It was announced earlier today that three University of Redlands women's tennis student-athletes collected All-Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) honors, as voted upon by the head coaches of the member institutions. Senior Natalie Etchegaray (Placentia, CA) landed on the First Team for the fourth-consecutive season, while junior Emily Murnin (Salt Lake City, UT) and senior Lauren Villanueva (El Segundo, CA) represented the Bulldogs on the Second Team as first-time honorees.
Etchegaray put together a flawless conference season, earning an undefeated 9-0 mark as the Maroon and Gray's top singles player. While running the table, she notched eight straight-set wins and finished out the regular season with a comeback victory over the top player from Cal Lutheran University in the third-place match of the SCIAC Championship Tournament. She excitedly continues her career as an NCAA Individual Championship singles qualifier.
In addition, Etchegaray joined forces with Villanueva as the team's No. 1 doubles duo that put together a 7-3 record against SCIAC foes. The talented tandem recently qualified for the NCAA Division III Individual Championships on May 26-28 at Kalamazoo College in Michigan.
Villanueva also provided fire power in singles by shoring up the No. 3 position throughout the season. She earned a 4-5 mark in conference action by recording wins over her counterparts from the University of La Verne, Occidental College, Chapman University, and Caltech.
After playing Nos. 3 and 4 as a sophomore, Murnin elevated one spot in the line-up to become the Bulldogs' No. 2 singles competitor in her third year with the team. She put together a solid overall showing that included a 5-4 mark in conference action. Murnin recorded a pair of wins against her opponent from Cal Lutheran while also prevailing over counterparts from Occidental, La Verne, and Chapman.
Furthermore, Murnin competed in doubles with senior teammate Gabriela Vasquez (Rancho Santa Margarita, CA) and offered a 6-3 record during SCIAC competition at the No. 3 slot.
As a team, the Bulldogs registered a third-place finish in the talented SCIAC with a 7-3 mark.
To view a complete list of the All-Conference honorees, please visit the SCIAC website.