DALLAS – Conference USA announced its women’s tennis postseason award winners on Wednesday morning. After earning its third conference championship title, No. 28 FIU collected five of the six superlative awards including Katarina Petrovic earning Coach of the Year and Ekaterina Khairutdinova being tabbed Player of the Year. Jacksonville State’s Irene Artigas claimed Newcomer of the Year. The awards are voted on by the league’s head coaches.
 
All nine CUSA programs were represented in the all-conference selections. Liberty and FIU led the pack with six selections each.
 
Petrovic coached FIU to back-to-back CUSA Championship titles for the first time in school history. The Panthers currently hold an 18-match winning streak headed into the NCAA Championship. FIU was ranked as high as 25th in the nation this season and has maintained a perfect record at home.
 
As just a sophomore, Khairutdinova won CUSA Player of the Year. The Krasnodar, Russia, native collected 18-straight wins at No. 1 and 2 singles, 10 being at the top spot since being moved up. Her overall record in singles was 18-2 and she garnered CUSA Player of the Week honors twice this season.
 
Jax State’s Artigas posted a 12-4 singles record this year to be named Newcomer of the Year. The sophomore also paced the Gamecocks with an 11-6 record in doubles action.
 
With her impressive performance at the CUSA Championship, FIU’s Valery Gynina picked up a pair of superlatives. In her debut season, Gynina earned Outstanding Singles Player of the Championship and Freshman of the Year. She went 13-3 at No. 3 singles and won five straight matches including three singles victories at the championship. Additionally, the freshman provided the clinching win (6-1, 6-1) for FIU over LA Tech.
 
Doubles team Oyinlomo Quadre and Katerina Mandelikova had impressive performances at the CUSA Championship. The pair currently ranks 53rd nationally and won all three doubles matches at the championship as FIU’s No. 1 tandem. They were also named to the All-Conference First Team in doubles alongside teammates Khairutdinova and Salma Loudili.
 
2024 Conference USA Women’s Tennis Superlative Awards
Coach of the Year – Katarina Petrovic, FIU
Player of the Year – Ekaterina Khairutdinova, FIU
Newcomer of the Year – Irene Artigas, Jax State
Freshman of the Year – Valery Gynina, FIU
Outstanding Doubles Team of the Championship – Oyinlomo Quadre / Katerina Mandelikova, FIU
Outstanding Singles Player of the Championship – Valery Gynina, FIU
 
All-CUSA Singles – First Team
Oyinlomo Quadre, FIU
Ekaterina Khairutdinova, FIU
Katerina Mandelikova, FIU
Olga Bienzobas, LA Tech
Valery Gynina, FIU
Maria Juliana Parra Romero, Liberty
Esther Lovato, Liberty
Paula Cerda, Sam Houston
 
All-CUSA Singles – Second Team
Serafima Shastova, Jax State
Dariana Prato, Jax State
Sana Garakani, MTSU
Ilaria Sposetti, MTSU
Alexia Romero, LA Tech
Anna Pinaieva, NM State
Sofia Blanco, WKU
Tiffani Nash, LA Tech
 
All-CUSA Doubles – First Team
Oyinlomo Quadre/Katerina Mandelikova, FIU
Ekaterina Khairutdinova/Salma Loudili, FIU
Maria Juliana Parra Romero/Tiffany Nguyen, Liberty
Esther Lovato/Marina Davtyan, Liberty
 
All-CUSA Doubles – Second Team
Alexia Romero/Zoie Epps, LA Tech
Irene Artigas/Serafima Shastova, Jax State
Carlotta Mencaglia/Hanna Telzynska, UTEP
Valeriia Ivanovskaia/Natsuki Nishimura, NM State
 
CUSA All-Freshman Team
Valery Gynina, FIU
Daniella O’Neill, Liberty
Lena Peyer, MTSU
Zoie Epps, LA Tech
Maria Turchetto, Liberty
Hanna Telzynska, UTEP