George Washington University Athletics
Women's Tennis Lands Three on All-Conference Teams
5/11/2017 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Three George Washington women's tennis student-athletes have received Atlantic 10 postseason honors, the league announced on Thursday. Sophomore Maria Siopacha grabbed First Team distinction, while freshman Melis Bayraktaroglu landed on the Second Team. Junior Marie-Louise Decamps rounded out 2017 honors with an All-Academic Team nod.
"I am very proud of Maria, Melis, and Marie," said first-year head coach Torrie Browning. "They have truly earned their A-10 All-Conference honors. They have worked extremely hard and have helped transform our program in many ways."
Siopacha garners All-Conference honors after her first season as a Colonial, in which she tallied a team-best 23-11 overall singles record with a 13-7 mark in spring play as GW's top-flight competitor. The Limassol, Cyprus, native also led GW on the doubles court with a 16-13 record overall and an 11-8 mark this spring, primarily at the top position. Siopacha earned A-10 Player of the Week distinction once this season.
"Maria did an incredible job this year, making an immediate impact on our team," said Browning. "Being an underclassmen playing at the No. 1 spot was very impressive. Maria truly is one of the best players in the conference, and I am excited to see her continue to grow as she moves into being an upperclassmen next year."
Bayraktaroglu tallied a stellar freshman campaign with a 17-15 overall singles record and a 9-9 mark in spring play at the Nos. 2-3 positions. In doubles action, the rookie posted an overall 14-13 mark with a 10-7 record in the spring, primarily at the top of the ladder. The Istanbul, Turkey, product was twice named A-10 Rookie of the Week.
"Melis, as a freshman, made an immediate impact on the program," said Browning. "For her to be able to get an All-Conference honor in her first season shows how hard she has worked. She is very talented and improved a lot this year, and has three more years to continue to grow."
Decamps earns her second career All-Academic nod after tallying an 18-15 overall singles record with a 15-14 doubles mark. A stellar student, the economics major owns a 3.98 GPA and was recognized by the university for outstanding academic excellence in 2016-17. The Sao Paulo, Brazil, native earned A-10 Player of the Week honors once this season.
"Marie is the true definition of what it means to be a student-athlete," said Browning. "She has been recognized many times throughout her career for her academics and it truly is impressive. Marie leads by example and we are lucky to have her as a part of our program."
The Colonials posted a strong season under the direction of Browning, as they finished above the .500 mark for the first time since the 2014 season with an 11-10 record.
Players Mentioned
