April 17, 2003
RICHMOND, Va. - Old Dominion University junior NatalyCahana (Qiriat Bialik, Israel) has been selected as the 2003 ColonialAthletic Association women's tennis Player of the Year for the thirdstraight season in a vote of the league's head coaches. Cahana was the CAACo-Player of the Year in 2002 and was the CAA's Player of the Year, Rookieof the Year and Tournament Outstanding Performer in 2001.
Others receiving top honors from the conference included William and Mary'sMegan Muth (Covington, LA/Covington) as the CAA Rookie of the Year andWilliam and Mary's Brian Kalbas as the CAA Coach of the Year.
Cahana is ranked 22nd nationally in singles in the latest Omni CollegiateTennis Rankings. As Old Dominion's number one seed, the junior has compileda 16-4 dual meet record and is 26-7 overall. She has been the highestranked women's singles player all season long in the CAA, reaching thefinals at the ITA All-American Tournament and the William & Mary FallInvitational. She posted victories over five players who were ranked amongthe top 30 nationally this season.
Muth is ranked 75th nationally in singles in her rookie season at Williamand Mary, recording an impressive 19-6 mark while playing most at the No. 2position. She has posted seven victories over players who are rankednationally and has won 13 straight matches. Muth captured the ITA EastRegion Tournament in the fall, winning five straight matches, includingfour over ranked foes.
Kalbas guided William and Mary to a 21-4 overall record and a perfect 4-0mark in CAA action. The Tribe, which is ranked 9th in the latest CollegiateTennis Rankings, posted five victories over teams ranked in the top 25 thisseason. They enter this weekend's CAA championship having won 12 straightmatches and W&M's overall record is the best in school history. It is thefifth time that Kalbas as been selected as CAA Coach of the Year.
Also joining Cahana in receiving awards from the CAA this evening wasfreshman Kerstin Endlich. Endlich, who joined the team this springs,posted a 12-8 dual meet mark, which included a 7-3 record at No. 3 singles.
The awards were presented Thursday night prior to the quarterfinals of the2003 CAA Women's Tennis Championship, which resumes Friday at Byrd Park.The tournament runs through Sunday, with the women's championship match setfor 10:00 a.m. on April 20. The tournament is part of the CAA Spring SportsFestival.
First Team
Singles| Nataly Cahana, Old Dominion | Jr. | Qiriat Bialik, Israel |
| Candice Fuchs, William and Mary | So. | Sarasota, FL (Pendleton) |
| Marina Escobar Martinez, Va. Commonwealth | Jr. | Malaga, Spain |
| Barbora Zahnova, Virginia Commonwealth | Jr. | Trnava, Slovakia |
| Megan Muth, William & Mary | Fr. | Covington, LA (Covington) |
| Beatriz Cabrera, Virginia Commonwealth | Fr. | Malaga, Spain |
| Amy Wei, William & Mary | So. | Marietta, GA (New Braunfels) |
Doubles
| Kate Boomershine, William & Mary | So. | Glenwood, MD (Glenelg) |
| Candice Fuchs, William & Mary | So. | Sarasota, FL (Pendleton) |
| Silvia Urickova, Virginia Commonwealth | Jr. | Trnava, Slovakia |
| Barbora Zahnova, Virginia Commonwealth | Jr. | Trnava, Slovakia |
| Megan Muth, William and Mary | Fr. | Covington, LA (Covington) |
| Amy Wei, William and Mary | So. | Marietta, GA (New Braunfels) |
Second Team
Singles| Kate Boomershine, William and Mary | So. | Glenwood, MD (Glenelg) |
| Silvia Urickova, Virginia Commonwealth | Jr. | Trnava, Slovakia |
| Nina Kamp, William & Mary | Sr. | Pine Brook, NJ (Newark Acad.) |
| Kerstin Endlich, Old Dominion | Fr. | Neustadt, Germany |
| Margie Zesinger, James Madison | Jr. | Erie, PA (McDowell) |
| Jessica Wilkes, Delaware | Sr. | Bethlehem, PA (Nazareth) |
Doubles
| Sallie Kiser, UNC Wilmington | So. | Stoneville, NC (Morehead) |
| Lindsey Hess, UNC Wilmington | Fr. | Fayetteville, NY (Saddlebrook Prep) |
| Christina Arribas, Virginia Commonwealth | Fr. | Madrid, Spain |
| Beatriz Cabrera, Virginia Commonwealth | Fr. | Malaga, Spain |
| Kari Olsen, William and Mary | Sr. | San Diego, CA (Torrey Pines) |
| Lingda Yang, William and Mary | Fr. | Coconut Creek, FL (Cardinal Gibbons) |
2003 CAA PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Nataly Cahana, Old Dominion
2003 CAA ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Megan Muth, William and Mary
2003 CAA COACH OF THE YEAR: Brian Kalbas, William and Mary