Kansas University women’s tennis freshman Anastasiya Rychagova snagged three postseason honors from the Big 12 Conference and Smith Hinton and Nina Khmelnitckaia each picked up one of their own, as the conference announced its awards Thursday.
Rychagova was the conference coaches’ unanimous selection for Big 12 Freshman of the Year and also earned first team All-Big 12 honors and Big 12 all-freshman team honors. She is the first Jayhawk in the history of the program to pick up Big 12 freshman of the year honors and is the first KU player since Magdalena Tocarcyzk did so in 2008 to be tabbed a first team All-Big 12 selection.
“It is great for the girls to be honored by the Big 12,” said head coach Todd Chapman. “I have said it all year, they put in so much work.”
Hinton, a native of Raleigh, N.C., earned second team All-Big 12 honors. Hinton, who plays on court two, has collected a 10-7 (with seven unfinished matches) mark in singles play during the dual-match season. Additionally, she joined forces with Rychagova to post an impressive 19-2 mark in doubles action.
Khmelnitckaia joined Rychagova on the Big 12 all-freshman team.
