On Tuesday, the Intercollegiate Tennis Association announced the recipients of the 2022 Division II Women’s Regional Awards. Every year the ITA recognizes coaches and players for their excellence on the court and in their communities throughout the season.
St. Thomas Aquinas College freshman Elita Silins earned East Region Rookie of the Year honors, while Head Coach Matt Capell was named the region's Coach of the Year.
Silins (Northampton, England) helped lead her team to their first-ever NCAA Tournament bid, posting a record of 13-7 in doubles action and 17-1 in singles play in 2021-22. She was also named the East Coast Conference Co-Rookie of the Year and was tabbed to the ECC All-Conference Second team to go along with her three ECC Rookie of the Week selections during the regular season.
Capell, in his sixth season at the helm of the Spartans, guided the program to its third straight ECC Tournament and its inaugural NCAA Tourney appearance, going 19-3 overall on the year, with a 4-1 mark in conference play. The team posted win streaks of nine (Fall 2021) and ten (Spring 2022), and were ranked as high as #26 in the nation by the ITA, finishing the season at #50 and #3 in the region.