Aztec Coach Vinel Wins Conference Honor for Year
San Diego State’s women’s tennis team scored one of its most successful seasons this year, winning the Mountain West Conference championship tournament.
The conference selected Head Coach Nicolas Vinel as Mountain West coach of the year. Born in France, he played college tennis in the United States and served 11 years as assistant coach to Peter Mattera, who retired a year ago.
Among players, six Aztec women were selected as Mountain West players of the year.
Aztec Jo-Yee Chan won Mountain West Player of the Week honors three times this season and conference Player of the Year as well as tournament Most Valuable Player. Aztec Vessa Turley earned the conference Freshman of the Week award.
Senior Gloria Alogo won all-tournament honors in singles and doubles.
The Aztec women defeated Grand Canyon, 4-2, and Wyoming, 4-0 enroute to the tournament final in Las Vegas. There, the Aztecs triumphed, 4-1, over UNLV in the finals, winning three three-set singles matches.
Chan and Turley won the doubles point clincher.
Vesa Gjinaj won a straight set singles victory to help the Aztecs capture the team title. In the NCAA tournament that followed, the Aztecs fell to the UCLA Bruins, 4-3.
The Aztecs finished the season with 21 victories and 4 losses, their best record in 13 seasons.