LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference announced the PSAC Women’s Tennis All-Conference teams and Major Award Winners for the 2022-23 season on Friday afternoon. In the Eastern Division, East Stroudsburg’s Elina Joronen, Millersville’s Sophie Lanius, and West Chester head coach Tina Tharp earned major recognition. In the West, Mercyhurst’s Kayla Dean, Slippery Rock’s Dari Sakhanova, and Rock head coach Matt Meredith were honored.
All-Conference teams and major award winners are determined by a vote of the league’s head coaches.
EASTERN DIVISION
East Stroudsburg’s Elina Joronen earns Athlete of the Year following a stellar season as the Warriors’ No. 1 singles player. She finished the season with an individual record of 7-0 in singles play after competing for the team in the spring semester. She also added a doubles record of 3-4 with partner Samantha Passmore.
Millersville’s Sophie Lanius collected Freshman of the Year honors with quality numbers from the Marauders’ No. 4 and No. 5 singles positions. Lanius went 6-1 against PSAC mandated opponents and finished the season 7-3 against all PSAC opponents.
West Chester head coach Tina Tharp earned the PSAC Women’s Tennis Coach of the Year award for the sixth time in her career and first since the 2017 season. The Golden Rams finished the season with an unbeaten 7-0 PSAC record and finished the season 9-8 overall.
WESTERN DIVISION
Mercyhurst’s Kayla Dean was named Athlete of the Year after completing the season with a 5-0 No. 1 singles record in divisional play and an 8-0 record against all PSAC opponents. The PSAC individual runner-up in the Fall of 2022, the sophomore also a 3-2 mark at No. 1 doubles with partner Roisin Murphy.
Slippery Rock’s Dari Sakhanova earned Freshman of the Year honors with an individual PSAC conference record of 5-1 at No. 3 singles. She was 6-2 against all PSAC opponents and completed the season with a 14-7 overall individual record and 16-3 in doubles with partner Tina Slovak.
Slippery Rock head coach Matt Meredith claims his second consecutive Coach of the Year honor and eighth of his career. He guided The Rock to a 16-9 overall record (5-1 PSAC) as well as a runner-up finish in the 2023 PSAC Women’s Tennis Championship and a victory over Fairmont State in the NCAA Division II Women’s Tennis Atlantic Regional.
A complete list of 2023 All-Conference Teams and Major Awards is below.
All-PSAC East Women’s Tennis Awards
Athlete of the Year – Elina Joronen, East Stroudsburg
Freshman of the Year – Sophie Lanius, Millersville
Coach of the Year – Tina Tharp, West Chester
PSAC EAST WOMEN’S ALL-CONFERENCE FIRST TEAM
Singles
| Name |
University |
| Elina Joronen (Gr,) |
East Stroudsburg |
| Elaina Lee (Sr.) |
West Chester |
| Davica Massaro (Sr.) |
West Chester |
| Alexis Quackenbush (So.) |
Bloomsburg |
| Hui Jen Soo (So.) |
Millersville |
| Maddy Reeves (Senior) |
Lock Haven |
Doubles
| Names |
University |
| Davica Massaro (Sr.) / Ana Ochoa (Gr.) |
West Chester |
| Noelle Htwar (Jr.) / Hui Jen Soo (So.) |
Millersville |
| Elaina Lee (Sr.) / Gabi Lerario (So.) |
West Chester |
PSAC EAST WOMEN’S TENNIS ALL-CONFERENCE SECOND TEAM
Singles
| Name |
University |
| Chloe Abramowitz (So.) |
Millersville |
| Tori Alexander (Sr.) |
West Chester |
| Maria Ojeda (Sr.) |
Millersville |
Doubles
| Names |
University |
| Chloe Abramowitz (So.) / Maria Ojeda (Sr.) |
Millersville |
All-PSAC West Women’s Tennis Awards
Athlete of the Year – Kayla Dean, Mercyhurst
Freshman of the Year – Dari Sakhanova, Slippery Rock
Coach of the Year – Matt Meredith, Slippery Rock
PSAC WEST WOMEN’S ALL-CONFERENCE FIRST TEAM
Singles
| Name |
University |
| Kayla Dean (So.) |
Mercyhurst |
| Adriana Gonzalez Sanchez (Sr.) |
Slippery Rock |
| Karolin Kirchtag (Gr.) |
IUP |
| Natalie Kmoskova (Gr.) |
IUP |
| Joanna Stralka (Sr.) |
IUP |
| Gabriela del Val del Toro (Jr.) |
Slippery Rock |
Doubles
| Names |
University |
| Karolin Kirchtag (Gr.) / Katy Graydon (Jr.) |
IUP |
| Kayla Dean (So.) / Roisin Murphy (So.) |
Mercyhurst |
| Adriana Gonzalez Sanchez (Sr.) / Teddi Isherwood (So.) |
Slippery Rock |
PSAC WEST WOMEN’S TENNIS ALL-CONFERENCE SECOND TEAM
Singles
| Name |
University |
| Cecilia Caravol (Fr.) |
Edinboro |
| Roisin Murphy (So.) |
Mercyhurst |
| Dari Sakhanova (Fr.) |
Slippery Rock |
Doubles
| Names |
University |
| Natalie Kmoskova (Gr.) /Joanna Stralka (Sr.) |
IUP |