FRISCO, Texas – Lamar University senior Katya Lapayeva has been named Southland Conference Player of the Year announced league officials Wednesday afternoon. Lapayeva is joined on the all-conference squad by classmates Anna Spengler and Hanna Elfving and freshman Jasmin Buchta.
 
Spengler is a second-team selection, while Elfving garnered honorable mention honors. Elfving and Buchta received second-team recognition at the No. 2 doubles spot.
 
Lapayeva becomes the third player in program history to receive Southland Player of the Year honors. She follows in the footsteps of Andrea Martinez (2006) and Mariaryeni Gutierrez (2010).
 
"I'm very happy for Katya," said LU head coach David Wong. "I think she deserves this honor. She has worked really hard all year. I'm very appreciative of everyone who voted for her.
 
Lapayeva tied for the Southland lead in singles victories this past season posting a 19-3 (.864) record, but was the only player to play all 22 matches at the No. 1 singles position. In addition to her success in singles, Lapayeva also recorded 11 victories in doubles with teammate Anna Spengler.
 
Lapayeva was nearly unstoppable in conference play. The Belarus native posted a 10-1 (.909) record in Southland matches, and closed the season winning nine of her last 10 matches. She also received Southland Player of the Week honors in consecutive weeks.
 
Spengler recorded one of the best years of her career from the No. 2 singles position. The Essen, Germany native won 12 singles matches, and teamed up with Lapayeva to record 11 wins at the No. 1 doubles position. Spengler was a dominant 8-3 (.727) in Southland matches.
 
Elfving recorded a career year during her senior campaign posting a 12-3 (.800) singles record from No. 6 singles. She finished ranked among the league's top 10 in overall wins, and ranked sixth in the league in winning percentage (among players who had played at least 12 matches).
 
Elfving teamed up with newcomer Jasmin Buchta in doubles play to record a 15-4 (.789) record during the 2016-17 season. The duo finished the season ranked among the league leaders in doubles wins, and recorded a near perfect 7-1 (.875) mark in conference matches.
 
"I'm also very happy for all the girls that were honored by the conference," said Wong. "It's been awhile since we've had this many players honored during the same season. We made huge strides this year jumping from No. 8 in the Southland to the tournament's second seed. I couldn't be happier for this team," added Wong. 
 
The Cardinals finished the year with a 16-7 (.696) overall record, and earned the No. 2 overall seed in the Southland tournament with an 8-3 mark. It is the best performance for the Cardinals since 2011. The 16-win campaign is the sixth-best mark in school history.
 
The Cardinals open the Southland Conference Championships Friday against No. 7 Sam Houston State. The match will begin at 10 a.m. from the Beaumont Municipal Tennis Center. Admission to all matches is free.
 
"I would also like to thank everyone who has come out to support us this season," said Wong. "We have very loyal supporters and we look forward to seeing them at the tournament as we prepare to face Sam Houston State."
 
-LU CARDINALS-