#SWACWTEN All-Conference Awards Revealed
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Southwestern Athletic Conference revealed its 2018-19 All-Conference Women’s Tennis team and awards on the eve of the 2019 SWAC Women’s Tennis Tournament, with Alabama State’s Reka Szentes and Urska Velec earning individual honors.
The All-SWAC team was determined based on overall singles and doubles records in league play. In the event of similar records, preference was given to the higher positioned player within her respective team’s lineup.
This year’s honorees compiled an overall record of 57-5 in conference singles play. Seven honorees posted undefeated records in singles competition, including Alabama State’s Reka Szentes (4-0), Urska Velec (4-0), Marija Blazevic (4-0) and Worthy Goldman (4-0), Prairie View A&M’s Jessica Lackey (5-0), Alabama A&M’s Anita Bozhko (7-0), and Alcorn State’s Anastasia Vaganova (6-0).
Also earning all-conference honors was Southern’s Tanaka Chakanyuka, Alabama A&M’s Jazmine Boyd, Alabama State’s Lea Krajcovicova, and Jackson State’s Lily Zhang and Lucia Solis.
Szentes was named Player of the Year after a spotless ledger of play against SWAC opposition, earning a combined nine wins during singles and doubles play against league opposition. Overall, the senior went 7-6 as the No. 1 player for the top-seeded Lady Hornets and formed perhaps the league’s top doubles tandem with Freshman of the Year Urska Velec, as the duo went a combined 10-4 in competition this season.
Velec has not lost in singles competition since Feb. 22, posting a 7-6 overall singles record. The Maribor, Slovenia native was used throughout the Lady Hornets’ lineup this season and comes into this year’s tournament on a six-match winning streak. The entire all-conference team is listed below.
The Coach of the Year award will be presented to the championship team’s head coach at the conclusion of the 2019 Southwestern Athletic Conference Women’s Tennis tournament.
2018-19 All-SWAC Women’s Tennis Team
Reka Szentes, Alabama State
Lucia Solis, Jackson State
Anastasia Vaganova, Alcorn State
Anita Bozhko, Alabama A&M
Lea Krajcovicova, Alabama State
Tanaka Chakanyuka, Southern
Jessica Lackey, Prairie View A&M
Lily Zhang, Jackson State
Worthy Goldman, Alabama State
Urska Velec, Alabama State
Maria Popova, Alabama State
Jazmine Boyd, Alabama A&M
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Reka Szentes, Alabama State
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Urska Velec, Alabama State