Alabama’s Jonatan Berhane, Anne Marie Hiser Secure ITA Southern Regional Honors
6/6/2023 4:46:00 PM | Women's Tennis
Berhane recorded his second Assistant Coach of the Year nod, while Hiser was named the Arthur Ashe Jr. Leadership Award winner
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. –– Alabama women's tennis assistant coach Jonatan Berhane and junior Anne Marie Hiser picked up Southern Regional honors, the Intercollegiate Tennis Association announced on Tuesday.
Berhane was named the ITA Southern Regional Assistant Coach of the Year, earning the honor for his second time after being tabbed the regional honoree in 2019. Hiser picked up her first career regional honor, earning the region's Arthur Ashe, Jr. Leadership and Sportsmanship Award for her dedication, leadership and achievement both on and off the court.
Berhane recorded Alabama's fifth regional ITA Assistant Coach of the Year selection, while Hiser became the sixth honoree to earn the Southern Region Arthur Ashe Leadership and Sportsmanship Award.
Jonatan Berhane | ITA Southern Regional Assistant Coach of the Year
- Berhane won the honor for the second time in his career following a regional nod in 2019
- Four different UA assistant coaches have won the award
- Berhane concluded his fifth year as an assistant with the women's program, before being announced as the program's head coach following the retirement of Jenny Mainz at the conclusion of the season
- This season, Alabama recorded 12 dual match wins including impressive victories over SEC foes Mississippi State, Ole Miss and LSU
- The team sent three players in Loudmilla Bencheikh, Petra Sedlackova and Ola Pitak to the ITA All-American Championships
- With Berhane's help, Bencheikh was named a Second Team All-SEC selection
- Bencheikh and Hiser finished the season ranked in doubles (37th) while Bencheikh concluded the year ranked in singles (62nd)
- During his five years with the Tide, Alabama qualified for three NCAA Tournaments (there was not an NCAA Tournament in 2020 due to the COVID pandemic), which included helping the program make its first appearance in four years at the 2019 NCAA Championships
- The Tide has had three players advance to the NCAA singles championships, including two on the current squad in sophomores Bencheikh and Sedlackova
Anne Marie Hiser | ITA Southern Regional Arthur Ashe Leadership & Sportsmanship Award Winner
- Sixth player in program history to earn the regional honor and first to do so since Alba Cortina Pou in 2019
- Won the 2022 USTA Nova Nordisk Donnelly National Scholarship, presented annually by Billie Jean King to one male and one female student-athlete with juvenile diabetes
- Finished the season ranked 37th nationally in the doubles
- Recorded a season-high ranking of No. 32 in doubles
- Held a top-40 national ranking in doubles since March 21
- Captured 10 doubles wins and 11 singles wins during the season
- Closed the season on a five-match winning streak in singles play
- Only lost four singles matches all season
- Defeated No. 21 Ariana Arseneault/ Carolyn Ansari (Auburn), No. 26 Guillermina Grant/Mai Nirundorn (Georgia), No. 45 Morgan Cross/Indianna Spink (Arkansas), No. 59 Anaelle Leclerco/ Ludmila Kareisova (Ole Miss) and No. 63 Carlota Molina/Elizabeth Stevens (Kentucky) in doubles
- Defeated No. 88 Maria Rizzolo (MSU) in singles
- Competed at the No. 1 spot in doubles in all of UA's conference matches
- Named to the College Sports Communicators' Academic All-District Team
Get all the latest information on the team by following AlabamaWTN on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. General athletic news can also be found at UA_Athletics on Twitter and Instagram and Alabama Athletics on Facebook.
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