Empire 8 Announces 2023 Women’s Tennis All-Conference Selections

Women's Tennis | 10/24/2023 10:55:07 AM

Hartwick College sophomore Phoebe Olson was named Empire 8 Player of the Year, as the league announced its 2023 Women’s Tennis All-Conference awards on Tuesday, October 24. of Elizabeth Madsen of Alfred University earned Rookie of the Year honors, while Alfred head coach Jordan Crouch was named Coach of the Year. The awards are voted on by the league's head coaches.

For a complete list of all-conference members and award winners, please see below. Empire 8 Champion Alfred led the way with three student-athletes who earned first team accolades, while a pair of Hartwick and Nazareth University standouts were honored. Hartwick’s Jade Killikelly garnered her third straight first team accolde in both singles and doubles. Olson and Alfred’s Alina Zabihailo both earned their second straight first team accolade. Madsen, along with Catherine Zak of Nazareth and Tirzah Spivey of Russell Sage College also earned E8 first team accolades in singles. Macy Youngberg and Zabihailo were also named to the E8 first team in doubles for the second straight year.
 
Olson helped lead Hartwick to its second straight Empire 8 regular season title and top seed in the championship tournament. Playing at first singles, Olson went 5-1 in league play and teamed with Killikelly at first doubles. She was previously named the 2022 Empire 8 Co-Rookie of the Year and has a career 21-8 mark (10-2 E8) in singles and 24-7 (12-1 E8) record in doubles. Olson is the first E8 Women’s Tennis Player of the Year winner in Hartwick’s program history.
 
Madsen enjoyed a tremendous debut for Alfred, leading her team to the Empire 8 Championship. The 2023 Empire 8 Championship Tournament Most Valuable Player, Madsen went 12-2, while playing at primarily at fourth singles, with just one loss against E8 competition. Madsen teamed with Abigail Call to finish 11-3 at first doubles. She joins Zabihailo as the second consecutive Alfred student-athlete to earn E8 Rookie of the Year honors and is the sixth winner in program history.
 
Crouch was named 2023 Empire 8 Coach of the Year after leading Saxons to its second Empire 8 Championship in program history and first since 2004. The Saxons went 13-2 overall in 2023, including a 5-1 mark in league play, before defeating Nazareth and St. John Fisher in the Empire 8 Tournament to claim the title and earn an automatic berth into the NCAA Division III Women’s Tennis Championship, which takes place in May, 2024. Six of his student-athletes earned All-Empire 8 accolades in 2023. It is Crouch’s first E8 Women’s Tennis Coach of the Year award.
 
One member of each team was named that institution's representative on the 2023 Women's Tennis Sportswoman of the Year Team. The Empire 8 Conference emphasizes that "Competing with Honor and Integrity" is an essential component of a student-athlete's experience in conjunction with an institution's educational mission. These honorees have distinguished themselves and consistently exhibit the critical traits as outstanding sportswomen.
   
Player of the Year: Phoebe Olson, So., Hartwick
Rookie of the Year: Elizabeth Madsen, Fr., Alfred
Coach of the Year: Jordan Crouch, Alfred
 
Empire 8 First Team – Singles
Elizabeth Madsen, Fr., Alfred
Alina Zabihalo, So., Alfred
Jade Killikelly, Jr., Hartwick
Phoebe Olson, So., Hartwick
Catherine Zak, So., Nazareth
Tirzah Spivey, So., Russell Sage
 
Empire 8 First Team – Doubles
Macy Youngberg, Jr./Alina Zabihalo, So., Alfred
Phoebe Olson, So./Jade Killikelly, Sr., Hartwick
Catherine Zak, So./McKenna Ellis, Fr., Nazareth
 
Empire 8 Second Team – Singles
Anna Gwozdz, Sr., Alfred
Colleen Marsh, Jr., Hartwick
Maggie Van Valkenburgh, So., Hartwick
McKenna Ellis, Fr., Nazareth
Lily Miller, Fr., St. John Fisher
Lilly Renzi, Fr., St. John Fisher
 
Empire 8 Second Team – Doubles
Abby Call, Sr./Elizabeth Madsen, Fr., Alfred
Colleen Marsh, Jr./Gianna Leggieri, Fr., Hartwick
Gwen Eichen, Sr./Claire Connolly, Gr., Russell Sage
 
Empire 8 Third Team – Singles
Abigail Call, Sr., Alfred
Allison Windich, Fr., Alfred
Ryann Ashby, Jr., Hartwick
Lily Vanuga, So., Hartwick
Abby Garvey, So., St. John Fisher
Ellen Lyga, Gr., Utica
 
Empire 8 Third Team – Doubles
Ryann Ashby, Jr./Lily Vanuga, So., Hartwick
Madison Galvin, Sr./Lilly Renzi, So., St. John Fisher
Ellen Lyga, Gr./Isabella Bonapace, Gr., Utica
 
Empire 8 Sportswoman of the Year
Alexis Giordano, Sr., Alfred
Maggie Van Valkenburgh, So., Hartwick
Arija Grant, So., Houghton
Catherine Zak, So., Nazareth
Emma Vander Baan, Jr., Russell Sage
Madison Galvin, Sr., St. John Fisher
Selma Dizadarevic, Sr., Utica
 
ABOUT THE EMPIRE 8 CONFERENCE
The members of the Empire 8 Conference are committed first and foremost to the pursuit of academic excellence and the league is regarded as an outstanding NCAA Division III conference. The membership has distinguished itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the E8. For more on the Empire 8 visit www.empire8.com.
 
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