Senior Bridget Harding was named the University Athletic Association Women's Tennis Player of the Year and freshman Ysabel Gonzalez-Rico was tabbed the league's Rookie of the Year as the UAA announced its 2018 All-Association team Monday morning.
Harding and Gonzalez-Rico, who both earned All-UAA First Team selections for first singles and first doubles, were two of five Eagles to earn All-Association honors on Monday. Junior Daniela Lopez was named to the All-UAA Second Team for third singles and senior Anna Fuhr and freshman Stephanie Taylor were named to the All-UAA Second Team for second doubles. Fuhr also was honored for her play at fourth singles as she was named Honorable Mention. In addition, Head Coach Amy Bryant and Assistant Coaches Barbora Krtickova and Kevin Ye were named the UAA Coaching Staff of the Year.
Harding, who was the UAA MVP in 2017, becomes just the fourth player in Emory Women's Tennis history to be named the conference's Player of the Year multiple times, joining Jessica Levy (1994-95), Mary Ellen Gordon (2001-04) and Gabrielle Clark (2011, 2013-14). This season, Harding has complied at least 24 singles victories for the fourth straight year, going 24-8 overall, earned All-America honors in doubles for a third time and will be competing in the NCAA Individual Championships singles competition later this month.
Gonzalez-Rico has put together one of the best rookie campaigns in team history so far this season, posting a 29-6 record in singles, the third most wins ever in a single season and the most by a freshman since Jolyn Taylor (30-4) in 2002-03, and a 31-4 mark in doubles playing with Harding. She was named the UAA Tournament Most Valuable Player and claimed All-America honors in both singles and doubles in the fall, advancing to the ITA Division III national championship in both disciplines. She will also be competing in the singles competition at the NCAA Individual Championships in Claremont, CA.
As a doubles team, Harding and Gonzalez-Rico have reeled off 19 consecutive victories and their 31 wins sit just one shy of tying the program record for most doubles wins in a single season. In the fall, the duo captured the ITA South Regional doubles title and advanced to the ITA Division III national championship. They will be representing the Eagles in doubles draw at the NCAA individual championships later this month.
The Coaching Staff of the Year award marks the 13th time Bryant and her staff have been bestowed with the award as well as her staff's third straight honor. She, along with Krtickova and Ye, have guided the Eagles to a 15-4 record including a 13-0 record against Division III opponents this season and led the team to its second straight ITA National Indoor Championship in March and the team's sixth consecutive and 29th UAA title in April.
Lopez makes her second appearance on the All-UAA team at third singles after earning All-UAA First Team honors as a sophomore. This season, she is one of four Eagles with at least 16 singles victories, going 16-7 overall including a 9-4 mark on court three. She will be joining Harding and Gonzalez-Rico in the singles draw at the NCAA Individual Championships.
Fuhr and Taylor round out the Emory honorees as the pairing make their first All-UAA team. Playing at second doubles, Fuhr and Taylor rank second on the team with 15 wins, going 15-7 overall and are 13-6 at the No.-2 position. Fuhr also earns her first career All-UAA honor in singles as she currently sits 3-3 overall and was 2-0 at the fourth position against Washington and Chicago during the UAA Championships.
The Eagles will be in search of their sixth straight appearance in the NCAA Division III title match when the final rounds get underway on Monday, May 21st, at the Biszantz Family Tennis Center in Claremont, CA. Emory is set to face Chicago in the quarterfinals in a rematch of the UAA Championship where the Eagles defeated the Maroons by a 7-2 decision.