Northeast-10 Conference women's tennis awards

EASTON, Mass. (April 27, 2021) -- A day after the men’s team did the same, the Franklin Pierce University women’s tennis team took home the biggest haul of Northeast-10 Conference end-of-season awards in program history. Freshman Maria Penalver Aguilo (Las Palmas, Spain) was named NE10 Rookie of the Year and head coach Peter Arsenault took Coach of the Year accolades, which marked the first two major NE10 awards in program history. In addition, the Ravens tallied nine All-NE10 selections and put a pair of players on the league’s All-Rookie Team.

Penalver Aguilo was honored in every possible way she could have been: a major award, All-NE10 selections in both singles and doubles, and an All-Rookie Team nod, following a regular season where she finished 6-1 at first singles and a perfect 9-0 in doubles play. In addition to the Rookie of the Year honors, she was an All-NE10 Second Team selection at both first singles and second doubles, where she paired with sophomore Laura Alvarez Tello (Vigo, Spain).

Franklin Pierce’s lone All-NE10 First Team selection was sophomore Jillian Pagliuca (Taunton, Mass.), who was honored at sixth singles after a 4-0 singles campaign, which included a 3-0 mark at No. 6.

The Ravens cleaned up on the Second Team though, where they occupied seven of the nine slots. In addition to Penalver Aguilo at first singles, sophomore Liria Loria (La Paz, Bolivia) was honored at third singles, Alvarez Tello took accolades at fourth singles and freshman Zoe Asterio Correa (Toronto, Ontario) snagged the hardware at fifth singles. Franklin Pierce swept the Second Team doubles spots, as Loria and graduate student Himani Mor (Sonipat, India) at first doubles, Penalver Aguilo and Alvarez Tello at second doubles, and Asterio Correa and Pagliuca at third doubles all earned plaudits.

Mor also landed on the Third Team for her singles play, as she was honored at second singles. Asterio Correa joined Penalver Aguilo on the All-Rookie Team. In total, the Ravens had six players, plus their coach, honored by the NE10.

The Ravens are back in action on Wednesday, for the semifinal round of the NE10 Championship. Franklin Pierce will meet Bentley at 12:30 p.m. at Longfellow New Hampshire Tennis & Swim Club in Nashua, N.H.