HAMMOND – After helping Southeastern Louisiana to the Southland Conference regular season championship, Lion senior Isabel Brito was named to the Southland All-Academic Teams in an announcement from the league office on Wednesday.
 
Brito, a psychology major with a 3.41 grade point average from Badajoz, Spain, was named to the second team. She is the program's first Southland All-Academic selection since Nina Knavs, Breda Kovac, Jana Simurkova and Bonnie Phillips made the teams in 2008.
 
Brito was a leader for the Lions on and off the court, helping Southeastern win its fourth league regular season title in school history and tie the single-season school record for victories with a 22-3 record. Brito was the Southland individual champion at No. 6 singles and finished the spring with a 16-3 singles mark. In doubles play, she teamed with freshman Reginka Nychytailova for a 6-4 record.
 
Brito was the captain of the Lions as the lone senior and helped a team that featured five newcomers to bounce back from last season's 1-10 finish in league play. A member of the Southeastern Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, she received her bachelor's degree on Saturday. She was also selected a charter member of Southeastern's chapter of Chi Alpha Sigma, the National College Athlete Honor Society.
 
“I can't say enough about what Isa meant to our program on and off the court,” Southeastern Louisiana head coach Jason Hayes commented. “There were many factors that helped us perform better this year and Isa's contribution is one of the main reasons. In addition to her play on the court, Isa was our leader off the court. She helped ensure our team was a cohesive unit and focused on the same goal. Isa will be missed and she's deserving of any recognition she receives.”
 
Northwestern State senior Andrea Nedorostova was named the Southland Conference Women's Tennis Student-Athlete of the Year. The Southland Conference awards committee, which consists of one administrator from each of the 10 member universities, voted for the student-athlete of the year. The Southland student-athlete of the year is presented to one student-athlete who achieves excellence in both academics and athletics. All nominees shall have earned a 3.2 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale, and demonstrated athletic achievement for at least two years at the nominating institution.
 
The all-academic teams are voted on by the head coaches, sports information directors and academic administrators from each Southland university. Student-athletes must possess a 3.0 cumulative GPA, have completed one full academic year the nominating institution and participated in at least 50 percent of the team's competition to qualify for the all-academic squad.
 
2013 Southland Conference Women's Tennis All-Academic Teams
 
First Team
Name – University – Cl. – Hometown – GPA – Major
Andrea Nedorostova – Northwestern State – Sr. – Brno, Czech Republic – 3.92 – Communication Studies
Tatiana Larina – Northwestern State – So. – Taganrog, Russia – 3.5 – Hospitality Management/Tourism
Polina Konop – Northwestern State – Jr. – Kiev, Ukraine – 3.5 – Psychology
Mia Matuszak – A&M-Corpus Christi – Sr. – Katy, Texas – 3.24 – Mechanical Engineering
Carolina Salas – Lamar – Sr. – Monterrey, Mexico – 3.66 – Industrial Technology
Sheridan Currie – Sam Houston State – Sr. – Mount Pleasant, Australia – 3.59 – Health
 
Second Team
Name – University – Cl. – Hometown – GPA – Major
Isabel Brito – Southeastern Louisiana – Sr. – Badajoz, Spain – 3.41 – Psychology
Alicia Porte – Lamar – Jr. – Marseille, France – 3.75 – Accounting
Malena Gordo – Stephen F. Austin – So. – Buenos Aires, Argentina – 3.36 – Theater
Diana Pirciu – McNeese State – So. – Pitesti Arges, Romania – 3.61 – Mass Communications
Natalie Petaia – Sam Houston State – Jr. – Queensland, Australia – 3.63 – International Business
Natalia Mayagoita – Lamar – Sr. – Monterrey, Mexico – 3.35 – Psychology
 
Women's Tennis Student-Athlete of the Year: Andrea Nedorostova, Northwestern State