DALLAS – Conference USA announced its postseason award recipients on Tuesday. After earning its third consecutive conference title, FIU garnered half of the superlative awards including Ekaterina Khairutdinova earning Player of the Year, Valery Gynina earning Singles Player of the Championship and Khairutdinova and Gynina receiving Doubles Team of the Championship.
 
Louisiana Tech took home two superlative honors in Mio Kozaki earning Newcomer of the Year and Amy Sargeant earning Coach of the Year. Liberty’s Yu-Yun Chen claimed Freshman of the Year. The awards are voted on by the league’s head coaches.
 
Eight CUSA programs were represented in the all-conference selections. FIU led the league with eight selections.
 
After leading her team to its first appearance in the CUSA Championship, Sargeant claimed CUSA Women’s Tennis Coach of the Year. The Bulldogs held a 19-9 season record, including 12 wins on their home court and a seven-game winning streak leading to the conference championship. LA Tech also earned a perfect 5-0 against CUSA opponents during the regular season, which helped award them their highest-ever seed in the conference tournament (No. 3).
 
Khairutdinova was named CUSA Player of the Year for the second consecutive year. The junior Panther won and completed all three doubles matches for FIU during the conference championship and provided the championship-clinching win at No. 1 singles. Her overall record was 39-13 (21-5 in singles, 18-8 in doubles) and she earned CUSA Player of the Week honors twice during the spring season.
 
Following an impressive debut season in 2024, in which she earned a pair of superlative honors, Gynina has added another major accolade to her collegiate resume being named Outstanding Singles Player of the Championship. The sophomore helped FIU to its third-consecutive CUSA Championship with two wins over three matches, defeating NM State (6-1, 6-1) and LA Tech (6-2, 6-1) at No. 3 singles in straight sets.
 
The CUSA Newcomer of the Year, Kozaki played a huge role in the success of the Bulldogs’ success this season, closing out the campaign on a seven-match winning streak to go 10-5 in dual singles. The junior Bulldog won her last seven completed matches, not surrendering more than three games in any of them. Kozaki also went 15-7 in dual doubles, playing primarily at the No. 3 position. She closed out the season winning eight of her last nine doubles matches with non-conference wins over Memphis and Tulane.
 
Chen from Liberty took CUSA Freshman of the Year after totaling 17-10 singles and 17-10 doubles record this year. She tallied a 12-7 spring singles and a 14-9 spring doubles record. The freshman Flame took over No. 2 singles in late March.
 
Adding another superlative to their remarkable season, Khairutdinova and Gynina were honored as the Outstanding Doubles Team of the Championship. The junior and sophomore swept all three of their opponents at the No. 2 position to help FIU to a third-straight conference championship. The duo also clinched the doubles point in both the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds.
 
2025 Conference USA Women’s Tennis Superlative Awards
Coach of the Year - Amy Sargeant, LA Tech
Player of the Year - Ekaterina Khairutdinova, FIU
Newcomer of the Year - Mio Kozaki, LA Tech
Freshman of the Year - Yu-Yun Chen, Liberty
Outstanding Doubles Team of the Championship - Ekaterina Khairutdinova & Valery Gynina, FIU
Outstanding Singles Player of the Championship - Valery Gynina, FIU
 
All-CUSA First Team Singles
Ekaterina Khairutdinova, FIU
Oyinlomo Quadre, FIU
Valery Gynina, FIU
Katerina Mandelikova, FIU
Aleksandra Simeva, FIU
Ema Baraniakova, KSU
Zoie Epps, LA Tech
Alessia Truden, MTSU
 
 
All-CUSA Second Team Singles
Zuzana Pavelekova, Jax State
Daniella O'Neill, Liberty
Yoanna Radulova, Liberty
Ana Rodrigues, LA Tech
Cassidy Mataia, MTSU
Carlotta Mencaglia, UTEP
Sofia Blanco, WKU
Rachel Hermanova, WKU
 
 
All-CUSA First Team Doubles
Katerina Mandelikova & Oyinlomo Quadre, FIU
Ekaterina Khairutdinova & Valery Gynina, FIU
Ema Baraniakova & Sofia Madrid, KSU
Zoie Epps & Ana Rodrigues, LA Tech
 
All-CUSA Second Team Doubles
Daniella O'Neill & Maria Turchetto, Liberty
Yu-Yun Chen & Celina Joseph, Liberty
Mio Kozaki & Nina Skoric, LA Tech
Alessia Truden & Rutuja Chaphalkar, MTSU
 
CUSA All-Freshman Team
Dana Baidaulet, FIU
Lea Erenda, Jax State
Che Nel, KSU
Anika Lemus, Liberty
Yu-Yun Chen, Liberty
June Vigneron, LA Tech