The Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) announced its women's tennis all-conference teams and postseason awards, naming Southwestern's Billy Porter the SCAC Coach of the Year. 

In his eighth season at the helm, Porter led the Southwestern women's team to the program's first-ever SCAC tournament championship, posting a 5-4 win over Trinity in the title match. 

The Pirates, who received the league's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament by winning the conference title, are now 17-4 and headed to the quarterfinal round of the championship after securing impressive opening weekend victories against Millsaps (5-0) and Washington (Mo.) (5-1) in the program's first-ever NCAA appearance. 

The quarterfinal appearance by Southwestern marks the first SCAC team to advance into the quarterfinals since Sewanee made a run to the semifinals back in 2007. This marks the second time in Porter's career his peers have voted him as SCAC Women's Tennis Coach of the Year, having also taken home the award back in 2016. 

"Coach of the Year is a great honor, and it's really a credit to our great staff," head coach Billy Porter said. "From our sport oversight, Doug Ross, to our training staff led by Jena Whitley, to our assistant coach Christine Miller, all played a huge part in our success. The addition of volunteer assistant Chas Mayer was instrumental to the season we had." 

Southwestern also had four singles players and one doubles team earn all-conference honors. Nina Mitrofanova, Esther Bowers, and Emma Kesterson earned All-SCAC First Team. Sydney Wahl earned All-SCAC Second Team. Kesterson and Alli Ziehm were named All-SCAC Second Team doubles. 

Mitrofanova, a sophomore from Conroe, Texas, followed an All-American first season with an 11-6 record, including 9-5 at No. 1 singles. She is the highest-ranked SCAC singles player in the NCAA West Region rankings, climbing as high as No. 1 and currently sitting at No. 2, earning a spot in the NCAA Singles Championships. 

Mitrofanova split her singles matches against SCAC Player of the Year Zoe Kaffen, winning in the regular-season finale and dropping the individual match in Southwestern's championship win. She also paired with Mariana Quetzeri to defeat Kaffen and Mary Kaffen in doubles. She fell one vote shy of Kaffen for Player of the Year at 4-3. 

"Nina Mitrofanova is the best player in the conference and really stepped up this year, going 2-1 against the SCAC Player of the Year," Porter said.

Bowers, a senior from Kerrville, Texas, wrapped up her collegiate career with a 10-5 record in her final season. She is currently the No. 11-ranked player in the West Region. Bowers was named the Week 9 SCAC Player of the Week. 

"Esther's second half of the season was much better than her first half," Porter said. "For her to end her career by making All-SCAC every year she played is a heck of an accomplishment, joining Mary Cardone and Anna Schneemann as our only women to accomplish that." 

Kesterson, a sophomore from Fort Worth, Texas, posted a 9-2 record, including 8-2 at No. 3 singles, clinching the championship match over Trinity to deliver Southwestern's first conference title and earning SCAC All-Tournament honors. 

"Emma will always be a legend for clinching our first-ever SCAC Championship," Porter said. "She was able to pull out a lot of close ones for us and had one of the greatest seasons in program history."

Wahl, a freshman from Vancouver, British Columbia, is undefeated at 14-0, working primarily from No. 5 singles. She is a two-time SCAC Player of the Week this season, going a perfect 5-0 against scholarship schools this season. She was also named to the SCAC All-Tournament Team. 

"Sydney is undefeated this season with numerous wins over scholarship programs," Porter said. "She was able to pull out a lot of close ones for us and had one of the greatest seasons in program history." 

Kesterson and Alli Ziehm are 6-0 in doubles competition, all from the No. 3 spot. The duo was named the SCAC Doubles Team of the Week in Week 9 and earned SCAC All-Tournament honors. 

"Emma and Alli were a team we put together at the very end of the season and were solid for us at No. 3, going undefeated," Porter said. "Alli's leadership played a huge part in their success."

Southwestern will face Emory in the NCAA Quarterfinals on Monday, May 24 at 10 a.m. in Chattanooga, Tennessee.