Photo by: © Tim Cowie | GWUPhotos.com
Trio of Women's Tennis Players Receive Big South All-Conference Accolades
April 15, 2019 | Women's Tennis
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Coming off a 10-8 record and 6-3 Big South mark, the Gardner-Webb women's tennis team had three players – Miljana Ristic, Daniela Naupari and Valentine Limauge – honored by the Big South Conference today.
The league office announced its annual awards which featured Ristic as a Second-Team All-Conference Singles member, as well Ristic and Naupari on the Second-Team All-Conference Doubles squad. Limuage represented the Runnin' Bulldogs on the All-Academic team.
Ristic (Nis, Serbia / OS Stefan Nemanja) played all her singles matches in the No. 1 flight and went 7-8 overall with a 4-4 record in conference play. The Nis, Serbia native had a three-match winning streak during a pivotal stretch of Big South Conference action.
On March 23, she defeated Hampton's Yulia Kapitanova, 6-1, 6-2, and followed that up with a victory against UNC Asheville's Lize Alet Morkel on March 28. Ristic topped the Big South Freshman of the Year in three sets, taking the first set, 6-0 before falling 4-6 in set two. In the third and final set, Ristic cruised past Morkel, 6-2, as Gardner-Webb earned the win over its in-state rival. Her third consecutive win came on the final day of March when she defeated NC Central's Frida Cnosson, 6-4, 6-2.
Ristic's final victory of the regular season came against Presbyterian's Sydney Patton, 6-2, 6-4. Her match against Longwood's Marija Venta in the season finale went unfinished.
Ristic will carry momentum into the Big South Conference tournament where she hopes to lead the #3 seed Runnin' Bulldogs past the #6 Radford Highlanders.
In addition to being named a Second-Team All-Conference Singles member, Ristic and doubles partner Daniela Naupari (Lima, Peru / SS CC Recoleta) were named to the Second-Team All-Conference Doubles squad. The pair went 7-9 in the top flight and won four conference matches.
Ristic and Naupari won their first two matches of the year, defeating North Carolina A&T's Fabiana Martinez and Angelica Ramirez, 7-6 (7) and Davidson's Megan Scholvinck and Elizabeth Truluck, 6-4.
In conference play, the duo got back-to-back victories against Hampton's Kiah Turner and Cherise Slocombe (6-4) and UNC Asheville's Emily Sidor and Christin Lowu (6-2). The pair ended the year on a hot streak with three wins in their final four contests. Ristic and Naupari defeated teams from Limestone, Radford and Longwood to end the season.
On the Big South All-Academic team, Limauge (Brussels, Belgium / Lycee Berlaymont) represented the Runnin' Bulldogs. The sophomore has not declared a major but boasts an impressive 3.93 GPA. During her second season in Boiling Springs, she finished 9-7 overall, with one win in the No. 2 flight and eight in the No. 3 position. She won four consecutive matches in March, starting with a 6-2, 0-6, 6-3 win against USC Upstate's Maria Jardim in Gardner-Webb's Big South opener. She also defeated Elon's Uma Nayar (6-2, 6-3), Charleston Southern's Michelle Schmitz (7-6, 6-3) and College of Charleston's Lily LaBiche (2-6, 6-3, 10-5) during that stretch.
The Runnin' Bulldogs will begin Big South tournament play on Wednesday, April 17 at 3 p.m. against sixth seeded Radford in the quarterfinals. The semifinals will be played on Thursday with the winner-take-all championship match set for Friday, April 19 at noon. Radford University will host the tournament.
The league office announced its annual awards which featured Ristic as a Second-Team All-Conference Singles member, as well Ristic and Naupari on the Second-Team All-Conference Doubles squad. Limuage represented the Runnin' Bulldogs on the All-Academic team.
Ristic (Nis, Serbia / OS Stefan Nemanja) played all her singles matches in the No. 1 flight and went 7-8 overall with a 4-4 record in conference play. The Nis, Serbia native had a three-match winning streak during a pivotal stretch of Big South Conference action.
On March 23, she defeated Hampton's Yulia Kapitanova, 6-1, 6-2, and followed that up with a victory against UNC Asheville's Lize Alet Morkel on March 28. Ristic topped the Big South Freshman of the Year in three sets, taking the first set, 6-0 before falling 4-6 in set two. In the third and final set, Ristic cruised past Morkel, 6-2, as Gardner-Webb earned the win over its in-state rival. Her third consecutive win came on the final day of March when she defeated NC Central's Frida Cnosson, 6-4, 6-2.
Ristic's final victory of the regular season came against Presbyterian's Sydney Patton, 6-2, 6-4. Her match against Longwood's Marija Venta in the season finale went unfinished.
Ristic will carry momentum into the Big South Conference tournament where she hopes to lead the #3 seed Runnin' Bulldogs past the #6 Radford Highlanders.
In addition to being named a Second-Team All-Conference Singles member, Ristic and doubles partner Daniela Naupari (Lima, Peru / SS CC Recoleta) were named to the Second-Team All-Conference Doubles squad. The pair went 7-9 in the top flight and won four conference matches.
Ristic and Naupari won their first two matches of the year, defeating North Carolina A&T's Fabiana Martinez and Angelica Ramirez, 7-6 (7) and Davidson's Megan Scholvinck and Elizabeth Truluck, 6-4.
In conference play, the duo got back-to-back victories against Hampton's Kiah Turner and Cherise Slocombe (6-4) and UNC Asheville's Emily Sidor and Christin Lowu (6-2). The pair ended the year on a hot streak with three wins in their final four contests. Ristic and Naupari defeated teams from Limestone, Radford and Longwood to end the season.
On the Big South All-Academic team, Limauge (Brussels, Belgium / Lycee Berlaymont) represented the Runnin' Bulldogs. The sophomore has not declared a major but boasts an impressive 3.93 GPA. During her second season in Boiling Springs, she finished 9-7 overall, with one win in the No. 2 flight and eight in the No. 3 position. She won four consecutive matches in March, starting with a 6-2, 0-6, 6-3 win against USC Upstate's Maria Jardim in Gardner-Webb's Big South opener. She also defeated Elon's Uma Nayar (6-2, 6-3), Charleston Southern's Michelle Schmitz (7-6, 6-3) and College of Charleston's Lily LaBiche (2-6, 6-3, 10-5) during that stretch.
The Runnin' Bulldogs will begin Big South tournament play on Wednesday, April 17 at 3 p.m. against sixth seeded Radford in the quarterfinals. The semifinals will be played on Thursday with the winner-take-all championship match set for Friday, April 19 at noon. Radford University will host the tournament.
Players Mentioned
No videos available.
