SPORTS

 

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Junior Alexandra Abele and senior Gabrielle Centenari were each honored Monday afternoon when the Atlantic 10 released its women’s tennis all-conference and all-academic teams as well as its major award winners.

Both Wildcats were named to the A-10 All-Second Team, while Abele earned one of the six spots on the all-academic team. A three-time A-10 Commissioner’s Honor Roll honoree, Abele is the third ‘Cat to earn all-academic honors since Davidson joined the league in 2014-15, joining Elaina Cummer (2016) and Ava Todd (2018).

A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Abele has now been named to the second team all three years. She recorded her third consecutive double-digit win season in singles by going 14-8 with a 4-4 conference record. Ten of those wins came at the No. 2 position, while she added another three victories at No. 3. The junior had a great start to the season, winning her first four straight matches and six of seven overall.

Abele picked up 13 more wins in doubles, teaming up with Samantha Armas at the No. 2 position for 12 of those victories. The duo started the year with four straight wins and then topped that by rattling off a season-best five-match win streak from Feb. 9 to March 4.

The 27 total combined wins gives the junior 78 for her three-year career (45 singles, 33 doubles).

Capping off a strong career with a standout senior season was Centenari. The two-time all-second team pick went 11-13 in singles and had a personal-best 12-6 record in doubles play, including a 7-1 record vs. A-10 foes. Centenari reached double-digit wins in singles all four seasons to finish out her career with 48 in 80 matches. She ended with 23 doubles wins in 38 matches.

The Baltimore, Md., native teamed with Nicole Krykanov this year to lead the Wildcats at No. 3 doubles, going 12-4 and winning their final four matches. Two of the four wins came in the A-10 Championship with decisions over Saint Joseph’s and Duquesne to help the ‘Cats reach the semifinals.

Davidson as a team hit the double-figure win mark for the fifth consecutive year, finishing at 14-11 with a 5-4 A-10 record. Of those 14 wins, eight were at home where it went 8-2. The Wildcats advanced to the semifinals of the league championship for the second time since joining the A-10 before their season was ended there by VCU.

The league’s coaches awarded VCU’s Paola Exposito Diaz-Delgado Most Outstanding Performer, while Paul Kostin of VCU was the Coach of the Year. The A-10 Outstanding Rookie Performer of the Year went to Jodie Lawrence-Taylor of UMass.