Texas Tech University Athletics
Lady Raider Tennis Rakes in Big 12 Awards
May 11, 2021 | Women's Tennis
LUBBOCK, Texas – The Texas Tech women's tennis team picked up a number of Big 12 postseason awards when the conference announced selections on Tuesday afternoon.
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Junior Kaitlin Staines was named Big 12 Newcomer of the Year, while also being named to the All-Big 12 First Team in doubles with partner Lisa Mays. Mays and Margarita Skriabina were named to the singles All-Big 12 Second Team.
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Skriabina earned the Big 12 individual title at No. 3 singles, while Nell Miller split the title at No. 4 singles with Oklahoma's Martina Capurro and Olivia Peet split the No. 5 singles title with Tiffany Lagarde of Kansas.
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Staines is Texas Tech's second Big 12 Newcomer of the Year in program history and the first since Irina Tereschenko in 2001. She picked up nine wins overall this season in singles and 12 in doubles, while picking up four combined ranked victories over the course of the year.
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Staines and Mays went 6-2 in doubles in Big 12 play—all at the No. 1 doubles position—including three wins over ranked opponents. The pair was 9-9 together overall. It marks the first All-Big 12 selection for both Lady Raiders.
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In singles, Mays was a force in the No. 1 position for the Lady Raiders, winning 10 dual matches including a pair of ranked wins. The freshman was a three-time Big 12 Player of the Week.
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Skriabina was nearly automatic all season for the Lady Raiders, going 17-1 in dual matches and 6-0 in Big 12 play on the way to her first All-Big 12 honors and her first individual title at No. 3 singles. Overall, the freshman was 19-2 this season and went 12-1 at the No. 3 position. Skriabina is the first Texas Tech player to take individual honors at No. 3 singles in program history.
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Nell Miller with 5-2 at the No. 4 singles position to share with Oklahoma's Martina Capurro. It marked Texas Tech's first No. 4 singles champion since Caroline Starck in 2012. Peet's 4-2 record at No. 5 singles was good for the individual title at that position—the program's first since Nikki Sanders in 2013.
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It was a season to remember for Tech, who finished the year with a 16-9 overall record and a 6-3 conference mark which was good for a third-place finish in the Big 12—outpacing the team's preseason poll projection. The Lady Raiders earned their first NCAA Tournament win since 2018 on Friday.
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One of the youngest teams in the nation, Texas Tech figures to return a bulk if not the entirety of its starting lineup next season. Because each returner got a year back after last spring's COVID stoppage, the current Lady Raider roster features six freshmen, two sophomores and a junior.
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Junior Kaitlin Staines was named Big 12 Newcomer of the Year, while also being named to the All-Big 12 First Team in doubles with partner Lisa Mays. Mays and Margarita Skriabina were named to the singles All-Big 12 Second Team.
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Skriabina earned the Big 12 individual title at No. 3 singles, while Nell Miller split the title at No. 4 singles with Oklahoma's Martina Capurro and Olivia Peet split the No. 5 singles title with Tiffany Lagarde of Kansas.
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Staines is Texas Tech's second Big 12 Newcomer of the Year in program history and the first since Irina Tereschenko in 2001. She picked up nine wins overall this season in singles and 12 in doubles, while picking up four combined ranked victories over the course of the year.
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Staines and Mays went 6-2 in doubles in Big 12 play—all at the No. 1 doubles position—including three wins over ranked opponents. The pair was 9-9 together overall. It marks the first All-Big 12 selection for both Lady Raiders.
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In singles, Mays was a force in the No. 1 position for the Lady Raiders, winning 10 dual matches including a pair of ranked wins. The freshman was a three-time Big 12 Player of the Week.
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Skriabina was nearly automatic all season for the Lady Raiders, going 17-1 in dual matches and 6-0 in Big 12 play on the way to her first All-Big 12 honors and her first individual title at No. 3 singles. Overall, the freshman was 19-2 this season and went 12-1 at the No. 3 position. Skriabina is the first Texas Tech player to take individual honors at No. 3 singles in program history.
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Nell Miller with 5-2 at the No. 4 singles position to share with Oklahoma's Martina Capurro. It marked Texas Tech's first No. 4 singles champion since Caroline Starck in 2012. Peet's 4-2 record at No. 5 singles was good for the individual title at that position—the program's first since Nikki Sanders in 2013.
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It was a season to remember for Tech, who finished the year with a 16-9 overall record and a 6-3 conference mark which was good for a third-place finish in the Big 12—outpacing the team's preseason poll projection. The Lady Raiders earned their first NCAA Tournament win since 2018 on Friday.
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One of the youngest teams in the nation, Texas Tech figures to return a bulk if not the entirety of its starting lineup next season. Because each returner got a year back after last spring's COVID stoppage, the current Lady Raider roster features six freshmen, two sophomores and a junior.
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Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
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