BATON ROUGE – LSU women’s tennis team senior Paris Corley was recognized by the Intercollegiate Tennis Associations as the Southern Regional’s Most Improved Senior in the 2020 Division I Women ITA Regional Playing Awards.
Despite the shortened season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ITA recognized the hard work on and off the court from deserving student-athletes. The Division I Playing Awards included: Arthur Ashe Leadership & Sportsmanship, ITA Rookie of the Year, ITA Player to Watch, ITA Most Improved Senior, ITA Senior Player of the Year, ITA Community Service Award, and ITA Cissie Leary Sportsmanship Award.
Corley finished the overall season 17-10 in singles play, leading the Tigers in singles wins. In the fall, Corley grabbed eleven singles wins, including two wins over Top 25 opponents, and finished runner up in the ITA Southern Regional Singles Bracket to teammate Taylor Bridges. In the spring, Corley grabbed six wins playing predominantly at the No. 4.
“We are thrilled Paris was recognized for our region’s most improved senior,” co-head coach Michael Sell said. “This tribute highlights the consistency of her daily commitment to improving, her relentless work ethic, and intensity in every session. She exploded on the national stage by her strong performance at All-Americans and backing that up by reaching the finals of Regionals.”
Corley is set to return next season after the NCAA granted spring student-athletes an extra year of eligibility due to the season being cut short.
“We feel her best is still to come and we’re excited to get her infectious intensity, energy, and leadership back for next season.”
For more information on the LSU women’s tennis program follow the Tigers on Twitter @lsuwten and @LSUJuliaSell, on Instagram @LSUWTen and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/lsuwten .
Southern Regional Award Winners
- Arthur Ashe Leadership & Sportsmanship: Alexa Bortles, University of Mississippi
- ITA Rookie of the Year: Selin Ovunc, Auburn University
- ITA Player to Watch: Emma Antonaki, Mississippi State University
- ITA Most Improved Senior: Paris Corley, Louisiana State University
- ITA Senior Player of the Year: Taylor Russo, Auburn University
- ITA Community Service Award: University of Alabama at Birmingham
- ITA Community Service Award Honorable Mention: Tulane University
- ITA Cissie Leary Sportsmanship Award: Jana Hecking, University of Alabama at Birmingham