SURPRISE, Ariz.--No. 1 seed Hawai`i Pacific had a near sweep of the Pacific West Conference Women's Tennis awards, announced at the championship pre-tournament banquet on Wednesday night at the Surprise Tennis and Racquet Club.
HPU's Lauren Conching was the repeat winner of the Coach of the Year, Elodie Busson is the Player of the Year and the Sharks' Abigail Wild was selected as the Newcomer of the Year in a vote of the conference's coaches. Concordia's Sophie Rachor broke through and was honored as the Freshman of the Year.
The 12-team PacWest Championships began on Wednesday and will continue through Saturday's championship match.
Conching won her fourth PacWest Coach of the Year award and leads her team into the tournament as the No. 1 seed. It is the fourth such award for Conching, who is in her 12th season of leading the Shark program. She has also twice been named the ITA National Coach of the Year (2013, 2018).
Busson is 12-2 in singles and and also 12-2 doubles thus far and has not lost to a Division II player in dual matches. She won the ITA West Region title last fall in both singles and doubles, and was also named the PacWest Player of the Year in 2019. Wild is 8-5 in singles (court four) and 12-2 in doubles, playing with Busson on court two. She transferred to HPU from West Virginia State. Rachor played on court two for the Golden Eagles, securing a 11-6 record in her freshman season. She is 10-4 in doubles playing on the top court.
Joining Busson from the Sharks on the First Team is last year's PacWest Player of the Year, Shaline Pipa and Marlene Tilgner. Azusa Pacific's Eleonora Liga and Madison Kane are also First Team members, as is Fresno Pacific's Lea Falentin. It is the fourth All-PacWest award for Busson, the third for Tilgner and Falentin, and the second for Pipa, Liga and Kane. Second Team selection Colbeyshae Emery of Biola earned her third all-conference awards, as did Third Team pick Thelma Supulveda of Point Loma.
Tilgner, Pipa, Liga, Kane, Busson and Wild were also All-PacWest First Team Doubles selections. It was the third time for Tilgner and Kane in their tennis careers.
Here follows the 2023 All-PacWest awards.
| 2023 ALL-PACWEST WOMEN’S TENNIS AWARDS |
| Player of the Year |
Elodie Busson |
Hawai`i Pacific |
| Newcomer of the Year |
Abigail Wild |
Hawai`i Pacific |
| Freshman of the Year |
Sophie Rachor |
Concordia |
| Coach of the Year |
Lauren Conching |
Hawai`i Pacific |
| 2023 ALL-PACWEST WOMEN’S TENNIS SINGLES |
| Name |
School |
Year |
Hometown |
| FIRST TEAM |
| Shaline Pipa* |
Hawai`i Pacific |
Jr. |
Oldenburg, Germany |
| Eleonora Liga* |
Azusa Pacific |
Sr. |
Palermo, Italy |
| Lea Falentin** |
Fresno Pacific |
Sr. |
Vendome, France |
| Marleen Tilgner ** |
Hawai`i Pacific |
Sr. |
Seevetal, Germany |
| Madison Kane* |
Azusa Pacific |
Jr. |
Pasadena, Calif. |
| Elodie Busson*** |
Hawai`i Pacific |
Sr. |
Poille Sur Vegre, France |
| SECOND TEAM |
| Colbeyshae Emery** |
Biola |
Jr. |
Ventura, Calif. |
| Jessica Plazas |
Academy of Art |
Fr. |
Bogata, Colombia |
| Audrey Marie Rafols* |
Dominican |
So. |
Vallejo, Calif |
| Joelle Lanz |
Point Loma |
Fr. |
Lucerne, Switzerland |
| Arianna Audelo* |
Point Loma |
So. |
Hacienda Heights, Calif. |
| Sophie Rachor |
Concordia |
Fr. |
Bad Soden, Germany |
| THIRD TEAM |
| Makenna Livingston |
Colorado Mesa |
So. |
Huntington Beach, Calif. |
| Heather Richards |
Concordia |
Sr. |
Hemet, Calif. |
| McKenna Mountain |
Hawai`i Hilo |
Jr. |
San Diego, Calif. |
| Tiffany Carrillo |
Concordia |
Jr. |
Caracas, Venezuela |
| Thelma Sepulveda ** |
Point Loma |
Jr. |
San Ysidro, Calif. |
| Abigail Wild |
Hawai`i Pacific |
Jr. |
Sheffield, United Kingdom |
| 2023 ALL-PACWEST WOMEN’S TENNIS DOUBLES |
| School |
Name |
Year |
Hometown |
| FIRST TEAM |
| Hawai`i Pacific |
Marleen Tilgner **
Shaline Pipa* |
Sr.
So. |
Seevetal, Germany
Oldenburg, Germany |
| Azusa Pacific |
Eleonora Liga*
Madison Kane ** |
Sr.
So. |
Palermo, Italy
Pasadena, Calif. |
| Hawai`i Pacific |
Elodie Busson*
Abigail Wild |
Sr.
Jr. |
Poille Sur Vegre, France
Sheffield, United Kingdom |
| SECOND TEAM |
| Biola |
Brooke Fager
Colbeyshae Emery ** |
Jr.
Jr. |
Spokane, Wash.
Ventura, Calif. |
| Concordia |
Sophie Rachor
Heather Richards |
Fr.
Sr. |
Bad Soden, Germany
Hemet, Calif. |
| Academy of Art |
Jessica Plazas
Erica Hellbe |
Fr.
So. |
Bogata, Columbia
Stockholm, Sweden |
| THIRD TEAM |
| Dominican |
Gina Dudley*
Audrey Marie Rafols* |
So.
So. |
Boise, Idaho
Vallejo, Calif. |
| Point Loma |
Joelle Lanz
Angelique Friedrich* |
Fr.
Jr. |
Lucerne, Switzerland
Las Vegas, Nevada |
| Fresno Pacific |
Audrey Ouellet
Lea Falentin* |
Fr.
Sr. |
Quebec, Canada
Vendome, France |