West Babylon, N.Y. - The East Coast Conference announced its women’s tennis All-Conference selections on Thursday afternoon. Queens’ Maja Makal (Bialystok, Poland) was named the Player of the Year, while Daemen’s Frida Rubio (San Diego, Calif.) was selected as the conference’s Rookie of the Year.
Despite a season shortened by health and safety protocol pauses, Makal, a sophomore, takes home the honor as the league’s top player. She posted a perfect 4-0 record at No. 1 singles that included wins over St. Thomas Aquinas’ Karina Blas in the ECC Final (6-2, 6-3) and Franklin Pierce’s Maria Aguilo in the First Round of the NCAA Championship (6-2. 6-4). Makal was nearly as good at No. 1 doubles as well, finishing with a 2-1 record.
Rubio was a big reason for the best season in Daemen’s program history. The freshman finished with a 7-2 singles record and 6-3 doubles record. For both singles and doubles, all but one of her wins came at the No. 1 position. Rubio was also the only player to take a set from Maja Makal all season, doing so in a match that went unfinished in the ECC Championship.
St. Thomas Aquinas’ Matt Capell and Daemen’s Jesse Plote shared the Coach of the Year honor. Capell led the Spartans to their first-ever ECC Regular Season Championship and a 9-2 overall record. Plote guided the Wildcats to a 5-5 record, the first non-losing season in program history, and Daemen’s first-ever berth in the ECC Championship.
The ECC also announced its women's tennis All-Conference honorees. Joining Makal and Rubio were Karina Blas and Samanta Villegas Robles of St. Thomas Aquinas, and Lovisa Engstrand and Nathalie Ulander of Queens.
2021 ECC Women’s Tennis All-Conference
Karina Blas, St. Thomas Aquinas
Lovisa Engstrand, Queens
Maja Makal, Queens
Frida Rubio, Daemen
Nathalie Ulander, Queens
Samanta Villegas Robles, St. Thomas Aquinas
Player of the Year: Maja Makal, Queens
Rookie of the Year: Frida Rubio, Daemen
Co-Coach of the Year: Matt Capell, St. Thomas Aquinas
Co-Coach of the Year: Jesse Plote, Daemen
