ivana Babic/Alexandra Heczey, North Texas
Yulia Starodubtseva/Oleksandra Andrieieva, Old Dominion
Nataliia Vlasova/Natalya Malenko, Old Dominion
Anna Bowtell/Victoria Smirnova, Rice (Co-Outstanding Doubles Team of the Championship)
All-Freshman Team
Basak Akbas, FIU
Martina Kudelova, Florida Atlantic (Freshman of the Year)
Oleksandra Andrieieva, Old Dominion
Alesya Yakubovich, Old Dominion
Anastasia Smirnova, Rice
Victoria Smirnova, Rice
Coach of the Year
Dom Manilla, Old Dominion
For the latest information on Marshall women's tennis, follow on Twitter at @Herd_Tennis, on Facebook at Herd Tennis and online at HerdZone.com.
To follow all Thundering Herd sports and get live stats, schedules and free live audio, download the Marshall Athletics App for iOS or Android!
The honor is Smith's first all-conference honor. The Venetia, Pennsylvania, native won a career-best 30 matches for the Herd in her second season. Smith won 19 singles matches and 11 doubles matches, with 12 of her singles wins and eight of her doubles wins coming in the spring season. Each of those marks led Marshall, marking the second straight season Smith led the Herd in singles and doubles wins.
"This is a well-earned honor for Anna," head coach John Mercer said. "She has worked hard both on and off the court and has really taken her game to another level this year. We look forward to seeing how high her ceiling is during the next two years."
In addition to her all-conference recognition, Smith was named to the Conference USA All-Academic team last week, becoming the fifth different Marshall player to be named to both the all-conference and all-academic teams in the same year since Marshall joined Conference USA prior to the 2005-06 season.
Smith's all-Conference honor marks the 14th consecutive year Marshall has placed someone on the All-Conference USA teams. Marshall's streak of all-conference honorees has also been extended to 18 consecutive seasons dating back to the Thundering Herd's tenure in the Mid-American Conference.
All-Conference Teams
First Team Singles
Martina Kudelova, Florida Atlantic
Maria Kononova, North Texas
Tamuna Kutubidze, North Texas
Holly Hutchinson, Old Dominion
Nataliia Vlasova, Old Dominion
Michaela Haet, Rice (Player of the Year)
Anastasia Smirnova, Rice
Victoria Smirnova, Rice (Outstanding Singles Player of the Championship)
Second Team Singles
Rocio Safont, Charlotte
Basak Akbas, FIU
Natalie Kallmunzerova, Florida Atlantic
Anna Smith, Marshall
Oleksandra Andrieieva, Old Dominion
Brooke Pilkington, Old Dominion (Newcomer of the Year)
Yulia Starodubtseva, Old Dominion
Anna Bowtell, Rice
Priya Niezgoda, Rice
Kirsten Prelle, UTEP
First Team Doubles
Kamila Umarova/Basak Akbas, FIU
Maria Kononova/Tamuna Kutubidze, North Texas
Holly Hutchinson/Brooke Pilkington, Old Dominion (Co-Outstanding Doubles Team of the Championship)
Linda Huang/Michaela Haet, Rice
Priya Niezgoda/Anastasia Smirnova, Rice
Second Team Doubles
Ivana Babic/Alexandra Heczey, North Texas
Yulia Starodubtseva/Oleksandra Andrieieva, Old Dominion
Nataliia Vlasova/Natalya Malenko, Old Dominion
Anna Bowtell/Victoria Smirnova, Rice (Co-Outstanding Doubles Team of the Championship)
All-Freshman Team
Basak Akbas, FIU
Martina Kudelova, Florida Atlantic (Freshman of the Year)
Oleksandra Andrieieva, Old Dominion
Alesya Yakubovich, Old Dominion
Anastasia Smirnova, Rice
Victoria Smirnova, Rice
Coach of the Year
Dom Manilla, Old Dominion
For the latest information on Marshall women's tennis, follow on Twitter at @Herd_Tennis, on Facebook at Herd Tennis and online at HerdZone.com.
To follow all Thundering Herd sports and get live stats, schedules and free live audio, download the Marshall Athletics App for iOS or Android!
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