CANTON, Ga. - The Southern Athletic Association has announced the Women’s Tennis All-Conference honorees and major award winners.
Eva Kovachev becomes the first-ever player to earn both Athlete of the Year and Rookie of the Year honors in the same season. Competing primarily at line 1 singles, she posted a 15-5 record against Division III opponents and climbed to No. 7 in the ITA West Region rankings. She also dominated in doubles with an 18-2 overall record. Kovachev carried that momentum from the Fall, where she reached the semifinals of the ITA Southwest Regional Championship in singles and finished as a finalist in the doubles championship.
Trinity earns Coaching Staff of the Year honors under head coach Andrew Cohn after a dominant season. The Tigers went undefeated in SAA play and finished with an impressive 15-1 overall record, earning a spot in the ITA Top 25 rankings throughout the season.
Athlete of the Year: Eva Kovachev (Trinity)
Rookie of the Year: Eva Kovachev (Trinity)
Coaching Staff of the Year: Trinity University
First Team All-Conference:
Singles
Mariella Congeni (Sewanee)
Gracie Rask (Rhodes)
Eva Kovachev (Trinity)
Rosabella Andrade (Trinity)
Haper High (Sewanee)
Lauren Tin (Trinity)
Doubles
Mariella Congeni/Ivy Wilson (Sewanee)
Trinity Levy/Rosabella Andrade (Trinity)
Agda Laakso/Lilly Higgins (Rhodes)
Second Team All-Conference:
Singles
Ivy Wilson (Sewanee)
Trinity Levy (Trinity)
Agda Laakso (Rhodes)
Grace Williams (Centre)
Katie Schmidt (Trinity)
Saris Mejia (Berry)
Doubles
Lucy Lee/Emma Foster (Sewanee)
Lauren Tin/Katie Schmidt (Trinity)
Daryl Locke/Isa Cepeda (Southwestern)
Grace Williams/Carlie Mitchell (Centre)
All-Sportsmanship Team:
Berry - Maggie Cox
Centre - Sara Dunn
Millsaps - Malakie Smith
Oglethorpe - Taylor Glover
Rhodes - Gracie Rask
Sewanee - Lucy Lee
Southwestern - Lillian Perkins
Trinity - Trinity Levy
Previous SAA Award Winners:
Year – Athlete of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Coaching Staff of the Year
2025 - Ansley Carpenter (SEW), Lilly Higgins (RHO), Sewanee
2024 – Katherine Petty (SEW), Mariella Congeni, (SEW), Conchie Shackelford (SEW)
2023 – Emma Smith (SEW), Agda Laakso (RHO), Conchie Shackelford (SEW)
2022 – Alice Hall (SEW), Brooke Despriet (SEW), Conchie Shackelford (SEW)
2021 – Grace Gaskins (MIL), Camille Fremaux (MIL), Davis Elkins (MIL)
2020 – none
2019 – Catherine Owen (SEW), Katharine Sherman (CEN), Conchie Shackelford (SEW)
2018 – Carlee Petro (BSC), Catherine Owen (SEW), Jason Box (MIL)
2017 – Carlee Petro (BSC), Ellie Czura (SEW), Currie Martin (CEN)
2016 – Lindsey Liles (SEW), Neha Rao (CEN), Ann Dielen (BSC)
2015 – Bronte Goodhue (SEW), Carlee Petro (BSC), Conchie Shackelford (SEW)
2014 – Bronte Goodhue (SEW), JaHaun Freeman-Clark (OU), Conchie Shackelford (SEW)
2013 – Bronte Goodhue (SEW), Lindsey Liles (SEW), Conchie Shackelford (SEW)
For more information on all things SAA, visit the websites of any of the participating schools, or go to the SAA's home on the internet at
www.saa-sports.com. Be sure to stay up to date on all of your Southern Athletic Association news by following @SAA_Sports on Twitter (X) and @SAA_Sports on Instagram.