COLUMBUS, GA – The Peach Belt Conference has announced the 2022 women’s tennis All-Conference team. Flagler’s Luisa Hrda was named the PBC Player of the Year while Augusta’s Claudia Borbón the Freshman of the Year and North Georgia’s Kent Norsworthy the Coach of the Year.
Hrda was the driving force as Flagler captured a share of the PBC regular-season championship for the first time in program history. A junior from Aschaffenburg, Germany, she is ranked #5 in the nation by the ITA, highest of any PBC player. She played every match at #1 singles with a 14-3 overall record including a 4-2 record against nationally-ranked opponents and 7-0 against PBC players. The PBC Player of the Week on April 26, she is also 13-3 in doubles play with partner Eden Schlagenhauf; the duo are ranked #8 in the ITA, highest of any PBC doubles team Hrda becomes the first Flagler women’s tennis player to be named the PBC Player of the Year.
Claudia Borbón has been a key part of Augusta’s resurgence in 2021 as the team captured the #5 seed for the PBC tournament, their best since 2015. The freshman is 19-1 on the season, all at #1 singles, her only loss coming to Hrda. She is one of four PBC players at all positions with only one loss and 17 or more matches played. She is also 12-7 overall in doubles play, 8-3 at #1 doubles with partner Teresa Franco Dias. Borbón becomes the first Augusta women’s tennis player to be named the PBC Freshman of the Year.
Kent Norsworthy guided the North Georgia Nighthawks to a share of their first-ever PBC regular-season championship in 2022. In his 17th season at North Georgia, his team enters the postseason with a 14-3 overall record and the #2 seed for this week’s PBC Tournament. UNG is ranked #7 in the current ITA national poll, which came out prior to their defeat of #6 Columbus State, the first win over the Cougars in program history. UNG is 3-2 against nationally-ranked opponents on the season and have won nine of their last 10 matches. The PBC Coach of the Year honor is the first for Norsworthy.
The women’s tennis All-Conference team is listed below, as selected by the conference head coaches. Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own players.
2022 PBC Women’s Tennis
All-Conference Team
First Team
Singles
Valentina Abrile, Columbus State
Claudia Borbón, Augusta
Luisa Hrda, Flagler
Vaishali Jorge, North Georgia
Anika Nissen, Flagler
Neila Trklja, Columbus State
Doubles
Mariana Ramirez & Valentina Abrile, Columbus State
Eden Schlagenhauf & Luisa Hrda, Flagler
Alessandra Traub & Anika Nissen, Flagler
Second Team
Singles
Claudelle Labonté-Frey, North Georgia
Johanna Lippert, North Georgia
Julia Moraes, Augusta
Mariana Ramirez, Columbus State
Emilia Richter, Georgia College
Sofia Shing, Georgia College
Doubles
Agostina Bigotti & Neila Trklja, Columbus State
Emma Fleming & Emilia Richter, Georgia College
Claudelle Labonté-Frey & Vaishali Jorge, North Georgia
Elite 16 Award
Clara Bascunana, Augusta
Freshman of the Year
Claudia Borbón, Augusta
Player of the Year
Luisa Hrda, Flagler
Coach of the Year
Kent Norsworthy, North Georgia