Sopel Named Coach of the Year; Four Penguins Earn All-League Honors
4/27/2023 3:05:00 PM | Women's Tennis
Youngtown State women's tennis Head Coach Mickael Sopel was named the Horizon League Coach of the Year while four of his Penguins earned all-league accolades, the league announced on Thursday one day prior to the start of the conference championships in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Sopel, who has guided YSU to seven NCAA appearances, has won seven postseason league titles and led the program to --- regular-season titles finally gets the nod as the conference's Coach of the Year. He has won 122 matches as the head coach of the program since taking over in 2013.
He guided a tremendous turnaround from midseason where the Guins stood at 2-8 to post a 9-8 overall record and go unbeaten in league play.
Earning all-league honors are Elisa Rigazio (first team), Eliska Masarikova (first team), Cecilia Rosas (second team) and Lili Minich (second team). Combined, the four players went 21-3 in league contests.
Masarikova was a second-team all-league pick in 2022 and this is the first-ever honor for Rigazio. Rosas becomes a third-time all-league selection in her career earning second-team honors twice and first-team once. Minich garners all-league kudos for the first time in her two seasons in the Red and White.
Masarikova was 6-0 in Horizon League play and won nine dual matches in the spring. Rigazio went 5-1 in conference play and was 8-3 in dual matches. She played nine of her 11 contests at No. 1 singles.
Rosas was the only YSU player to participate in all 17 matches this spring. She won a team-leading 11 matches and was unbeaten in HL play. She has a team-best 19 wins this year. Minich started the spring playing at No. 1 before settling in at No. 2 singles. She won three league matches and finished with seven dual wins. She helped clinch both YSU victories at the Horizon League Championships last year.
The Penguins open play at this year's Horizon League Championships on Saturday at 11 a.m. against the winner of the Northern Kentucky-Milwaukee quarterfinal.
For news and updates throughout the tournament, follow the Youngstown State women's tennis program on Twitter @YSUWomensTennis
