MOBILE, Ala. – Five women's tennis and four men's tennis student athletes from the University of South Alabama earned Scholar-Athlete awards from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. 

From the women's team, seniors Laura Matuskova (Bratislava, Slovakia), Monica Mitta (Fairhope, Ala.), and Laura Valkova (Piestany, Slovakia), and sophomores Patricia Martins (Lisbon, Portugal) and Alina Zolotareva (Barnaul, Russia) were included as honorees. On the men's side, seniors Tuki Jacobs (Windhoek, Namibia), Juan Cruz Soria (San Juan, Argentina), and Pierre Noyon (Oye-Plage, France), and junior Oliver Gingras (Quebec City, Quebec, Canada) received awards.

To be eligible for the award, student athletes must have at least a 3.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale, be a varsity letter winner, and be enrolled in their present school for at least two semesters. The nine Jaguars who got academic honors were among 1,521 ITA Scholar-Athletes from the Division I level. 

Matuskova went 15-8 in singles last season for the women and was named to the All-Sun Belt Singles Second Team, and Zolotareva earned a record of 17-5. The two had a 9-3 record in doubles, including a victory in the Sun Belt Conference semifinals, where the Jags defeated Georgia State.

The team of Valkova and Martins earned a spot on the Sun Belt All-Conference Doubles Second Team as they went 15-4 last season, winning their last eight matches. Valkova finished the year 17-7 in singles, while Martins ended with a 13-6 record. Mitta went 12-9 singles and 17-3 overall in doubles. 

The women's tennis team placed second in the Sun Belt Championships for the second straight year and finished the season with an overall record of 21-5.

On top of being recognized as an ITA Scholar-Athlete for men's tennis, Jacobs was named the Southern Region ITA/Arthur Ashe Leadership and Sportsmanship Award winner, the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year, and All-Sun Belt Singles First Team. Jacobs went 24-7 in singles last season, with three wins against nationally ranked opponents. Jacobs competed in the NCAA Division I Championships, falling to Kentucky's Will Bushamuka in the first round. 

Soria was named to the All-Sun Belt Singles First Team, with a 27-9 singles record, defeating two ranked players. Soria was also named to the Sun Belt All-Conference Doubles First Team. Gingras finished the season with a record of 14-11 in singles, and Noyon went 18-10 on the year. 

The men's tennis program made it to the finals of the Sun Belt Championships for the third year in a row and closed out the season 23-6 overall. 

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).

Join the Baseline Club, the tennis-specific support club of the Jaguar Athletic Fund. All donations to the Baseline Club go directly to support the South Alabama men's and women's tennis programs. For more information on how you can join visit: http://jaguarathleticfund.com/baselineclub

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