WEST WINDSOR, N.J. – The Niagara Purple Eagles had a MAAC-best six players named to the All-MAAC First Team announced on Friday evening at the awards banquet. Sarah Hellstern, Maria Ortiz and Iva Celan earned first team accolades in singles while Hilary Hansen, Ortiz,  Ashley Ta and Jenna McCune earned first team selections in doubles.

Hellstern was named the MAAC Rookie of the Year with a team-best 16-3 record and earned first team honors in the No. 2 spot. The Stuttgart, Germany native began her collegiate career in the spring season by winning 13 straight singles matches and earned consecutive MAAC Players of the Week awards (March 5 and 12) during that stretch. Hellstern was a perfect 8-0 in three singles, 6-3 in two singles and 5-1 in MAAC play. This is the second straight season that Niagara has had a rookie of the year winner (Ta).

Ortiz, who led the team in wins last season, went 11-7 on the season including 6-1 in the MAAC in four singles.  Celan earned first team honors in No. 5 singles after posting a 15-6 overall record, including going 11-2 in five singles. Celan went unbeaten in conference matches (7-0) and was named MAAC Player of the Week on March 19. Celan is currently on a team-best 10-match winning streak. 

NU’s No. 1 doubles team of Hansen and Ortiz was named to the first team after leading NU with a 15-4 record and went 6-1 in conference matches. Their doubles winning percentage is NU’s best since the tandem of Mariam Al-Shikarchy and Danielle Griener went 14-3 during the 2003-04 season. No. 3 doubles first team selection went to the tandem of Ta and McCune; the pair went 6-6 overall and 3-3 in conference matches.

Ta, last season’s co-rookie of the year, was named to the second team in three singles with Siena’s Allysa Singh. NU’s No. 2 doubles team of Hellstern and Celan shared second team honors with teams from Fairfield and Marist. The duo went 11-4 and 5-1 in conference. 

Four Purple Eagles were named to the MAAC All-Academic Team: Hansen, McCune, Ortiz and Rachel Zilka.

To be eligible for the MAAC All-Academic Team, a student athlete must complete two semesters at their institution and hold a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 on a 4.0 scale