Women's Tennis Earns Four ITA Region Awards
5/13/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
May 13, 2011
SKILLMAN, N.J. - The women's tennis team collected four more postseason honors with the recent announcement of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's 2011 regional awards.
Head coach Jenny Mainz was named the Wilson/ITA Southern Region Coach of the Year by the association, while assistant coach Rahim Esmail picked up the region's Assistant Coach of the Year honor. In addition, sophomore Alexa Guarachi was named Player to Watch and freshman Mary Anne Macfarlane received the Rookie of the Year nod.
Mainz is receiving the region's Coach of the Year Award for the second time in three years with the first being in 2009 after guiding the Crimson Tide to an 11-0 start and a No. 16 national ranking. This is also Mainz's second honor of the season as she was crowned SEC Coach of the Year.
Esmail, now in his third season at Alabama, has been instrumental in the success of the Tide women's tennis program. He was part of Alabama's 11-0 start in 2009 and helped the Tide win eight consecutive Southeastern Conference matches this season.
Guarachi, an All-SEC First Team selection, has collected the most singles wins in dual match play for the Alabama this season with 15. She has ranked as high as No. 38 in singles taking down six nationally ranked foes along the way. In addition, Guarachi has had much success in doubles, ranking as high as No. 2 in the nation, and defeating 10 nationally ranked opponents.
Macfarlane, the SEC Freshman of the Year, has had one of the best freshman seasons in program history. During her first year, she ranked as high as No. 15 in singles and No. 32 in doubles in the ITA's national rankings. Macfarlane played at the No. 1 singles position for the entire dual match season defeating seven nationally ranked opponents along the way.
Alabama will be in action Saturday when it kicks off play in the 2011 NCAA Championships in Athens, Ga. The Tide will take on the Utah Utes at 8 a.m. CT at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex.
