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June 10, 2014

HARRISONBURG, Va. – Virginia women’s tennis swept the major awards for the 2014 Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID) University Division Women’s Tennis squad, the organization announced Tuesday (June 10). The Cavaliers’ Danielle Collins (St. Petersburg, Fla.) was named Player of the Year, Rachel Pierson (Princeton, N.J.) was named Rookie of the Year and Mark Guilbeau was named Coach of the Year.

Collins claimed the first NCAA singles championship in program history after defeating six ranked opponents in the 2014 tournament. An All-Atlantic Coast Conference First-Team honoree and ACC Championship Most Valuable Player, Collins finished No. 14 in the final Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings and her 37 wins rank second on UVa’s single-season list.

Pierson finished the season ranked 76th nationally in singles, earning ITA Atlantic Region Rookie of the Year honors and All-ACC Third-Team accolades. She posted 31 overall wins during her inaugural singles campaign, tied for fifth-most at UVa. She posted 17 of those victories during the spring season, including seven against ranked opponents.

Guilbeau led the Cavaliers to their first sweep of ACC titles as Virginia earned both the regular-season and championship titles. He captured his 300th career victory in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, a 4-0 win over Youngstown State. Guilbeau coached the Cavaliers to their school-record sixth consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament and first appearance in the NCAA quarterfinals as they finished the season with a school-best 24-6 record.

Julia Elbaba (Oyster Bay, N.Y.) and Stephanie Nauta (Galveston, Texas) joined Collins and Pierson on the All-State First Team Singles. Maci Epstein (Winter Park, Fla.) earned a spot on the All-State Second Team Singles. The Virginia tandems of Elbaba and Pierson and Collins and Epstein were named to the All-State First-Team Doubles.

2014 VaSID All-State University Division Women’s Tennis
Player of the Year: Danielle Collins, Virginia
Rookie of the Year: Rachel Pierson, Virginia
Coach of the Year: Mark Guilbeau, Virginia

All-State First Team
Singles
, Virginia
, Virginia
Cindy Chala, VCU
Stephanie Nauta, Virginia
Maria Belaya, William & Mary
, Virginia

Doubles
Julia Elbaba/Rachel Pierson, Virginia
Maria Belaya/Jeltje Loomans, William & Mary
Danielle Collins/Maci Epstein, Virginia

All-State Second Team
Singles
Leeza Nemchinov, William & Mary
Yukako Noi, VCU
Maci Epstein, Virginia
Nikol Hristova, Old Dominion
Salome Kvitashvili, VCU
Francesca Fusinato, Virginia Tech

Doubles
Daria Yakualeva/Olga Barscheuskaya, VCU
Alex Huie/Taylor Pinchoff, James Madison
Maria Belaya/Leeza Nemchinov, William & Mary

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