BRUNSWICK, Ga. (April 24, 2019) – The Webber International University men's and women's tennis teams are both at the College of Coastal Georgia to compete in the 2019 Sun Conference Tournament as the No. 4 seed. At the annual Sun Conference banquet on the evening on Wednesday, April 24, Webber collected three all-conference selections and five academic all-conference honorees.

Hugo Hasegawa of the Webber men's tennis team was named First-Team All-Sun Conference for the second year in a row while Tare Mariga and Ivan Bondarenko, also of the men's team, were each named second-team all-conference. Additionally, between both of the Webber men's and women's tennis programs, the Warriors had five players named to the academic all-conference team: Hasegawa, Bondarenko, Marc Schneider, Jordi Serrano and Isabelle Niehoff.

To be eligible for the academic all-conference award, a student-athlete must be at least a sophomore with two semesters complete at their institution, and carry a grade point average of 3.5 or better on a 4.0 scale. Webber International led the conference on the men's side with its four honorees.


Men's First-Team All-Sun Conference

In The Sun Conference Tournament on Thursday, April 24, both the Warriors' men's and women's teams will do battle with top-seeded Keiser University in semifinal action at the Marta B. Torrey Tennis Complex.

The women's semifinal matches will take place starting at 10 a.m. on Thursday, followed by the men's semifinal matches at 2:30 p.m.

It will be the first time in seven seasons that both of Webber's men's and women's teams will compete together in the postseason.


Men's Second-Team All-Sun Conference

"I am really excited for both programs to make the conference tournament for the first time in seven years, and for Webber tennis to make the postseason at all for the first time in four years," said Head Tennis Coach Otis Cutshaw. "Having an opportunity to go to the postseason is always a great thing and we hope to continue our success and continue building upon it."

Webber men's tennis, which finished its regular season 10-8 overall and 4-3 in The Sun Conference and is still receiving votes in the NAIA Men's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll, will enter the postseason for the first time in four years. Coming off reaching the NAIA National Championship match last season, Keiser, which is ranked No. 6 in the NAIA on the men's side and is the three-time conference tournament champion, finished its regular season 14-6 overall and 7-0 in the TSC.

Leading the Warriors' men's tennis team during the regular season were Hasegawa (10-6 overall, 4-3 TSC), Mariga (10-6, 5-2), Bondarenko (10-7, 4-3), Schneider (7-10, 5-2) and Christof Buehler (7-10, 3-4). Nine of Hasegawa's 10 wins this season have come from the No. 1 spot while Bondarenko is 5-0 from the No. 2 position and Mariga has five wins in both the No. 2 and No. 3 spots.

In doubles, Bondarenko and Mariga finished 11-4 overall and 6-1 in conference matches, all from the No. 1 spot, while Hasegawa and Schneider were 8-7 and 4-3 and Matthew Alexander and Kyle Hall were 4-4 and 2-1.

On the women's side, the Lady Warriors' tennis team finished its regular season 8-9 overall and 4-3 in the TSC. Additionally, the Warriors, who are currently third out of all teams listed in the receiving votes category of the latest NAIA Women's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll with 34 votes, will advance to the postseason for the first time in seven seasons. Keiser, meanwhile, ranked No. 2 in the NAIA on the women's side, is like their men's team, also coming off a TSC Tournament Championship and an appearance in the NAIA National Championship match last season. The Lady Seahawks this year will enter the postseason with a record of 16-4 overall and an undefeated 7-0 mark in the conference.


Webber Women's Tennis Team

Svenja Koenig is the lone Warrior on the women's side with a singles record of .500 as she is 8-8 overall and 4-3 in The Sun Conference, and she finished with a record of 7-6 in the No. 5 singles spot. Other leaders for the Webber women's team included Niehoff (7-10, 3-4), Paula John (7-10, 2-5), Emily John (6-10, 3-4), Jenna Fosdick (5-11, 3-3) and Megan Kelson (5-10, 2-3). E. John played each of her matches in the No. 1 singles spot while P. John played all but one in the No. 2 position.

In doubles, Niehoff and Koenig finished 8-9 overall and 4-3 in conference, playing all of their matches in the No. 2 spot except for one. E. John and P. John finished 5-10 and 4-2, all from the No. 1 spot, and last but not least, Fosdick and Kelson finished 7-6 and 3-3, all from the No. 3 position.