Southeastern Conference Champion Kentucky reaped a sizable share of hardware at the SEC women?s tennis postseason awards banquet Wednesday on the Alabama campus. As voted by SEC head coaches, senior All-American Aibika Kalsarieva became Kentucky?s first SEC Women?s Tennis Player of the Year, and UK head coach Mark Guilbeau earned his second SEC Coach of the Year award in three seasons. As a result of Kalsarieva?s award and Kentucky senior Jesse Witten capturing the same honor Tuesday on the men?s side, Kentucky becomes the first school in the Southeastern Conference to win the men?s and women?s tennis players of the year awards during the same season.
Kalsarieva was the only No. 1 singles player in the league to win all 11 conference matches this season. The Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan-native also earned a first-team All-SEC singles selection after earning second-team honors a season ago. Kalsarieva owns a 32-5 singles record and currently is ranked No. 3 in the nation by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA).
Sophomore Sarah Foster teamed with Kalsarieva to score a first-team All-SEC doubles selection. The nation?s sixth-ranked tandem tallied an 8-2 record in league play at No. 1 doubles. With their top-eight ranking and 26-7 record, Foster and Kalsarieva are on track to collect their first All-America doubles selections.
Joining Foster as a first-time recipient of all-conference recognition was junior Danielle Petrisko. The native of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., totaled a 9-2 record in SEC singles play after sitting out the 2004 dual-match season due to a knee injury. Petrisko clinched Kentucky?s first-ever win over Florida earlier this season, as well as UK?s first win at Georgia in 17 seasons.
Guilbeau earned his second SEC Coach of the Year award after directing a youthful Wildcat roster to an incredible 10-1 league record. Guilbeau?s squad is one of two teams in the conference with only one player boasting three or more seasons of SEC dual-match experience. Guilbeau led a group of one junior, eight second-year players and one first-year student-athlete to UK?s first conference title in women?s tennis. Guilbeau also captured the 2003 SEC Coach of the Year award after leading that squad to a 9-2 conference mark.
