CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Mid-American Conference announced the All-MAC First-and Second Team selections along with the Specialty Awards for the 2026 Women’s Tennis season ahead of the conference tournament on Wednesday. For the first time, Massachusetts’ Head Coach Juancarlos Nunez and senior Ella Faessler were voted Coach of the Year and Player of the Year, respectively.

Nunez led the Minutewomen to a 16-4 overall record and 7-1 MAC record in the team’s first year in the league. A couple of highlight wins for UMass this season were a 4-3 upset at Syracuse (Feb.7) and a 5-2 win at Boston College (Feb. 14). The Minutewomen also claimed the program’s first MAC Regular Season title and No. 1 seed in the conference tournament.

Faessler only dropped one match in conference play in singles this spring at the No. 1 position. She set the standard against top competition, highlighted by a signature singles win over Boston College, who have been ranked as high as No. 44 nationally this spring.

Eastern Michigan’s Cylova Zuleyka Hukmasabiyya was voted Freshman of the Year. She led the Eagles with 17 singles wins and was 9-7 at the No. 1 spot after starting the year at the No. 2 position. She joins former Eagles Klara Supejova (2013), Rebecca Hawkins (2000), and Simone Duhme (1998) to be names Freshman of the Year.

Western Michigan’s Audrey Smitek is the recipient of the 2026 Leann Grimes Davidge Sportsmanship Award, closing out her senior season with a 22-9 (7-1 MAC) singles and 13-10 doubles record. Smitek is the second Bronco in as many years and fifth in history to earn the prestigious senior award.

The 2026 MAC Women’s Tennis Championship will run April 25-26 at the Miami Tennis Courts in Oxford, Ohio.

Coach of the Year: Juancarlos Nunez, Massachusetts
Freshman of the Year: Cylova Zuleyka Hukmasabiyya, Eastern Michigan
Player of the Year: Ella Faessler, Massachusetts 
Leann Grimes Davidge Sportsmanship Award: Audrey Smitek, Western Michigan 
 
First-Team All-MAC
Esmee Andresen, Buffalo
Cylova Zuleyka Hukmasabiyya, Eastern Michigan
Ella Faessler, Massachusetts
Allie Faulkner, Miami
Isabella Barretto, Toledo
JJ Scholten, Toledo
 
Second-Team All-MAC
Tia Clemens, Bowling Green
Maria Glowacka, Buffalo
Amelia Tye, Massachusetts
Irmak Budak, Northern Illinois
Nataly Ninova, Northern Illinois
Audrey Smitek, Western Michigan