Courtesy of LA Tech Athletic Communications
Louisiana Tech’s standout season on the courts was further recognized by Conference USA, highlighted by Zoie Epps being named the league’s Player of the Year to headline four Bulldogs earning postseason honors.
Epps capped a dominant junior campaign by also earning First Team All-Conference recognition in both singles and doubles, partnering with Isabella Walker on the latter. Walker added to the program’s accolades by being named to the CUSA All-Freshman Team, while the duo of Alice Brook and Maria Tsironi secured Second Team All-Conference honors in doubles.
Epps’ spring was nothing short of historic. Playing every dual match at the No. 1 position, she compiled an 18-1 singles record, tying for the most wins in CUSA while posting a league-best 94.7 winning percentage. She closed the season on a 15-match winning streak and went a perfect 7-0 against conference opponents without dropping a single set. In total, Epps won 38 of 40 completed sets and allowed five or fewer games in 15 of her 18 victories.
Her efforts propelled LA Tech to a 17-4 overall record, a national ranking of No. 64 (tied for the highest in program history), and the program’s first-ever No. 1 seed in the CUSA Championship.
Walker made an immediate impact in her freshman campaign, finishing with a 15-2 dual singles record, including an impressive 11-1 mark at the No. 6 position. Her 88.2 winning percentage ranked second in the conference, trailing only Epps. Walker recorded wins over five CUSA opponents and captured 31 of 40 completed sets, while delivering a team-high four clinching points.
In doubles play, Epps and Walker formed one of the league’s top tandems, going 12-5 from the No. 1 position. The pair ranked among the top four in total wins in CUSA and won eight of their final 10 matches. Nationally ranked for nine consecutive weeks, they climbed as high as No. 50 and earned CUSA Doubles Team of the Week honors three times.
Brook and Tsironi also delivered a strong season at the No. 2 doubles spot, posting an 11-7 record. The pair tied for the fifth-most victories in the conference and played a key role in helping the Bulldogs secure 14 doubles points during the spring. They went a perfect 5-0 against CUSA opponents in the regular season and were named Doubles Team of the Week to close out the regular season.
Player of the Year
Zoie Epps, Louisiana Tech
Newcomer of the Year
Amelia Gorman, Delaware
Freshman of the Year
Milana Tsulygina, Liberty
Outstanding Singles Player of the Championship
Maria Turchetto, Liberty
Outstanding Doubles Team of the Championship
Maria Turchetto & Yoanna Radulova, Liberty
Coach of the Year
Dash Connell, Liberty
All-Conference Singles-First Team
Katerina Mandelikova, FIU
Zoie Epps, Louisiana Tech
Maria Turchetto, Liberty
Maryia Hrynashka, Delaware
Amelia Gorman, Delaware
Irene Artigas, Jacksonville State
Daniella O’Neill, Liberty
Navya Vadlamudi, Delaware
All-Conference Singles-Second Team
Ema Baraniakova, Kennesaw State
Milana Tsulygina, Liberty
Sae Kaneko, Jacksonville State
Virginia Madueño, WKU
Aleksandra Simeva, FIU
Paulina Jurkowska, Delaware
Hanna Vinahradava, Delaware
Vittoria Baccino, FIU
All-Conference Doubles-First Team
Zoie Epps / Isabella Walker, Louisiana Tech
Maryia Hrynashka / Paulina Jurkowska, Delaware
Maria Turchetto / Yoanna Radulova, Liberty
Katerina Mandelikova / Viktorie Hazmukova, FIU
All-Conference Doubles-Second Team
Ema Baraniakova / Sofia Madrid, Kennesaw State
Daniella O’Neill / Milana Tsulygina, Liberty
Amelia Gorman / Navya Vadlamudi, Delaware
Alice Brook / Maria Tsironi, Louisiana Tech
CUSA All-Freshman Team
Milana Tsulygina, Liberty
Sae Kaneko, Jacksonville State
Isabella Walker, Louisiana Tech
Virginia Madueño, WKU
Maria Ivankovic, Kennesaw State
Anamaria Kurtiskashvili, Sam Houston
