2021 All-PacWest Teams
IRVINE, Calif. – After Academy of Art women's tennis cruised to a
4-1 win in the first round of the Pacific West Conference Championship over No. 10 seed Colorado Mesa, sophomores
Sofia Ragona and
Yun "Nicole" Shiau plus freshman
Maria Vittoria Casucci were each named All-PacWest Team to honor their play from this season, while Ragona and Shiau were also recognized as a doubles pair. It is the first time receiving such an award for Shiau and Casucci, while Ragona was
named All-PacWest in 2018-19.
For the second consecutive year, ART U had at least three players earn All-PacWest honors, but this season the Urban Knights have a player on each of the three All-PacWest singles teams. It's led by Ragona on the All-PacWest First Team, who posted a 6-2 record in singles play exclusively from the No. 1 position, including winning her last five matches without losing a single set. Once this season, Ragona was
named the PacWest Player of the Week, and she was victorious in both of her matches during ART U's wins
over No. 24 FPU and
No. 25 UH Hilo, while also
taking down Anastasia Luneva of NCAA Division I Nevada.
On the All-PacWest Second Team for singles was Shiau, who also posted a 6-2 record, with three wins coming from each the No. 2 (3-2) and No. 3 positions (3-0). Two victories in the final week earned
her first PacWest Player of the Week award in her career, while she won four of her last five matches to end the season (the other was unfinished). Shiau, like Ragona, won her matchups in ART U's battles against No. 24 FPU and No. 25 UH Hilo.
Earning a spot on the All-PacWest Third Team was Casucci, who ended her freshman season with a 5-3 record thanks to a pair of wins on court two and three from the third position. Once on a three-match winning streak during the regular season, Cassuci walked away the victor in her match during ART U's win over No. 25 UH Hilo.
On the All-PacWest Third Team for doubles, Ragona and Shiau went 4-4 exclusively from the No. 1 position. Winners of three of their last four regular season contests, Ragona and Shiau took down Luneva and Carla Del Barrio of DI Nevada while also winning their matchup when the Knights were victorious over No. 25 UH Hilo.
