NEW ORLEANS – University of South Alabama sophomore Alexandria Stiteler was once again voted player of the year, and four other Jaguars earned all-league distinction at the annual Sun Belt Conference Women's Tennis awards banquet held Thursday night.

Stiteler also earned first-team honors in singles for the second straight season. Senior Laura Matuskova was named to the singles second team, while the doubles pairings of senior Laura Valkova and sophomore Patricia Martins, and Stiteler and senior Monica Mitta were tabbed to the second team.

A native of Bradenton, Fla., Stiteler is 14-5 this spring – all at the No. 1 flight – and finished the regular season with a six-match win streak. She went unbeaten against Sun Belt competition, posting a 6-0 mark, with all victories coming in straight sets. In February, she picked up a win against a nationally-ranked opponent, defeating No. 88 Pardis Kianoush of Alabama-Birmingham 2-6, 6-4, 6-3.

Stiteler suffered no sophomore slump in 2017 after posting an 18-4 spring mark en route to player and freshman of the year honors the year prior.

Matuskova is a second-team honoree for the second consecutive season. She went 13-4 in dual matches while playing primarily at the No. 4 spot. The Bratislava, Slovakia native won the first seven matches of the spring campaign – with three wins coming in three sets – and went 6-1 against league foes.

Martins, from Lisbon, Portugal, and Valkova led the team with 14 doubles wins and currently hold a seven-match win streak dating back to March 10. Thirteen of their 14 victories came at the top flight, and they swept all five league matches.

Valkova, a Piestany, Slovakia product, is the fifth Jaguar to receive all-conference honors in doubles four times, and the first since Iva Puflerova and Martina Ondrejkova in 2001.

Stiteler is a two-time doubles honoree, having earned a first-team nod in 2016, and Mitta, a native of Fairhope, Ala., was a second-team selection as a freshman in 2014. The duo is 9-1 overall this spring – 8-1 at No. 2 – and won their first seven matches together, including a 6-2 victory over Oklahoma to help clinch the doubles point.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

—USA—

Women's Tennis Awards
Player of the Year
Alexandria Stiteler (South Alabama)

Player to Watch
Arina Taluyenko (Georgia State)

Newcomer of the Year
Stefana Andrei (ULM)

Freshman of the Year
Rylie Cox (Coastal Carolina)

Coach of the Year
Terrence De Jongh (ULM)

All-Sun Belt Singles First Team
Rylie Cox (Coastal Carolina)
Kristin Rehse (Georgia State)
Arina Taluyenko (Georgia State)
Stefana Andrei (ULM)
Tiffany Mylonas (ULM)
Alexandria Stiteler (South Alabama)

All-Sun Belt Doubles First Team
Astrid Gehre/Anna Wichert (UTA)
Agustina Serio/Valeria Lopez (UTA)
Sanae Ohta/Nancy Karaky (Troy)

All-Sun Belt Singles Second Team
Julie Gauguery (Arkansas State)
Marie Babayan (Coastal Carolina)
Petra Horakova (ULM)
Laura Matuskova (South Alabama)
Angeles de los Rios (UTA)
Agustina Serio (UTA)

All-Sun Belt Doubles Second Team
Stefana Andrei/Petra Horakova (ULM)
Patricia Martins/Laura Valkova (South Alabama)
Alexandria Stiteler/Monica Mitta (South Alabama)