The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
No. 8 Women’s Tennis receives All-SEC honors
04.22.2026 | Women's Tennis
Carmen Herea and Anastasia Abbagnato were named First Team All-SEC, while Elizabeth Ionescu was selected to the All-Freshman Team.
Austin – No. 8 Texas Women's Tennis had three members receive All-SEC honors, which were announced Wednesday by the conference. Sophomore No. 3 Carmen Herea and freshman No. 6 Anastasia Abbagnato were named First Team All-SEC, while freshman No. 104 Elizabeth Ionescu was selected to the All-Freshman Team.
It marks the second-straight year Herea has earned all-conference accolades after she was chosen Second Team All-SEC last season, along with being tabbed to the All-Freshman Team. Herea is currently No. 3 in the ITA singles rankings, but ascended to No. 1 earlier in the year, becoming the fourth Longhorn since 1995 to do so, including Peyton Stearns in 2022, Bianca Turati in 2018 and Kelly Pace in 1995. This year, she has compiled a 21-7 overall singles record with a 14-5 mark in dual matches, all at No. 1 singles, including an 8-2 record in conference play. She has posted five wins against top-15 opponents and 12 against the top-50. She is also 11-9 in doubles, all in dual matches, and has been ranked as high as No. 43.
Abbagnato arrived at Texas in January and has risen all the way to No. 6 in singles in the ITA rankings. She has posted a 13-6 overall singles record, all in dual matches and mainly at No. 2, and was 8-4 in the SEC. She has wins against three top-15 opponents with eight top-50 victories, including a straight-sets win over SEC Freshman of the Year Evialina Laskevich of Oklahoma in the last match of the regular season. She has also been ranked as high as No. 25 in doubles and has entered the rankings with three different partners this year even after her initial partner Ariana Anazagasty-Pursoo was injured for most of the season. She has an 11-9 overall doubles record with two top-10 victories, including a 6-1 win against No. 10 Anastasiia Lopata and Patricija Paukstyte of Georgia in the Longhorns' last match in the SEC Championship.
Ionescu also arrived at UT in January and has twice been named SEC Freshman of the Week. She just received her first singles ranking by the ITA at No. 104, and has posted a 16-4 overall record, all in dual matches, including 10-2 in conference play. She has played primarily at Nos. 4 and 5, but has also played as high as No. 3, along with No. 6. Earlier in the year, Ionescu put together a streak of eight-straight victories, while winning 12 of 13 decisions. In doubles, she has rated as high as No. 43 and has entered the rankings with three different partners. She has three top-20 doubles victories, including partnering with Abbagnato for the 6-1 win over No. 10 Lopata and Paukstyte of Georgia in the SEC Championship.
The Longhorns, who are currently ranked No. 8 as a team by the ITA, are awaiting the announcement of the NCAA Tournament field, which will be revealed during the selection show on NCAA.com on Monday at 3:30 p.m. CT.
Players Mentioned
