ITA UTR Featured Conference of the Week: Gulf South Conference Women

The Shorter Hawks have put up impressive numbers in both their athletic and academic performance, as well as graduation rates. Under Coach Orville, the Hawks won the NCCAA in 2014 and 2015. Coach Orville was named the Coach of the Year during those seasons. Academically, Shorter’s women’s tennis team has been excelling in the classroom — earning a GPA of 3.6 in 2015 and above average graduation rates. The team has also received multiple All-Academic selections by the ITA and GSC.

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The West Georgia Wolves have a rich tradition with their tennis program on campus. After being reinstated in 2010, UWG recruited impressive players to their roster. Under the helm of West Georgia graduate and Head Coach, Michael Coleman, Sierra Brown and Jordan England earned GSC All-Conference honors. In 2015, Brown went 11-3 in dual match play. Brown is also the All-Time leader in wins with 50.

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The Christian Brothers Lady Buccaneers are a tradition-filled program. Recently, two student-athletes were recognized for their academic excellence and named to the DII ADA Academic Achievement Awards list. During the 2020 season, CBU also recorded the best program GPA in Athletic Department history. During the 2018 season, the Bucs collected their most wins in recent history winning 15 matches.

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The Delta State Lady Statesmen are making big strides within their women’s tennis program. Recently, the Gulf South Conference announced the All-Conference Team of the Decade, and Laura Mongin was selected to the list. The France native was named GSC West Player of the Year in 2011. During the same year, the Lady Statesmen reached the No. 34 ranking in the nation and went 6-0 in league play. During Mongin’s two years at Delta State, she went 27-5 at the No. 1 spot making history for the program.

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The Montevallo Falcons have some historic memories in their women’s tennis record books. In 2018, the Falcons reached their highest single-season victory total as a team, winning 21 matches. Throughout the years, the team has produced phenomenal players, including Alina Munteanu and Emily Beatty, who were both active during the 2018 season. Muntenau, the singles season win leader, also holds the most victories in combined singles and doubles play – collecting 123 wins. She was named the Southeast Region Rookie of the Year and ranked as high as No. 34 in the ITA rankings.

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The Valdosta State Blazers have built a powerhouse of a tennis program on their campus. Coach John Hansen is a legend on VSU’s campus. He has led the men’s and women’s team for the past 46 years. Hansen has led the Lady Blazers to 16 NCAA tournaments, reaching the Final Four on four occasions. Additionally, Valdosta’s women’s team has won the GSC four times, while Hansen has been named five times as the Conference Coach of the Year. Lastly, Hansen was also named the ITA Division II National Coach of the Year twice and the ITA South Region Women’s Coach of the Year five times.

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The Lee Lady Flames have a history of success in their program. Under the helm of Head Coach Patric Hynes, Francesca Tondi became one of the most prominent tennis players in program history. In 2016, she was named the GSC Freshmen of the Year after winning 16 matches. She was included on the GSC All-Decade Team for her outstanding achievements on the court. In 2019, Lee won seven matches in conference play — the most in program history. Additionally, the Flames achieved their goal of being ranked in the ITA DII national rankings.

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The Mississippi College Choctaws have made big strides under the helm of long-term Head Coach David Boteler. In 2018, the team celebrated their best season in program history going 20-3 — their three losses came from the University of West Florida. During the 2018 season, Coach Boteler was named the GSC Co-Coach of the Year as well as the ITA South Region Coach of the Year. The Lady Choctaws qualified for the Division II national tournament for the first time in program history. Before 2017 the Choctaws were part of Division III. In 2000, the team claimed the American Southwest Conference championship.

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The Auburn Montgomery Warhawks have a history of dominating in the NAIA and NCAA. The Warhawks won an impressive 24 conference championships before joining Division II and the GSC recently. Additionally, the team won 14 NAIA national championships and finished as runner-up eight other times. Their best season in history was in 2008 when the team went 34-0 under Head Coach Scott Kidd. Warhawk coaches have been awarded 14 Coaches of the Year honors.

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The West Alabama Tigers have seen great success since the campus opened in 1835. In 2019, Head Coach Jeff Beaman won the GSC Coach of the Year Award and his lady Tigers went 11-0 in conference play claiming the regular season title. By the end of last season, UWA was ranked 24th in the nation and had the 6th-best doubles pair in the region. Most recently, the university invested in the tennis facility by resurfacing the courts and improving the facility’s landscaping.

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The West Florida Argonauts are one of the strongest teams within Division II tennis. Prior to joining the NCAA Division II UWF was competing in the NAIA, collecting multiple tennis awards including national champions in singles and doubles as well as multiple All-American Awards. Once the Argonauts joined the NCAA Division II their success did not stop. Recently, Berta Bonardi won the ITA National Championships in back-to-back seasons. The program has also collected 41 ITA All-American Awards, two National Coach of the Year Awards, and hosted the NCAA DII tournament. Lastly, Suzana Cavalcante won the GSC Commissioners Trophy presented to the top overall student across all sports in the GSC based on athletic, academic, and extracurricular achievements.

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