Joseph, Hillyer Named Women’s Tennis MVPs in ASC Awards
RICHARDSON, Texas – UT-Dallas senior Kathy Joseph and McMurry’s senior Claire Hillyer highlight the 2021 American Southwest Conference Women’s Tennis All-Conference teams and awards as voted on by the head coaches, announced Wednesday.
Joseph won the East Division Most Valuable Player after going 11-2 at No. E1 doubles on the season, earning a spot on the All-Conference Team. Joseph was also the 2018 and 2019 West Division MVP.
Hillyer earned the West Division Most Valuable Player after going a perfect 4-0 in league play at No. 1 singles and 3-1 in doubles. She also made the All-Conference squad.
Also, in the East Division, UTD’s Saumya Vedula was selected as the Freshman of the Year, and Angelica Garcia of Ozarks, Elisa Kendall of East Texas Baptist, and Mimi Samdi from LeTourneau were the Tri-Sportsmanship Athletes of the Year. UTD’s Bryan Whitt earned Coach of the Year honors for the fourth time after guiding the Comets to an ASC Championship.
In the West, McKenna Bryan of Hardin-Simmons and Jasmin Klassen were the Co-Freshmen of the Year, while Taja Lawrence from HSU was the Newcomer of the Year. Klassen and Desiree Ramirez of Sul Ross State and Zoe Sprayberry from Howard Payne were the Tri-Sportsmanship Athletes of the Year. HSU’s Shane Williford earned Coach of the Year for the ninth time in his career.
Four players repeated as All-Conference selections, including Joseph and teammate Svaksha Iyengar for the third time.
Ten players repeated as All-Conference selections, including Kendall, Kuhn, UT Dallas senior Sophie Farmer, and UT-Tyler Alexandra McKissick as three-time selections. Joseph and Kendall were the only four-time All-Division picks.
2021 ASC WOMEN’S TENNIS AWARDS
All-Conference Team
Singles | ||||
Flight 1 | Claire Hillyer | Sr. | McMurry | Borger, Texas |
Kathy Joseph 3 | Sr. | UT Dallas | Williston, Vt. | |
Flight 2 | Landry Laywell | So. | Hardin-Simmons | Thorndale, Texas |
Samantha Wong | Jr. | UT Dallas | Grapevine, Texas | |
Flight 3 | Lauren Schaeffer | So. | Hardin-Simmons | Southlake, Texas |
Saumya Vedula | Fr. | UT Dallas | McKinney, Texas | |
Flight 4 | Suzuka Nishino | Fr. | UT Dallas | Coppell, Texas |
Priscilla Schimming | So. | Hardin-Simmons | Aledo, Texas | |
Flight 5 | Rebecca Jackson | Fr. | UT Dallas | Austin, Texas |
Alejandra Rueda | Sr. | Concordia Texas | Eagle Pass, Texas | |
Hope Turner | So. | McMurry | Wills Point, Texas | |
Flight 6 | McKenna Bryan | Fr. | Hardin-Simmons | Abilene, Texas |
Stephanie Joseph 2 | So. | UT Dallas | Williston, Vt. | |
Doubles | ||||
Flight 1 | Kathy Joseph 3 | Sr. | UT Dallas | Williston, Vt. |
Samantha Wong | Jr. | UT Dallas | Grapevine, Texas | |
Kaitlyn Hathorn | Jr. | Hardin-Simmons | Abilene, Texas | |
Lauren Schaeffer | So. | Hardin-Simmons | Abilene, Texas | |
Flight 2 | Rebecca Jackson | Fr. | UT Dallas | Austin, Texas |
Saumya Vedula | Fr. | UT Dallas | McKinney, Texas | |
Landry Laywell | So. | Hardin-Simmons | Thorndale, Texas | |
Priscilla Schimming | So. | Hardin-Simmons | Aledo, Texas | |
Flight 3 | Svaksha Iyengar 3 | Jr. | UT Dallas | Prosper, Texas |
Suzuka Nishino | Fr. | UT Dallas | Coppell, Texas | |
McKenna Bryan | Fr. | Hardin-Simmons | Abilene, Texas | |
Brianne Dumas | So. | Hardin-Simmons | Belton, Texas |
3 – Three-time All-Conference selection
2 – Two-time All-Conference selection
EAST DIVISION AWARDS, ALL-DIVISION TEAMS
Individual Awards
Most Valuable Player | Kathy Joseph, UT Dallas 3 |
Freshman of the Year | Saumya Vedula, UT Dallas |
Tri-Sportsmanship Athlete of the Year | Angelica Garcia, Ozarks |
Elisa Kendall, East Texas Baptist | |
Mimi Samdi, LeTourneau | |
Coach of the Year | Bryan Whitt, UT Dallas 4 |
3 – Three-time Division Most Valuable Player
4 – Four-time Coach of the Year
First Team
Singles | ||||
Flight 1 | Kathy Joseph 4 | Sr. | UT Dallas | Williston, Vt. |
Flight 2 | Samantha Wong | Jr. | UT Dallas | Grapevine, Texas |
Flight 3 | Saumya Vedula | Fr. | UT Dallas | McKinney, Texas |
Flight 4 | Suzuka Nishino | Fr. | UT Dallas | Coppell, Texas |
Flight 5 | Rebecca Jackson | Fr. | UT Dallas | Austin, Texas |
Flight 6 | Stephanie Joseph 2 | So. | UT Dallas | Williston, Vt. |
Doubles | ||||
Flight 1 | Kathy Joseph 4 | Sr. | UT Dallas | Williston, Vt. |
Samantha Wong | Jr. | UT Dallas | Grapevine, Texas | |
Flight 2 | Rebecca Jackson | Fr. | UT Dallas | Austin, Texas |
Saumya Vedula | Fr. | UT Dallas | McKinney, Texas | |
Flight 3 | Svaksha Iyengar 3 | Jr. | UT Dallas | Prosper, Texas |
Suzuka Nishino | Fr. | UT Dallas | Coppell, Texas |
Second Team
Singles | ||||
Flight 1 | Elisa Kendall 4 | Gr. | East Texas Baptist | Houston, Texas |
Flight 2 | Ashley Schenck 3 | Gr. | East Texas Baptist | Keller, Texas |
Flight 3 | Kelsey Roberts | So. | East Texas Baptist | Mansfield, Texas |
Flight 4 | Corrine Hall | So. | East Texas Baptist | Victoria, Texas |
Brandy Weems | Fr. | LeTourneau | Leander, Texas | |
Flight 5 | Syvoney Ybarra | Sr. | East Texas Baptist | San Antonio, Texas |
Flight 6 | Gabbi Hammerbach | Fr. | East Texas Baptist | Leander, Texas |
Doubles | ||||
Flight 1 | Maddi Davis | So. | East Texas Baptist | McKinney, Texas |
Elisa Kendall 4 | Gr. | East Texas Baptist | Houston, Texas | |
Flight 2 | Corrine Hall | So. | East Texas Baptist | Victoria, Texas |
Ashley Schenck 3 | Gr. | East Texas Baptist | Keller, Texas | |
Flight 3 | Faith Kirk | Fr. | East Texas Baptist | Van, Texas |
Kelsey Roberts | So. | East Texas Baptist | Mansfield, Texas |
4 – Four-time All-Division selection
3 – Three-time All-Division selection
2 – Two-time All-Division selection
WEST DIVISION AWARDS, ALL-DIVISION TEAMS
Individual Awards
Most Valuable Player | Claire Hillyer, McMurry |
Co-Freshmen of the Year | McKenna Bryan, Hardin-Simmons |
Jasmin Klassen, McMurry | |
Newcomer of the Year | Taja Lawrence, Hardin-Simmons |
Tri-Sportsmanship Athlete of the Year | Jasmin Klassen, McMurry |
Desiree Ramirez, Sul Ross State | |
Zoe Sprayberry, Howard Payne | |
Coach of the Year | Shane Williford, Hardin-Simmons 9 |
9 – Nine-time West Division Coach of the Year
First Team
Singles | ||||
Flight 1 | Claire Hillyer 3 | McMurry | Borger, Texas | |
Flight 2 | Landry Laywell | So. | Hardin-Simmons | Thorndale, Texas |
Flight 3 | Lauren Schaeffer | So. | Hardin-Simmons | Abilene, Texas |
Flight 4 | Priscilla Schimming | So. | Hardin-Simmons | Aledo, Texas |
Flight 5 | Alejandra Rueda | Sr. | Concordia Texas | Eagle Pass, Texas |
Hope Turner | So. | McMurry | Wills Point, Texas | |
Flight 6 | McKenna Bryan | Fr. | Hardin-Simmons | Abilene, Texas |
Doubles | ||||
Flight 1 | Kaitlyn Hathorn | Jr. | Hardin-Simmons | Abilene, Texas |
Lauren Schaeffer | So. | Hardin-Simmons | Abilene, Texas | |
Flight 2 | Landry Laywell | So. | Hardin-Simmons | Thorndale, Texas |
Priscilla Schimming | So. | Hardin-Simmons | Aledo, Texas | |
Flight 3 | McKenna Bryan | Fr. | Hardin-Simmons | Abilene, Texas |
Brianne Dumas | So. | Hardin-Simmons | Belton, Texas |
Second Team
Singles | ||||
Flight 1 | Kaitlyn Hathorn | Jr. | Hardin-Simmons | Abilene, Texas |
Flight 2 | Claire Austin | Jr. | Concordia Texas | Dallas, Texas |
Flight 3 | Jasmin Klassen | Fr. | McMurry | Seminole, Texas |
Flight 4 | Victoria Rendon | Fr. | Mary Hardin-Baylor | Ennis, Texas |
Flight 5 | Taja Lawrence | So. | Hardin-Simmons | Abilene, Texas |
Alondra Torres Diaz | So. | Mary Hardin-Baylor | Franklin, Texas | |
Flight 6 | Emily Hines | Fr. | Concordia Texas | Killeen, Texas |
Doubles | ||||
Flight 1 | Claire Hillyer 3 | Sr. | McMurry | Borger, Texas |
Hope Turner | So. | McMurry | Wills Point, Texas | |
Flight 2 | Hannah Defriend | Fr. | McMurry | Groesbeck, Texas |
Jasmin Klassen | Fr. | McMurry | Seminole, Texas | |
Flight 3 | Amanda Almanza | Fr. | Mary Hardin-Baylor | Ennis, Texas |
Alondra Torres Diaz | So. | Mary Hardin-Baylor | Franklin, Texas |
3 – Three-time All-West Division selection
2 – Two-time All-West Division selection