ATLANTA, Ga. (May 3, 2023) – Headlined by regular season and tournament champion Sewanee, the Southern Athletic Association has announced its 2023 women’s tennis All-Conference teams.
 
Emma Smith of Sewanee was named the Player of the Year while Tigers leader Conchie Shackelford was voted Coach of the Year. Rhodes freshman Agda Laakso was named the SAA Newcomer of the Year.
 
Smith went undefeated in SAA play in both singles and doubles, playing No. 1 singles and all three positions in doubles. The senior won each of her five SAA singles matches in straight sets, going to a tiebreaker only once. In doubles, she posted a 6-0 record in conference play, with two wins at No. 1, one at No. 2 and three at No. 3. Twice Smith was named SAA Player of the Week, winning in doubles on March 20 and singles on April 17.
 
Laakso posted a 5-1 record at No. 1 singles her first run through the SAA, falling only to Smith. Four of her victories were in straight sets and she finished the conference slate on a four-match winning streak. In doubles, she teamed with Lea Letourneau to go 6-1 as the top-seed. The duo won their last four matches of the regular season and led the Lynx to a runner-up finish in the SAA standings.
 
Now in her 37^th season leading Sewanee’s nationally recognized program, Shackelford was named the SAA Coach of the Year for a sixth time and second-straight season. She boasts a record of 641-225 in dual matches, including a 17-5 mark this season. Shackelford has led the Tigers to nine SAA regular season and tournament championships, including this season, and has Sewanee ranked No. 12 in the nation heading into the NCAA Tournament.
 
Women’s Tennis All-SAA
Player of the Year – Emma Smith (Sewanee)
Newcomer of the Year – Agda Laakso (Rhodes)
Coach of the Year – Conchie Shackelford (Sewanee)
 
First Team All-SAA
Ansley Carpenter (Sewanee)
Brooke Despriet (Sewanee)
Agda Laakso (Rhodes)
Lea Letourneau (Rhodes)
Juliana Mascagni (Berry)
Emma Smith (Sewanee)
 
Second Team All-SAA
Izzy Forster (Oglethorpe)
Camille Fremaux (Millsaps)
Lainey Hill (Centre)
Emily Holderness (Rhodes)
Lauren Masteller (Berry)
Katherine Petty (Sewanee)
 
Honorable Mention
Esme Benjamin (Rhodes)
Eleanor Burks (Hendrix)
Lacey Craig (Berry)
Sydney Dattilo (Oglethorpe)
Izzy Lambert (Birmingham-Southern)
Sarah Livingston (Sewanee)
Emma McHale (Rhodes)
Carlie Mitchell (Centre)
Natalia Nassar (Sewanee)
Nicole Nowak (Sewanee)
Gracie Rask (Rhodes)
Ella Rueff (Centre)
Emma Self (Hendrix)
Phoebe Shepard (Birmingham-Southern)
Maddy Trinh (Centre)