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Mila Saric rips a serve in the CAA Championship match vs. JMU.

Women's Tennis

Mila Saric Named Player of the Year to Headline All-CAA Awards

RICHMOND, Va. – William & Mary junior Mila Saric continued to add her name to the list of Tribe women's tennis greats as she was named the Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Year on Tuesday. In total, three Tribe student athletes earned All-CAA honors as senior Vitoria Okuyama and graduate student Jill van den Dungen received honors.
 
Saric became the 16th W&M women's tennis player on the 22nd occasion to be named the league's player of the year and the sixth in the last eight years. She was also selected to the All-CAA First Team in both singles and doubles. Okuyama garnered All-CAA First Team in honors along with Saric in doubles, marking the second time she has earned first team accolades in her career. She was named to the All-CAA Second Team in singles. van den Dungen and Okuyama garnered All-CAA Third Team honors in doubles. Okuyama was the only athlete in the CAA to earn a spot on two different all-league doubles teams.
 
Saric won her final eight matches of the year and finished with an 11-3 overall record. The Tribe junior picked up a pair of nationally-ranked wins, knocking of ODU's Holly Hutchinson in three sets in each of the team's dual matches. Saric capped the season, going 3-0 with straight-sets wins at No. 1 singles in the CAA Championship to earn the Most Outstanding Performer award. Twice this season, she was named the CAA Singles Player of the Week. Overall, Saric was also 10-4 in doubles action.
 
Okuyama and Saric earned All-CAA First Team honors thanks to a 7-2 record. The pair, which was named the CAA Doubles Team of the Week on March 10, compiled a 6-1 mark at No. 1 doubles, including going 3-0 against CAA competition. Okuyama and Saric picked up wins over fellow first team selections Daria Afanasyeva and Alexis Franco of JMU and the second team pair of Themis Haliou and Alexa Martinez from Towson.
 
Okuyama recevied All-CAA Second Team singles honors for the first time in her career. The Tribe senior won her final four matches, including clinching victories over eventual Atlantic 10 Champion VCU, Richmond and in the CAA Semifinals vs. Elon. She finished the year at 8-6 overall and 4-2 at the No. 4 post. Okuyama was a team-best 11-3 in doubles action, including an impressive 10 wins at the No. 1 spot.
 
Okuyama earned a second All-CAA doubles honors as part of the third team with van den Dungen. The pair closed out the season going 4-0 at the top post. Okuyama and van den Dungen clinched the doubles point in the Tribe's win over Richmond, before knocking off fellow All-CAA third teamers Alison O'Dea and Lizette Reding of Elon. The Tribe duo led JMU's first team pair of Afanasyeva and Franco 5-4 in the CAA Championship match when the contest was abandoned with the team result decided.
 
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Players Mentioned

Vitoria Okuyama

Vitoria Okuyama

5' 6"
Senior
Mila Saric

Mila Saric

5' 8"
Junior
Jill van den Dungen

Jill van den Dungen

5' 10"
Graduate Student

Players Mentioned

Vitoria Okuyama

Vitoria Okuyama

5' 6"
Senior
Mila Saric

Mila Saric

5' 8"
Junior
Jill van den Dungen

Jill van den Dungen

5' 10"
Graduate Student