LANCASTER, Pa. – The Swarthmore College women's tennis team earned a program-record seven selections to the All-Centennial Team, the conference office announced on Thursday afternoon. In addition, the Garnet swept the three major awards.
Nathalie Williams was named the Centennial Player of the Year for the first time in her career. She is the first Swarthmore player to receive the honor since 2017.
Erin Li was chosen the conference's Rookie of the Year while Swarthmore also garnered Coaching Staff of the Year honors.
Williams earned First Team Singles recognition and was also Second Team Doubles alongside
Ruthie Njagi. Li was a First Team Singles honoree and also First Team Doubles with partner
Kathleen Shiffer. Shiffer and
Ella Strickler were both selected Second Team Singles with Strickler and
Riya Rao receiving honorable mention in doubles. Shiffer was also the team's representative on the Centennial All-Sportsmanship Team.
Williams went a perfect 6-0 in conference singles matches and is 13-3 overall. She was chosen the Centennial Tournament MVP and was a two-time Centennial Player of the Week honoree. All but one of her victories this season have been in straight sets. Williams and Njagi went undefeated in Centennial play with a 4-0 record. Three of those wins came at the top doubles spot.
Li is 15-5 this season and was unbeaten in conference action with a 5-0 mark. She has been the Garnet's second singles player and is 8-2 in that spot. Eleven of her 15 victories have been in straight sets.
Shiffer has a 12-7 record in singles competition and went 5-0 in conference matches. She has regularly played at fourth position this season and is 6-3 at that flight. Li and Shiffer are 12-8 this year as a duo and they were a perfect 5-0 in the conference.
Strickler leads the Garnet in victories and has a 16-4 record. She went 6-0 in conference play and was a two-time Centennial Player of the Week selection. The sophomore has seen most of her action at the fifth singles spot and is 6-2 there. Strickler and Rao have the most wins of any Swarthmore doubles pair with a 15-2 mark. They are 11-2 at their primary position of third doubles.
Head coach
Jeremy Loomis and assistant coach
Ross Silverberg guided the Garnet to their first Centennial Conference title since 2006 and first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2007. Swarthmore is 16-4 on the season and is tied with the 2005-06 squad for the most wins in a single season in program history.
Read more: All-Centennial Women's Tennis Team
