Virginia Quartet Earns ITA Regional Honors
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May 9, 2016
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Four members of the Virginia women’s tennis program received recognition from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association when the organization announced its regional award winners on Monday.
Head coach Mark Guilbeau was named the ITA Atlantic Region Coach of the Year, while Troy Porco was named the Atlantic Region Assistant Coach of the Year. Senior Danielle Collins (St. Petersburg, Fla.) was named the Atlantic Region Senior Player of the Year, while senior Julia Elbaba (Oyster Bay, N.Y.) received the Cissie Leary Award for Sportsmanship.
The Cissie Leary Award for Sportsmanship goes to a Division I women’s player who displays inspiring dedication and commitment to her team, which has enhanced her team’s performance and exemplified the spirit of college tennis. It dates back to 1997 and is in memory of the late and widely admired Penn women’s tennis coach Cissie Leary.
It marks the second consecutive season for a Cavalier to claim the Cissie Leary Award for Sportsmanship for the Atlantic Region. Stephanie Nauta (Galveston, Texas) was awarded the honor in the 2015 season.
Guilbeau and Porco guided the Cavaliers to the semifinals of the ACC Championships this season, marking the fifth consecutive season for Virginia to advance to at least the semifinals of the annual event. Virginia claimed back-to-back ACC Championships in 2014 and 2015.
Collins holds a career-high ranking of No. 2 in the latest ITA singles rankings. She has posted a 30-4 singles mark this season, including a 21-4 mark against nationally-ranked foes. She was 17-2 in dual matches this season, including an 11-1 mark in ACC play. Collins claimed the Oracle/ITA Masters Championship and the Riviera/ITA All-American Championship in the fall.
Elbaba holds a 33-7 mark in singles play on the season, setting the school record for singles wins in a career with 129 heading into the NCAA Tournament. She posted an 18-4 mark in dual matches this season, including a 14-4 mark against nationally-ranked foes and a 10-3 mark in ACC play. Elbaba won the ITA Atlantic Regional Title to advance alongside Collins to the ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championship. She is currently ranked No. 12 nationally in singles.
Virginia opens the NCAA Tournament on Friday, hosting an Fairleigh Dickinson, Columbia and LSU in NCAA Regional action.