Five Owls Honored by C-USA
5/2/2022 1:55:00 PM | Women's Tennis
Budin and El Jardi repeat as first team selections
Anna Bowtell, Maria Budin, and Diae El Jardi have all been named to the All-Conference USA Women's Tennis first team in a vote of league coaches, while Allison Zipoli was named to the All-Conference USA Freshman team as well as earning second-team all-conference honors in doubles with Anastasia Smirnova. The results of the voting were announced on Monday by the conference.
Bowtell was third on the team with a 13-4 record in singles during the dual season, primarily at the fourth line (9-2). She reached double figures in singles wins during dual competition for the fifth consecutive year and completed her career with 92 total wins in singles, which is tied for ninth in school history. This is the second time she has been named to the All C-USA first team in singles, earning the honor in 2020.
Budin and El Jardi earned first-team honors in doubles for the second consecutive season. The duo is 16-5 overall this season, including a 14-5 dual mark and are currently ranked 21st in the ITA Collegiate Tennis Rankings sponsored by Tennis-Point. Their 14 dual wins at the first line are the most for Rice since Natalie Beazant and Dominique Harmath were 20-6 in 2013. They shared Conference USA Athlete of the Week honors on March 2 after handing Texas A&M's then #2 Jayci Goldsmith and Tatiana Markarova their first loss of the year and they were 3-2 vs. ranked opponents during the season including a split of matches against teams ranked in the top ten.
Zipoli led the Owls with 15 wins (15-4), including a 10-1 record at the third line. She tied for the team lead with four clinch points with her first career clinch coming in the deciding match of Rice's 4-3 win over FAU in the ITA Kickoff Austin Regional. She was named the C-USA Women's Tennis Athlete of the Week after clinching the Owls' win over LSU.
Zipoli and Smirnova were 8-3 in doubles, including a 2-0 mark vs. C-USA foes with five of their eight wins clinching the doubles point for the Owls and a sixth setting the stage for Rice to take the doubles point on the road at No.7 Texas A&M.
Bowtell was third on the team with a 13-4 record in singles during the dual season, primarily at the fourth line (9-2). She reached double figures in singles wins during dual competition for the fifth consecutive year and completed her career with 92 total wins in singles, which is tied for ninth in school history. This is the second time she has been named to the All C-USA first team in singles, earning the honor in 2020.
Budin and El Jardi earned first-team honors in doubles for the second consecutive season. The duo is 16-5 overall this season, including a 14-5 dual mark and are currently ranked 21st in the ITA Collegiate Tennis Rankings sponsored by Tennis-Point. Their 14 dual wins at the first line are the most for Rice since Natalie Beazant and Dominique Harmath were 20-6 in 2013. They shared Conference USA Athlete of the Week honors on March 2 after handing Texas A&M's then #2 Jayci Goldsmith and Tatiana Markarova their first loss of the year and they were 3-2 vs. ranked opponents during the season including a split of matches against teams ranked in the top ten.
Zipoli led the Owls with 15 wins (15-4), including a 10-1 record at the third line. She tied for the team lead with four clinch points with her first career clinch coming in the deciding match of Rice's 4-3 win over FAU in the ITA Kickoff Austin Regional. She was named the C-USA Women's Tennis Athlete of the Week after clinching the Owls' win over LSU.
Zipoli and Smirnova were 8-3 in doubles, including a 2-0 mark vs. C-USA foes with five of their eight wins clinching the doubles point for the Owls and a sixth setting the stage for Rice to take the doubles point on the road at No.7 Texas A&M.
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
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