Joe Kissel Named ITA East Region Coach of the Year

Women's Tennis | 5/1/2018 12:00:00 AM

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The success of Goldey-Beacom's women's tennis program, especially this year, helped Joe Kissel to be named the Intercollegiate Tennis Association East Region Coach of the Year.

This award is in addition to him being picked the United States Tennis Association Middle States College Coach of the Year for his third straight USTA honor and the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Coach of the Year a fourth time.

Goldey-Beacom (16-3, 8-0 CACC) had yet another standout campaign in which it won the CACC title for a second straight year and clinched its seventh trip to the NCAA Tournament. The Lightning were ranked as high of 36th in the country and entered postseason first in the region.

The squad was the top seed in the CACC Tournament for the second straight year, has won 17 consecutive regular-season league matches dating to 2015, appeared in the conference final in back-to-back years for the first time since going three straight seasons from 2009-11 and its 12-0 start is the best in team history.

The Lightning also received a first-round bye in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in team history and competed in the second round for a third time in the last four years.

In his 12th season as coach, Kissel is responsible for all 132 victories in the program's 13-year existence.

Among the many individual accomplishments this season included freshman Fredrika Regner (Langaryd, Sweden) being picked CACC Rookie of the Year and breaking the school's single-season record with 21 doubles wins. He and Anna Hortelano Pey (Castelldefels, Spain) teamed to make the ITA East Region final last fall in doubles and were ranked as high as 35th in the nation.

Hortelano Pey was named first team all-conference a second straight year, was picked to the all-tournament team and competed in the ITA East Region singles semifinals.

Lotte Lesscher y Post (Arnhem, Netherlands) is ranked ninth in the East in singles, was named the CACC Tournament's Most Outstanding Player and second team all-league. Freshman Catarina Zheng (Oporto, Portugal) was tabbed first team all-conference, named to the all-tournament team, is ninth in the East in singles and led the team with 18 singles wins. Hortelano Pey is 12th in singles.

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Players Mentioned

Anna Hortelano Pey: 5' 7"; Sophomore

Lotte Lesscher y Post: 5' 8"; Freshman

Fredrika Regner: 5' 7"; Freshman

Catarina Zheng: 5' 6"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

Anna Hortelano Pey
: 5' 7"; Sophomore

Lotte Lesscher y Post
: 5' 8"; Freshman

Fredrika Regner
: 5' 7"; Freshman

Catarina Zheng
: 5' 6"; Freshman