MOBILE, Ala. — South Alabama senior Daniel Leitner was named the Sun Belt Conference Men’s Tennis Player of the Year for the second straight season at the league’s annual awards banquet, where seven Jaguar men’s and women’s tennis players earned all-conference honors.
Men’s Honors
Leitner also was named to the All-Sun Belt team, along with juniors Tim Srkala and Gerhard Gruindelingh and sophomore Tuki Jacobs.
- First-team singles: Daniel Leitner, Tim Srkala
- Second-team singles: Tuki Jacobs
- First-team doubles: Daniel Leitner and Gerhard Gruindelingh
The No. 69-ranked Jaguars are 14-8 this spring and enter the weekend on a three-match winning streak after finishing the regular season last week. South Alabama is the No. 3 seed in the Sun Belt Championships and opens against Appalachian State on Friday at 3 p.m., the first meeting between the schools.
Women’s Honors
Senior Emily Newton and sophomore Laura Valkova earned All-Sun Belt honors in both singles and doubles, and sophomore Monica Mitta was also named to the all-conference team. The three helped South Alabama to an 18-2 regular-season record and the No. 1 seed in the Sun Belt Championships.
Newton was named to the first team in doubles with Valkova and to the second team in singles. She is an all-conference selection for the third consecutive season, the first South Alabama player to do so since Michaela Babicova in 2009.
Valkova earned first-team honors in both singles and doubles and is an all-conference pick in both for the second straight year.
Newton and Valkova are 11-0 at No. 1 doubles this season and have won 12 straight matches together dating to the fall.
Championship Openers
The top-seeded South Alabama women open the Sun Belt Championships against Texas State on Friday at 8 a.m. The No. 3-seeded men face Appalachian State later Friday at 3 p.m.
