BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Freshman Joana Vale Costa has been selected as a member of the All-SEC Second Team and the All-SEC Freshman Team as announced Wednesday by the conference office and voted upon by the league coaches.
This marks the first time an LSU player has received these honors since 2010 when Keri Frankenberger was an All-SEC Second Team and an All-SEC Freshman-Team pick.
Vale Costa accumulated an 11-8 singles record with a 10-7 record at the No. 1 spot. She reached a season-high ranking of 69, which is the highest an LSU player has been ranked since Whitney Wolff was ranked No. 52 in 2011.
Vale Costa’s record included three wins over nationally ranked opponents, highlighted by a dominating 6-3, 6-0 victory over Auburn’s No. 29 Pleun Burgmans. Additionally, Vale Costa topped No. 56 Georgiana Patrasc of Mississippi State 6-4, 6-0 and captured a match-clinching victory over No. 59 Eve Repic of Tennessee to punch LSU’s ticket to the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament.
Vale Costa also won seven of her first eight matches, which is the first time an LSU freshman has accomplished such a feat since Kaitlin Burns in 2010. The freshman also won ten of her matches in straight sets.
LSU awaits the decision of the NCAA for the National Tournament selections. The Selection Committee will announce its decisions on Tuesday, April 29 at 4:30 p.m. CT.
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A complete list of the awards follows:
All-SEC First Team
Erin Routliffe, Alabama
Pleun Burgmans, Auburn
Alexandra Cercone, Florida
Brianna Morgan, Florida
Olivia Janowicz, Florida
Silvia Garcia, Georgia
Lauren Herring, Georgia
Maho Kowase, Georgia
Georgiana Patrasc, Mississippi State
Elixane Lechemia, South Carolina
Cristina Stancu, Texas A&M
Frances Altick, Vanderbilt
All-SEC Second Team
Luicelena Perez, Alabama
Maya Jansen, Alabama
Emily Flickinger, Auburn
Sofie Oyen, Florida
Aldila Sutjiadi, Kentucky
Joana Vale Costa, LSU
Julia Jones, Ole Miss
Cierra Gaytan-Leach, Missouri
Eve Repic, Tennessee
Saska Gavrilovska, Texas A&M
Marie Casares, Vanderbilt
Georgina Sellyn, Vanderbilt
All-SEC Freshman Team
Danielle Spielmann, Alabama
Erin Routliffe, Alabama
Sydney Campbell, Vanderbilt
Joana Vale Costa, LSU
Saska Gavrilovska, Texas A&M
Eve Repic, Tennessee
SEC Specialty Awards
SEC Player of the Year: Lauren Herring, Georgia
SEC Freshman of the Year: Erin Routliffe, Alabama; Sydney Campbell, Vanderbilt
SEC Coach of the Year: Jenny Mainz, Alabama
SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Mary Anne Daines, Alabama