BATON ROUGE, La. – Freshman Cadence Brace and Senior Gaby Rivera of the LSU Women’s Tennis team were featured in the Southern Region yearly award honors, as announced by the ITA on Tuesday morning.
Brace was named the Southern Region Rookie of the Year, while Rivera received the region’s Arthur Ashe Leadership and Sportsmanship Award.
The standout freshman from Toronto, Brace adds another accolade after being named the SEC Freshman of the Year, coupled with a first-team All-SEC selection while featuring on the SEC All-Freshman team.
On a national scale, the freshman also became the fourth Tiger in program history to earn both singles and doubles All-American honors in the same season, joining Bruna Colosio (2000), Joana Valle Costa (2017), and Anastasiya Komar (2023).
Brace served as the top option for the Tigers in her debut season. She concluded her season with a 14-6 record in solo play, behind a team-leading 11 ranked wins. The Canadian native also ended her season on a seven-match winning streak. Brace concluded the season with a singles ranking of No. 8.
Beyond singles play, Brace struck a partnership with freshman Kayla Cross to finish the season with a 12-4 record, highlighted by nine ranked victories. The duo earned a final ITA ranking of No. 6.
Hailing from Guatemala, Rivera has been a leader for the program both on and off the court. The senior concluded the year with an overall 13-7 singles and 12-10 doubles records dating back to the fall campaign. Rivera also earned a ranked singles victory against Ohio State in the NCAA Super Regional, where she took down then-No. 112 Audrey Spencer, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, to clinch the match victory and send LSU to the program’s first-ever Elite Eight. Rivera featured in the final ITA rankings with a No. 108 singles mark.
Throughout her time at LSU, the senior has made a meaningful impact in the community, earning SEC Community Service Team honors twice. Within the past year, Rivera interned with Global Impact. In this position, Rivera visited communities and impoverished villages in Guatemala. She taught kids the fundamentals of various sports to help them enjoy the games they love.
Rivera is also strong in her faith, serving on the leadership team for LSU’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), where she helps organize and lead weekly meetings focused on spiritual growth.
When Rivera returns to Guatemala, she never returns home empty-handed. The senior brings tennis balls, racquets, and shoes to be given to the children in her hometown. She also supports a young tennis player by covering the costs of his education, hoping he can earn a scholarship to continue his academic and athletic journey.
For more information on the LSU women’s tennis program, follow the Tigers on X @lsuwten, Instagram @LSUWTen, and Facebook.com/lsuwten.