UWF Women's Tennis Places Three on ALL-GSC Team :: Suzana Cavalcante, Renata Mattos, and Paola Arevalo earn awards as the Argos head into the conference tournament as the number two seed from the East Division.

Suzana Cavalcante, Renata Mattos, and Paola Arevalo earn awards as the Argos head into the conference tournament as the number two seed from the East Division.

April 18, 2008

MONTGOMERY, Ala. - The West Florida Women's tennis team will be trying to defend their GSC title this weekend in Montgomery, Alabama. As the second seed in the East, the Argos will battle West Division 3rd Seeded Henderson State in a quarterfinal match at 11 am Saturday Morning. Meanwhile, the Gulf South Conference announced its 2008 Women's Tennis All-Conference Team today. Delta State and West Florida lead way with each placing three members on the All-GSC First Team. Harding, North Alabama and Valdosta State added two First Team selections apiece, while Montevallo, Arkansas Tech, Henderson State and Ouachita Baptist collected one First Team selection.

The Argos Suzana Cavalcante led the East Selections for the 2008 season. Cavalcante, a junior from Sao Paulo, Brazil, became just the second player in history to claim three consecutive GSC East Division Player of the Year accolades, following three-time winner and UWF alum Andreea Petrisor (1999-2001). Meanwhile, UNA's Pippa Reakes and VSU's Tina Trautman shared GSC Freshman of the Year laurels. Reakes is the second straight Lion to claim the award, while Trautman is the Lady Blazers' first winner since 2005.

Delta State and Arkansas Tech led the West Division awards. For just the second time ever, Delta State provided the GSC West Division Player of the Year. Sophomore Cecile Benzaki became the first DSU winner since Adri Van Der Wath took home the 1998 award. Arkansas Tech's Saki Matsuoka made history, becoming the first-ever ATU player to be named GSC Freshman of the Year.

The Argos led the way with three repeat winners of ALL GSC honors. In fact, the 2008 All-GSC Team was highlighted by three three-time All-GSC First Team honorees. Harding provides two of three-timers in Alicia Williams and Karina Gomes, while UWF's Cavalcante completed the trio. Returning from the 2007 First Team are VSU duo Dominique Rothlaender and Raphaella Durante, West Florida's Renata Mattos, Delta State's Milena Araujo and Henderson State's Iustina Gasca-Silva. UWF's Paola Arevalo wraps up the returning standouts after a one-year absence on the First Team.

The Women's tennis GSC title is up for grabs as several teams are poised and ready for the GSC tournament. Five nationally ranked teams are among the eight teams set to battle for the 2008 GSC Women's Tennis Tournament Championship held this weekend, April 19-20 at Lagoon Park and O'Conner Tennis Center in Montgomery, Ala.

Three East Division squads enter the event nationally ranked in the latest ITA Division II Poll: No. 4 Valdosta State (No. 1 East seed), defending Champion No. 16 West Florida (No. 2 East) and No. 36 North Alabama (No. 3 East). No. 20 Delta State (No. 1 West) joins No. 38 Harding (No. 2 West) as ranked squads from the West Division.

Completing the eight-team field in the West is third-seeded Henderson State and the fourth seed, Arkansas Tech. West Alabama is the fourth seed filling out the bracket from the East Division.Some of the top individual talent in the nation will also participate in the Tournament. VSU has three of the Top 50 players (No. 16 Raphaelle Durante, No. 21 Natali Gumbrecht and No. 24 Dominique Rothlander) while UWF has two, including the highest ranked GSC player (No. 7 Suzanna Cavalcante and No. 34 Renata Mattos). UNA's Pippa Reakes rounds out the GSC's ranked contingent at No. 36.

Three of the Top 25 doubles teams are also in action with the Argos' No. 3 duo of Cavalcante and Paola Arevalo along with two VSU pairs, No. 11 Karine Redon and Durante and No. 16 Gumbrecht/Rothlander.