The Hudson Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Conference announced its 2015 Women's Tennis All-Conference team on Monday morning, and the conference-champion Knights were well-represented. Head Coach David Eddy was tabbed as the Coach of the Year, while Ceren Aksoy earned Player of the Year honors, and Maria Avila as one of the co-Rookie of the Year. Kate Zharkova also earned All-Conference honors, as well.
Since the inception of Berkeley College's women's tennis team in 2014, Head Coach David Eddy has done a phenomenal job putting together a squad of student-athletes that represent the institution with class on and off the court. After the Knights put together a 2-4 mark as a first year program, Eddy led Berkeley to a near flawless campaign in 2015, as the team won eight of its nine matches – including five in shutout fashion – en route to a conference crown.
Eddy, a graduate of Western Kentucky University, brought more than 40 years of experience as a professional tennis player, coach and USPTA certified teaching professional when he accepted the position to lead the Knights in the summer of 2014. As a competitor, he competed in most major tournaments throughout the world, playing against some of the greatest players of all-time. That aforementioned experience – along with the knowledge of what it takes to excel in the game of tennis – has transitioned at Berkeley, as Eddy has developed and guided many standout student-athletes in just a two-year span.
Ceren Aksoy was tabbed as the Player of the Year for her phenomenal performances throughout the 2015 campaign. A two-time Player of the Week, she led Berkeley to its first regular-season and tournament championship, where she finished with an 8-1 record in singles play and 3-0 mark in league play. Her leadership and contributions earned her this distinction.
Maria Avila exemplified the words heart and determination for the Knights in 2015, and her strong efforts culminated in her earning a share of the conference's Rookie of the Year honor. Avila was a three-time Rookie of the Week honoree and maintained an 8-1 singles record this season while teaming up with Aksoy to record an 8-1 doubles mark at the top doubles position.
Kate Zharkova – also a first year member of the program – put together an impressive 3-2 mark in singles competition, while also nailing-down a pair of doubles victories at the No. 2 doubles flight. Following the announcement of all of the awards, Head Coach David Eddy gave his thoughts.
"This truly was a special season for the Berkeley College women's tennis program – a campaign of success that we're all very proud of," Eddy said. "It is an honor for me to be named the conference's Coach of the Year – and while that is something I take pride in – I have to deflect credit to the student-athletes who produced the results on the courts. As for Ceren and Maria being recognized – they are two vital pieces to our puzzle – both collectively as a doubles team and individually in singles competition. They both set the tone and led by example, and they are extremely deserving of the recognition they earned."
The Berkeley College women's tennis team will enjoy its conference championship, and the program will celebrate the three major awards that it earned before getting back to work in the Spring of 2016 (with matches against Ramapo and FDU-Florham). With a solid core expected to return for the Knights, the team should be in prime position to make another run at a Hudson Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title.
