May 9, 2016
COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina women’s tennis assistant coach Jeff Nevolo has been named the Wilson/ITA Carolina Region Assistant Coach of the Year and senior Ximena Siles Luna was honored with the ITA/Cissie Leary Award for Sportsmanship, the ITA announced Monday.
“We are thrilled he is the Assistant Coach of the Year for our region,” head coach Kevin Epley said. “Jeff is upbeat and enthusiastic, and he is always available for extra hours of hitting. We would not have achieved the success we had this year without his daily dedication and effort.”
In his second season with the program, Nevolo has helped No. 13 South Carolina elevate among the national elite as the Gamecocks spent a program-first five straight weeks in the ITA Top 10 this season. South Carolina posted an 18-7 record and 9-4 mark in the SEC. The Gamecocks’ 18 wins were the most since 1999 and nine SEC wins matched the most in program history. Nevolo also assisted in coaching freshman Ingrid Gamarra Martins to SEC All-Freshman Team honors, making Martins the first Gamecock rookie to be named to a conference team since 2007.
Siles Luna became the first Gamecock to win the ITA/Cissie Leary Award for Sportsmanship since 2002 when Lynn-Yin Tan received the honor. The award goes to a women’s player who displays inspiring dedication and commitment to her team, which has enhanced her team’s performance and exemplified the spirit of college tennis. The Lima, Peru, native fought off injury though the latter half of the spring to post a 10-5 mark and 6-3 record in the SEC. She proved extremely reliable this year in pressure situations, earning the deciding point in South Carolina’s 4-3 wins over No. 21 Clemson and No. 15 LSU this season.
“Ximena has overcome a lot not only this year but over her four-year career, and she has really come into her own during her senior year,” Epley said. “She is a quiet, dedicated leader whose competitive fire has won us many close matches. We are thrilled that she was elected the Cissie Leary recipient for the Carolina region. I really can’t think of someone more deserving than Ximena.”
No. 13 South Carolina begins play in the NCAA Championships on Fri., May 13, at 5 p.m. when the Gamecocks host Winthrop in a first-round matchup at the Carolina Tennis Center.
ITA Carolina Region Awards
Wilson/ITA Coach of the Year: Jeffrey Wyshner, Wake Forest University
ITA Assistant Coach of the Year: Jeff Nevolo, University South Carolina
ITA Most Improved Player (Senior): Whitney Kay, University of North Carolina
ITA Senior Player of the Year: Beatrice Capra, Duke University
ITA Rookie of the Year: Ayan Broomfield, Clemson University
ITA Player to Watch: Martina Frantova, North Carolina State University
ITA/Arthur Ashe Leadership and Sportsmanship Award: Luisa Fernandez, Wake Forest University
ITA/Cissie Leary Award for Sportsmanship: Ximena Siles Luna, University of South Carolina
