COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Western New Mexico University tennis teams not only collected RMAC Tournament titles, but also several accolades when the All-RMAC awards were handed out.


On the women's side, Ganna Tiurina (Kiev, Ukraine/M.M. Gromov #227) was named the Freshman of the Year as she went 12-9 this season in singles matches, all at the top flight. She defeated the Player of the Year in Vanessa Gunawan from Nebraska-Kearney in the Tournament. She was also 11-11 in doubles matches with teammate Nikolina Vukadin (Pale, Bosnia and Herzegovina/Sredwjoskolski Centar Pale) at the top flight.


Also landing on the first-team was senior Vukadin. The only senior on the Lady Mustang squad went 10-11 in singles matches with all of her matches taking place out of the No. 2 position.  She also played in the top flight doubles slot with Tiurina. The pair was also named to the first-team All-RMAC doubles team.


Rounding out the list for WNMU, freshman Ashley Newell (Las Vegas, NV/Silverado) was selected to the second-team. Newell played all of her matches at No. 3 and was very dominant, going 16-6 in singles matches. She teamed with junior Doris Berberic (Lower Hutt, New Zealand/Hutt Valley High School) to go 10-12 in doubles action out of the No. 2 position.  For their efforts, they were named to the All-RMAC third-team doubles squad.


On the men's side, sophomore Rodrigo Almeida (Arapongas, Brazil/Nene Lourenco High School) was named the Player of the Year, while first-year head coach Guillaume Dupont was selected as the Coach of the Year.


Almeida back up his Preseason Player of the Year selection by going 18-3 in singles matches this season. He went 8-1 at the top flight, with his only loss coming against a Division One opponent, went 2-1 at No. 2, 4-0 at No. 3 and 4-1 at No. 4. He also was solid in doubles competition, going 11-9 with senior Jean Benoit Belin (Nimes, France/Emmanuel d'Alzon High School) and 2-1 with junior Matthieu Covizzi (Noailly, France/). Almeida and Belin were named to the second-team All-RMAC doubles squad.


Two Mustangs were named to the second-team in freshman Juan Pablo Fuentes (Guadalajara, Mexico/) and Covizzi. Fuentes played a majority of his matches at No. 2 as he was 12-8 overall and went 10-6 at No. 2 and 2-2 at No. 3. Covizzi went 11-8 overall, with a 4-4 mark at No. 3 and a 7-4 record at No. 4. Fuentes went 11-10 in doubles matches, with an 11-9 mark with senior Johan Weich (Landskrona, Sweden/Filbornaskolan High School) as they played at the top flight, which helped them land on the first-team All-RMAC doubles squad. Fuentes also played his other doubles match with Covizzi. Covizzi played nine doubles matches compiling a 4-5 record.


Belin was named to the third-team, as he was named RMAC Player of the Week earlier in the season. Playing almost exclusively at the No. 5 position, he went 15-7 this season with a 1-0 mark at No. 3, 3-2 mark at No. 4 and 11-5 mark at No. 5. In doubles, he went 2-1 with sophomore Roy Ulibarri (Dexter, NM/Dexter High School) and 11-9 with Almieda.
Rounding out the selections, Ulibarri and freshman Omar Lopez (Naucalpan, Mexico/) were named to the All-RMAC third-team doubles squad.


WNMU will now wait until Tuesday night when they will find out who they will play in the Regionals action.