Shazkho Named SLC Freshman Of The Year
4/23/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
April 23, 2009
FRISCO, Texas - Ladyjack tennis player Alina Shazkho has been named the 2009 Southland Conference Freshman of the Year the league office announced Thursday.
Shazkho is the first Ladyjack tennis player to ever claim a postseason individual superlative award and is the first player in the history of the Southland Conference to win Freshman of the Year that was not either from UTA, Lamar or Southeastern Louisiana.
She is also the first Ladyjack to earn any type of all-conference honor since 2005, when Kama Scott was named second team all-conference in No. 6 singles.
The Ukraine native saw time at both No. 1 and No. 2 singles in 2009, but really stood out with teammate Roxana Enica in No. 1 doubles play, finishing the season 15-6 overall and 8-3 in the SLC. Shazkho finished the season 11-7 in singles play as well, going 7-3 early on in the season at No. 2 singles and 4-4 in No. 1 play.
Shazkho opened the season winning six of her first eight matches in singles play before being pushed up a slot as the season progressed. But she and Enica finished off the season on fire in doubles play, winning 12 of their final 15 matches. Two of those losses came to two of the top teams in the league, UTA and Northwestern State, and both in tiebreaking situations.
Shazkho and the Ladyjacks defeated Southeastern Louisiana in the final match of the season to qualify for their second consecutive SLC Tournament, set to begin Friday in Corpus Christi, Texas. The Ladyjacks will face off with top-seeded and undefeated UTA in the opening round.
-SFA-
