Lady Pirates Earn ITA All-American Honors, Finish Season No. 1

SAVANNAH, Ga. - The Armstrong Atlantic State women's tennis team is ranked No. 1 after the final team and individual rankings were released today by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA). The five-time DII national champions also learned that four players have earned ITA All-America honors with the release of the rankings.

Freshman Sona Novakova, who capped an undefeated dual match season in singles, finishes the 2009 season as the top-ranked singles player in NCAA Division II, earning All-America singles honors. It is the fourth straight year that the Lady Pirates have featured the No. 1-ranked singles player in the nation, following Luisa Cowper (2006) and Iuliia Stupak (2007, 2008).

Sophomore Alida Muller-Wehlau also earns All-America singles honors for a second time, finishing the year ranked No. 12 in the nation, while junior Gabriella Kovacs also earns All-America singles honors for a second time as she finishes the year ranked No. 14 in the nation.

In doubles, Muller-Wehlau and junior Martina Beckmann are the top-ranked team in NCAA Division II, earning ITA All-American honors in doubles for a second straight season. The duo of Novakova and Kovacs finished the year ranked No. 5, also earning ITA All-American doubles honors.

In other year-end rankings, Beckmann finished the season ranked No. 29 in singles, while sophomore Tina Ronel finished ranked No. 46. The duo of Ronel and freshman Kathleen Henry finished the year ranked No. 13 in doubles.