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University of Massachusets Athletics
Tennis Announces Team Awards & 2015-16 Captains
May 11, 2015 | Tennis
AMHERST, Mass. - After a 17-5 season and a runner-up finish in the Atlantic 10 Championship Tournament, the UMass women's tennis program named its annual award winners and team captains for the 2015-16 season.
The Minutewomen tied the program record for the second-most wins in a single-season (17) and reached the A-10 title match for the sixth time since 1997-98. Over the last four years, UMass has reached the title match twice and finished as semifinalists two other times.
In honor of their terrific seasons this past year, junior Arielle Griffin and freshman Ana Yrazusta were named co-MVPs of the squad.
Griffin posted an 18-12 overall record in singles play including a 13-7 mark in dual matches. Primarily playing No. 3 singles, Griffin was 11-4 at the position. In doubles play, Griffin was 16-13 overall including a 10-7 mark in dual matches. Paired mostly with Aarzoo Malik at No. 2 doubles, the duo went 9-6 in dual matches, 3-1 in A-10 matches and ended the season with a five-match win streak. At the end of the year, Griffin was named to the Atlantic 10 All-Conference second team.
Yrazusta burst onto the scene in her rookie campaign going 24-7 in singles play which was tied as the most wins on the team this season with sophomore Anna Woosley. The 24 wins also marked the second-most for a single season in program history. Yrazusta played mostly at No. 2 singes where she was 14-1. Overall in dual matches, she was 18-3 and finished the year with an eight match win streak. She was named the Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year and was an All-Atlantic 10 First Team selection. In doubles play, Yrazusta paired with Carol Benito at the No. 1 position setting a new program record for wins in a single season (27). The duo went 19-3 in dual matches and were a perfect 4-0 in A-10 match-ups.
Earning Most Improved accolades was freshman Michele Katzelnik who did not see action during the season.
The Coach's Award went to senior captain Chanel Glasper. Glasper set the career singles win record at UMass by finishing her four years with 77 victories. She was 18-7 overall during the year including a 10-5 mark in dual matches. In doubles play, she paired with Woosley at the No. 3 position going 17-6 overall, 13-6 in dual matches and 4-0 in league play. Glasper was honored by the UMass student-athlete body at the end of the year with the first-ever Excellence in Leadership Award which was presented at the second annual SAMY Awards.
Finally, head coach Judy Dixon announced that the team's captains next year will be Griffin and rising junior Julia Larson. Larson is 2-1 in singles play during her career and 2-0 in doubles play. This past fall, she earned a straight set win against Minnesota in singles action and doubles victories over Minnesota and Boston University.
All told, UMass will enter the 2015-16 campaign as one of the top programs in the Atlantic 10 with Glasper and Gianna Francis as the only seniors on the 2014-15 squad.
