The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
05.11.2021 | Women's Tennis
Peyton Stearns named Big 12 Freshman of the Year.
IRVING, Texas — The No. 2 University of Texas Women's Tennis team had a total of seven players claim spots on the All-Big 12 Conference Awards teams, the league office announced Tuesday afternoon. Honorees were selected by the league's head coaches who were not allowed to vote for themselves or their own student-athletes.
Peyton Stearns was named the Big 12 Freshman of the Year, becoming the eighth Longhorn to earn the prestigious accolade and first since Bianca Turati in 2017. Stearns joins a group of former UT winners that includes Turati, Breaunna Addison (2013), Lina Padegimaite (2012), Aeriel Ellis (2010), Vanja Corovic (2007), Petra Dizdar (2004) and Kendra Strohm (2003).
Stearns also was one of three Longhorns to receive All-Big 12 first-team singles recognition, as she was joined by senior Anna Turati and freshman Lulu Sun. Freshman Charlotte Chavatipon was tabbed to the All-Big 12 singles second team.
Sun and freshman Kylie Collins were selected to the All-Big 12 doubles first team, while the pairings of Stearns and Chavatipon and Turati and senior Fernanda Labraña were each chosen to the All-Big 12 doubles second team. The quartet of Chavatipon, Collins, Stearns and Sun were named to the All-Freshman team. In addition, freshman Malaika Rapolu was named the league's individual champion at No. 6 singles with a 6-0 mark in that spot in Big 12 play.
Stearns, No. 37 in the latest ITA national singles rankings, has posted a 14-6 overall record in singles action this season, including a 10-3 mark in dual-match play this spring on court 1. She earned Big 12 Player of the Week honors on Feb. 2.
Turati, No. 35 in the latest ITA national singles rankings, has registered a 17-3 mark in dual-match singles action, including a 7-1 record in Big 12 play. She earned her third career Big 12 Player of the Week accolade on March 28.
Sun, No. 62 in the latest ITA national singles rankings, has posted a 19-2 record in dual-match singles play this spring, including an 8-0 mark in Big 12 action. She earned Big 12 Player of the Week accolades on April 14.
Chavatipon, No. 76 in the latest ITA national singles rankings, has registered a 25-1 mark in singles this season, including a 22-1 record in dual-match play this spring. She posted a 7-0 mark in Big 12 singles action.
Collins, No. 72 in the latest ITA national singles rankings, has posted a 17-2 record in dual-match singles action this spring, including a 9-0 mark in Big 12 play. She earned Big 12 Player of the Week honors on Feb. 9 and was named the Most Outstanding Performer at the Big 12 Championship.
Rapolu has registered a 25-2 overall record in singles this season, including an 18-1 mark in dual-match play. She posted a 7-0 mark in Big 12 singles action.
The duo of Collins and Sun, No. 19 in the latest ITA national doubles rankings, have registered an 18-4 record in dual-match doubles play this spring, including a 6-2 mark in Big 12 play. The tandem of Chavatipon and Stearns, No. 47 in the latest ITA national doubles rankings, has posted an overall record of 16-2 in doubles this season, including a 14-1 mark in dual-match action (5-0 in Big 12). The pairing of Turati and Labraña have registered a 14-2 record in dual-match doubles play this spring, including a 3-0 mark in Big 12 play.
No. 2 Texas (27-1, 9-0 Big 12), which swept the Big 12 regular-season and tournament titles, will face No. 16 Ohio State in the NCAA Round of 16 on Sunday, May 16. First serve for Sunday's match is set for 12 p.m. Central (1 p.m. Eastern) at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Fla.
