ST. LOUIS – Veronika Golanova was named the 2019 Women's Tennis Player of the Year for the second year in a row, while Coach Maja Kovacek earned the MVC Coach of the Year award for steering the Redbirds to a perfect record in the Missouri Valley Conference.
The redshirt senior was also selected to the No. 1 singles All-Conference Team, joining four of her teammates who also made the list. Junior Natalia Bravo was named to the No. 3 singles All-Conference Team and sophomore Laura Fitzgerald was named to the No. 5 singles All-Conference Team. Fitzgerald was also named as the No. 2 doubles All-Conference member with her partner Jana Kustkova. Freshman Tara Damnjanovic rounded out the awards, earning a spot on the MVC All-Select team.
Golanova finished the dual season with a record of 4-1 in MVC play and 9-7 overall. Golanova is the only Redbird to earn the Player of the Year Award and is the first to win multiple in the Valley since Wichita State's Lutfiana Budiharto, who won the award from 2010-12.
The Czech Republic, native also earned a 4-1 record in conference play at the No. 1 doubles spot with her partner Damjanovic. The pair went 7-3 overall this season as a doubles team and earned MVC doubles team of the week twice.
Bravo finished this season undefeated in the MVC at the No. 3 spot. The junior transfer was a key component for the Redbirds this season,compiling an 11-5 record, playing primarily at the No. 3 and 4 spots. The Bogota, Colombia native, also owns a 3-1 MVC record with her partner, Ivon Mihaleva. Bravo went 11-6 in doubles play this season, playing primarily at the No. 2 and 3 spots for the 'Birds.
Fitzgerald and Kustkova completed this season undefeated at 10-0. The duo also tied for the second highest win count on the team at 12 apiece, and took home the doubles team of the week award as well. Fitzgerald and Kustkova are the first Redbirds to earn a doubles All-Conference Honor since 2016.
Fitzgerald was 12-6 this season in singles play and 16-5 in doubles play. The sophomore earned doubles player of the week twice with partners Kustkova and Mihaleva this season as well. Fitzgerald is the first Redbird to earn both a Singles and Doubles All-Conference honor since Veronika Golanova and partner Marcia Tere-Apisah both did it in 2016.
Damnjanovic played primarily at the No 2 spot this season for the 'Birds, racking up an 11-7 overall record, and was 4-1 in MVC play with partner Golanova, earning two MVC Doubles Team of the week awards. The rookie recorded an 11-8 finish in doubles.
Coach Maja Kovacek is the first coach from Illinois State to earn Coach of the Year since Chris Hoover in 2010. She also led the Redbirds to their first undefeated season in the MVC Conference since Hoover in 2004. This is the first time since 2004 that the Redbirds have had five players selected for All-Conference Honors, and the five honorees tie for the most ever in Illinois State history.
The 2019 All-Conference team is comprised of one individual from each of the six singles positions, as well as three doubles teams from each of the doubles positions. In addition, nine individuals are chosen regardless of position played and are named to the "All-Select" Team. The All-Conference and All-Select teams are chosen by a vote of league coaches.
The Redbirds clinched the MVC Regular Season title after going 5-0 in MVC play, and clinched the second seed in the upcoming MVC Championship. The 'Birds will play against Valparaiso this Friday, April 26, with the first serve scheduled at 1 p.m.
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