Collins, Elbaba Named National ITA Award Winners

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May 24, 2016

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia women’s tennis seniors Danielle Collins (St. Petersburg, Fla.) and Julia Elbaba (Oyster Bay, N.Y.) were honored by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association on Tuesday (May 24) when the organization announced its national award winners.

Collins was named the ITA Senior Player of the Year, while Elbaba was named as the recipient of the Cissie Leary Sportsmanship Award.

Both Collins and Elbaba will be competing in the NCAA Women’s Individual Championships that begin on Wednesday (May 25). Collins is the No. 2 seed in singles and will also be competing in the doubles competition. Elbaba is seeded in the group of 9-16 in singles.

Collins holds a 32-4 record in singles play this season for the Cavaliers, including a 19-2 mark in dual matches and a 23-4 mark against nationally-ranked competition. She has won 11 straight matches heading into the NCAA Women’s Singles and Doubles Championships. Collins earned All-ACC First Team honors for the third straight season this year after posting an 11-1 mark in conference play.

Elbaba holds a 35-8 record on the season, including a 20-5 mark in dual matches and a 15-5 mark against nationally-ranked competition. Her 35 singles wins set the record for wins in a season by a senior player and also pushed her to the top of the career singles wins list with 131. Elbaba earned All-ACC honors for the fourth straight season, becoming the first four-time All-ACC player in Virginia program history.

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.