NORFOLK, Va. – #60 Old Dominion women’s tennis player
Victoria Matasova was named the Elite Award winner, while head coach
Dominic Manilla was named Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year for the fourth consecutive season, the Sun Belt announced on Wednesday. The voting was conducted by the leagues head coaches.
A redshirt junior from Malye Kabany, Russia, Matasova earned the Women’s Tennis Elite Award after going 13-21 overall, collecting Power 4 victories over Maryland and Wake Forest, as well as defeating No. 14 Irina Balus of Duke back in the fall. She spent the majority of the season ranked within the top 115 in the ITA rankings, as she played her singles matches on court two and doubles matches on court one.
Manilla earned Sun Belt Coach of the Year for the fourth straight year after winning his sixth-straight conference championship with Old Dominion. He also won Coach of the Year from 2019-2021 when the Monarchs were a part Conference USA. Manilla has led ODU to a 13-5 mark in his 15th season as head coach.
Kira Matushkina and
Ulyana Romanova were named to the Singles First and Second Team All-Conference, respectively. Matushkina is currently ranked #103 in the ITA after going 7-7 in singles and 8-7 in doubles alongside Matasova, both of which were played on court one. She won against two Power 4 opponents, Michigan and Kansas State, including the then No. 3 singles player in the nation, Piper Charney of Michigan, as well as No. 119 Ni Xi of Charlotte. Meanwhile, Romanova went 13-4 in singles play on court three, going on a nine-match winning streak midway through the season while also defeating opponents from Power 4 schools Ohio State, Penn State, Maryland, Ole Miss, Kansas State, and Kansas.
Doubles pairs Matushkina and Matasova and Romanova and
Lidiia Rasskouskaia were all named to the Doubles First Team All-Conference. Playing on court one, Matushkina and Matasova defeated Power 4 opponents from Wake Forest and Kansas and went on to rank No. 75 and No. 66 nationally. On court three, Romanova and Rasskouskaia recorded a 14-5 record at the third position and ranked No. 20 and No. 45 nationally. The pair’s dominance included four-straight wins against Power 4 opponents Maryland, Penn State, Wake Forest, and Kansas State. They also defeated the No. 8 doubles pair in the country and ITA All-American Champions, Bianca Molnar and Bojana Pozder of Notre Dame, in October.
ODU takes on Tennessee in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday, May 1 at Duke.
Women’s Tennis Player of the Year: Savannah Dada-Mascoll, App State
Women’s Tennis Newcomer of the Year: Diana Zuba, Coastal Carolina
Women’s Tennis Freshman of the Year: Polina Gumeniuk, Marshall
Women’s Tennis Player to Watch: Meghna Arun Kumar, Arkansas State
Women’s Tennis Coach of the Year: Dominic Manilla, Old Dominion
Women’s Tennis Elite Award Winner: Victoria Matasova, Old Dominion
Singles First Team All-Conference
Savannah Dada-Mascoll, App State
Evelyn Warkentin, Georgia Southern
Angelique Berrat, Louisiana
Johanna Strom, Marshall
Kira Matushkina, Old Dominion
Maria Guirguis, Troy
Singles Second Team All-Conference
Brunelle Kouam, Coastal Carolina
Diana Zuba, Coastal Carolina
Daria Munteanu, James Madison
Polina Gumeniuk, Marshall
Ulyana Romanova, Old Dominion
Ireland Simme, Texas State
Doubles First Team All-Conference
Brooklyn Hoffmann / Sophie Williams, James Madison
Kira Matushkina / Victoria Matasova, Old Dominion
Lidiia Rasskouskaia / Ulyana Romanova, Old Dominion
Doubles Second Team All-Conference
Savannah Dada-Mascoll / Ruby Broadbent, App State
Johanna Strom / Alina Mokrynska, Marshall
Maria Guirguis / Valeria Avdeeva, Troy
