Tweet

BLACKSBURG, Va. – Virginia Tech women’s tennis head coach Terry Ann Zawacki-Woods and junior Ilinca Stoica were honored by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) as it released it regional awards Tuesday morning. Zawacki-Woods was named the Wilson/ITA Head Coach of the Year in the Atlantic Region, while Stoica earned Atlantic Region ITA Player to Watch honors.

Zawacki-Woods guided the Hokies through a historic and exciting late-season run to cap off a 2015 season that saw the program return to the NCAA Championships for the first time in 15 years. Tech positioned itself for a first-round bye in the ACC Tournament, and upset eighth-seeded Boston College to advance to the quarterfinals for the first time in program history. The big wins continued for the Hokies in the NCAA Championships as they notched their first post-season road victory, advancing to the second round of the tournament for just the second time in program history.

Tech ranked in the top 60 in the nation all season and currently sits at No. 32, the highest ranking in school history. The squad topped seven ranked teams this season and entered the post season with each of its top three players ranked nationally. No. 51 Francesca Fusinato headlines the trio and is the second player under Zawacki-Woods and in program history to earn a bid to the NCAA singles tournament.

Stoica, who entered the postseason ranked No. 65, had another stellar season for the Hokies at the No. 1 spot. She became the first player in Tech history to be selected to play at indoor nationals in the fall, and was named an alternate for the NCAA singles championships this spring. Stoica went 11-12 from the top spot this season. She faced 10 nationally ranked opponents through the year, topping four, including No. 4 Julia Elbaba of then-No. 12 Virginia. The Piatra Neamt, Romania, native Stoica is a two-time All-ACC selection, earning second-team honors this season.

For updates on Virginia Tech women's tennis, follow the Hokies on Twitter Follow @VT_WTennis