IRVING, Texas (April 27, 2018) – Seniors Andrea Lazaro and Nerma Caluk, Junior Maryna Veksler, Sophomore Ulyana Grib and Freshman Sandra Bozinovic were recognized by Conference USA, collecting a total of eight awards, the league announced on Friday. Head coach Katarina Petrovic, in her sixth season at the helm, was named 2018 Coach of the Year.
 
Bozinovic was named All-Freshman Team. The native of Mulhouse, France ended her first season with the Panthers with a 11-4 overall mark. She won all six conference matches and clinched the match for the Panther four times during the season, two of those in home matches against Kansas State and UTEP.
 
Grib earned First-Team All-C-USA honors in both singles and doubles. She closed out the 2017-18 season with an 18-4 overall singles record and a 12-2 mark in dual action. She is undefeated at the No. 2 position winning all 8 matches and holds a 4-0 mark in conference matches. Grib clinched the match for the Panthers against FGCU and Charlotte defeating her opponents in straight sets. Grib also won the first singles point for FIU against North Texas and Marquette.
This honor marks Grib's second All Conference USA honor in singles (2017 Second-Team All-C-USA honors).
 
Veksler earned Second-Team All-C-USA honors and First-Team All-C-USA in doubles. The native of Kiev, Ukraine recorded a 16-6  singles mark and was 9-2 in dual matches. She clinched the conference championship point for the Panthers against Rice's Fernanda Astete 6-4, 5-7, 6-1  as well as against Florida Atlantic.
This award marks Veskler's third All-Conference USA honor in singles action (2016 and 2017 All-C-USA first team)
 
In doubles, Grib and Veksler were recognized as First-Team Doubles. They recorded an overall mark of 18-5 and 11-3 in dual matches. The tandem won 10 matches at position one and is 3-0 in conference matches. The duo notched their first career ranking and is the first doubles tandem in FIU history to be ranked as high as No. 7 in the nation. Grib and Veksler were also recognized as Most Outstanding Doubles Players of the Championship.
 
Lazaro earned First-Team All-C-USA honors in both singles and doubles. The senior from Barcelona, Spain finished the year with a 26-5 overall mark and a 14-2 record in dual action. Thirteen of her 14 wins in dual matches were in straight sets. She also gave FIU the first single's point against eight different teams. During the 2017-18 campaign, she reached the highest school singles rankings of No. 2 on February, 20 and was the first FIU tennis player to win the National Fall Championships (November, 2017). Lazaro was also recognized as Most Outstanding Singles Player of the Championship.
 
In doubles action, Lazaro and Caluk recorded a 17-1 overall mark and were named First-Team All-C-USA as well as Grib and Veksler. Lazaro and Caluk clinched the doubles point for the Panthers against Kansas State and Florida Gulf Coast at the No. 3 position, and against Charlotte and Middle Tennessee at the No. 2 position.
 
A complete list of this year's all-conference awards follows:
 
All-Conference USA Singles First-Team
Ulyana Grib, FIU
Andrea Lazaro, FIU
Aliona Bolsova, Florida Atlantic
Maria Kononova, North Texas
Holly Hutchinson, Old Dominion
Natalia Vlasova, Old Dominion
Lindsey Hodge, Rice
Wendy Zhang, Rice
Moka Ito, WKU
 
Second-Team
Maryna Veksler, FIU
Natalia Boltinskava, Florida Atlantic
Stephanie Smith, Marshall
Kim Kermet, Middle Tennessee
Tamuna Kutubidze, North Texas
Victoria Olivarez, Old Dominion
Yulia Starodubtseva, Old Dominion
Michaela Haet, Rice
Marlene Herrmann, UAB
 
All-Conference USA Doubles First-Team
Andrea Lazaro/Nerma Caluk, FIU
Maryna Veksler/Ulyana Grib, FIU
Aliona Bolsova/Jemi Aguilar, Florida Atlantic
Lindsey Hodge/Wendy Zhang, Rice
 
Second-Team
Maria Kononova/Minyin Liang, North Texas
Holly Hutchinson/Natalya Malenko, Old Dominion
Natalia Vaslova/Victoria Olivarez, Old Dominion
Moka Ito/Monica Malinen, WKU
 
All-Freshman Team
Sandra Bozinovic, FIU
Natalia Boltinskava, Florida Atlantic
Anna Botwell, Rice
Michaela Haet, Rice
Yulia Starodubtseva, Old Dominion
Moka Ito, WKU
 
Player of the Year
Aliona Bolsova, Florida Atlantic
 
Freshman of the Year
Moka Ito, WKU
 
Newcomer of the Year
Aliona Bolsova, Florida Atlantic
 
Coach of the Year
Katarina Petrovic, FIU
 
Outstanding Singles Player of the Championship
Andrea Lazaro, FIU
 
Outstanding Doubles Team of the Championship
Maryna Veksler/Ulyana Grib, FIU
 
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