UNCA Women's Tennis is Big South Regular Season Champions

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — Thursday was the release of the Big South Conference Women's Tennis annual awards.

The Bulldog's major awards consist of Coach of the Year, Lise Gregory (her second, first being in 2009), Player of the Year, Ami Grace Dougah, and Freshman of the Year, Elizabeth Tindera.

Ami and Elizabeth made first team all-conference singles, along with Linge Steenkamp. UNCA also had two doubles teams make first-time all-conference, Dougah & Rosie Dickson and Linge & Ari Siegal.

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Head Coach Lise Gregory feels as if her players have been properly represented thus far for their efforts.

"It was so cool to see them so happy, so excited, after doing so many things right. Cause a lot of the times you do everything right, and you work really hard, and you don't get the reward. So it's really nice when they do get the reward. For a coach, that's the coolest thing."

With two first-team all-conference doubles teams, the intangible communication sparks momentum throughout the rest of the day, especially for the doubles team of Ari Siegal and Linge Steenkamp.

"Usually when we step out on the court, I just look at her, like, you know. And we just go with it. If we keep our energy up, and we show the whole time to our opponents that we're not going to let up a single point. It just, can change the whole match."

"If we have good energy from the start, it really carries over to the singles matches. We've been trying to keep that energy consistently."

Success rests all throughout the grade levels for UNCA. For Big South Conference Freshman of the Year, Elizabeth Tindera, joining Asheville was a no-brainer.

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"I immediately called my mom after and said 'I have to come to this school.' The upperclassmen girls are so kind, so generous. They made me feel like family, even before I was here."

For Big South Conference Player of the Year, senior Ami Grace Dougah, her time as a Bulldog has made her more expressive, on and off the court.

"I think coach would say the same thing, I came in very shy, very quiet, didn't say much. Being able to kind of feel off the energy of my teammates, and just bonding with them more thoroughly now."

UNCA claimed their first outright regular season championship since 1989.