HAMMOND – The Southland Conference regular season champion Southeastern Louisiana women's tennis team had three representatives on the Louisiana Sports Writers Association All-Louisiana Collegiate Tennis Teams, which were announced by the LSWA on Sunday.
 
Freshman Renee Villarreal was selected to the first team for the Lions, while senior teammate Isabel Brito was a second team choice. Rounding out the Southeastern all-state contingent was junior Valya Rusakova, who was named the Newcomer of the Year.
 
The trio helped Southeastern finish the season with a 22-3 overall record and win the fourth regular season title in school history. The 22 victories matched a single-season school record.
 
“We had a great season and those three all played huge roles in our success,” Southeastern head coach Jason Hayes commented. “As our lone senior, Isa didn't just step up her game on the court, but she embraced the role of a leader and she will be missed. Renee and Val were both tremendous in their first seasons with us. We feel the future of our program is very bright with student-athletes of their caliber returning.”
 
Villarreal was a first team All-Louisiana pick after earning first team All-Southland Conference and No. 3 singles conference champion honors last month. The Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico native posted arguably the most successful freshman season in school history. In singles, she was 22-1 on the year, tying for the second-most in school history. She and sophomore Adriana Castillo were 17-3 in doubles play, also matching second-highest single-season win total by a Lion.
 
The All-Louisiana nod was also the latest of many for Brito. The Badajoz, Spain product was the Southland Conference individual champion at No. 6 singles and a second team Southland All-Academic choice. In her final season, she posted a 16-3 singles mark.
 
Rusakova, who was the first Lion to earn Southland Conference Newcomer of the Year honors last month, took home the same award from the LSWA. In her first season in Hammond after transferring from Michigan State, the Moscow, Russia native was the Southland individual No. 4 singles champion after posting a 16-5 singles mark and winning her final eight matches of the spring.
 
McNeese State's Klaudia Gawlik shared Player of the Year honors with Tulane's Klara Vyskocilova, while also being named the state's Freshman of the Year. Alan Green of Xavier was the state's Coach of the Year. The All-Louisiana teams are nominated and voted upon by the state's sports information directors.
 
2013 LSWA All-Louisiana Collegiate Women's Tennis Teams
 
First Team
Name – School – Year – Hometown
Renee Villarreal – Southeastern Louisiana – Fr. – Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico
Klaudia Gawlik – McNeese State – Fr. – Nowy Sacz, Poland
Kourtney Howell – Xavier – Jr. – Cypress, Texas
Polina Konop – Northwestern State – Jr. – Kiev, Ukraine
Emma Levy – Tulane – Sr. – Princeton Junction, N.J.
Ella Taylor – LSU – Fr. – Hampshire, England
Klara Vyskocilova – Tulane – Jr. – Klatovy, Czech Republic
 
Second Team
Name – School – Year – Hometown
Isabel Brito – Southeastern Louisiana – Sr. – Badajoz, Spain
Medy Blankvoort – ULM – Jr. – Huizen, Netherlands
Joanna Nalborska – Louisiana Tech – Fr. – Warsaw, Poland
Alexandra Starkova – Louisiana Tech – Fr. – Madrid, Spain
Demetria Woods – Southern – Sr. – Pearl City, Hawaii
 
Players of the Year: Klaudia Gawlik, McNeese State; Klara Vyskocilova, Tulane
Freshman of the Year: Klaudia Gawlik, McNeese State
Newcomer of the Year: Valya Rusakova, Southeastern Louisiana
Coach of the Year: Alan Green, Xavier

Honorable Mention: Sandra Ahlqvist, Louisiana-Lafayette; Andrea Nedorostova, Northwestern State