April 16, 2009
ATLANTA – Georgia Tech’s Amanda McDowell, Noelle Hickey and Irina Falconi were named to the 2009 All-Atlantic Conference Women’s Tennis Team, announced the conference office Thursday.
“I am really proud of all three of these girls for what they have accomplished this season” Georgia Tech head coach Bryan Shelton said. “Each of them have represented Georgia Tech with class and with excellence.”
Miami placed four student-athletes on the 18-member team in voting by the league’s 12 head coaches. The Yellow Jackets matched Duke for second-most honorees with three, while Clemson, Florida State and North Carolina had two apiece. Virgina and Wake Forest each had one student-athlete voted to the team.
McDowell, a junior from Atlanta, Ga., earned All-ACC honors for the second straight season. The 2008 NCAA singles champion has won nine straight and 12 of her last 13 singles matches. She has also registered a 10-1 singles record against ACC opponents.
Hickey, a sophomore from Hackensack, N.J., earned her first career ACC honor with a 15-6 in singles and has nine wins from the No. 2-3 spots in the lineup during the dual-match season. She has also registered a 9-2 mark in ACC matches this season.
Falconi, a freshman from Jupiter, Fla., has also garnered her first career ACC honor. Falconi, who has predominantly played at the top spot in the lineup, is 13-8 this season and has recorded a 10-5 mark from the No. 1 position. She has also earned doubles victories in seven of her last eight matches.
The Yellow Jackets will kickoff the 2009 ACC Tournament Friday in the second round against either No. 5-seeded Florida State or No. 12-seeded NC State at noon.
2009 All-Atlantic Coast Conference Women’s Tennis Team
Josipa Bek, Freshman, Clemson
Ani Mijacika, Junior, Clemson*
Mallory Cecil, Freshman, Duke
Ella Nze, Sophomore, Duke*
Reka Zsilinszka, Sophomore, Duke*
Katie Rybakova, Sophomore, Florida State*
Noemie Scharle, Freshman, Florida State
Irina Falconi, Freshman, Georgia Tech
Noelle Hickey, Sophomore, Georgia Tech
Amanda McDowell, Junior, Georgia Tech*
Julia Cohen, Sophomore, Miami
Bianca Eichkorn, Sophomore, Miami
Michaela Kissell, Sophomore, Miami
Laura Vallverdu, Junior, Miami*
Sanaz Marand, Junior, North Carolina*
Katrina Tsang, Junior, North Carolina*
Emily Fraser, Freshman, Virginia
Sasha Kulikova, Junior, Wake Forest*
Player of the Year: Ani Mijacika, Clemson
Freshman of the Year: Mallory Cecil, Duke
Coach of the Year: Paige Yaroshuk-Tews, Miami