TJ Fumagalli Named Mountain West Women’s Tennis Player of the Year
4/30/2020 11:05:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Fumagalli and classmate Nadeen Lieberman also earn All-MW doubles.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Senior TJ Fumagalli was named Mountain West Women's Tennis Player of the Year for the 2019-20 season, announced today by the conference office. The honor is the first-ever MW Player of the Year accolade for the women's tennis program at Air Force. Fumagalli and fellow senior Nadeen Lieberman also earned all-conference doubles honors.
The honor caps a historic four-year career for Fumagalli, who graduates with a school-record 228 wins (next closest is 203). The New Braunfels, Texas, native earned All-MW singles honors for the fourth time, posting a 19-8 mark in singles and 11-3 mark in dual singles this season. She led the team with a 39-13 combined record for the season. Fumagalli is the school record holder in 11 of 12 win categories and was on her way towards the 12th record before the season was cut short before conference play began. She caps her career with 114 singles and 114 doubles wins--both school records. Fumagalli was the first player in program history to earn national rankings in both singles and doubles.
In addition, Fumagalli and Lieberman were named to the All-MW doubles team. The duo combined to go 11-2 in doubles play, including a 11-1 mark in dual competition and finished the season ranked #32 in the ITA National Doubles rankings. Fumagalli and Lieberman faced three nationally-ranked opponents, going 2-1 in those matches. Their signature win came over #15 Petra Hule and Victoria Allen of Florida State in Tallahassee. Fumagalli picked up her fourth all-conference doubles honor, becoming the first in program history to earn all-conference in both singles and doubles all four years. Lieberman earned her first all-conference honor.
Air Force women's tennis head coach Kim Gidley quotes regarding TJ Fumagalli:
"This is such a well deserved award for TJ and a fitting end to a storied career. This is a first-ever for an Air Force women's tennis player and a huge accomplishment for both TJ and our program. It brings recognition to our women's tennis team and proves that you can be the very best, while competing at a Service Academy. TJ really does it all; she held the Wing Athletic position in the fall for the Cadet Wing, earned the highest GPA on the team this semester and was nationally ranked in the top two percent of all doubles teams in the country, with wins against nationally-ranked players named to the All-American team. I know that TJ had other plans on how to finish her career, but when play stopped, she set herself above the rest."
"In over 30 years of coaching, TJ Fumagalli is the greatest team tennis player I have coached. I am not sure there will ever be another one like her. She does not play for the individual accolades, but for the team. TJ wants to be the very best for the team and be accountable and strive to win every match she plays for the team. What I can say is…look at what she has accomplished all four years when she has competed for her team. TJ is, was, and will always will be the spark that ignites a team to bring them on fire and accomplish great things."
Gidley quotes regarding Fumagalli and Lieberman:
It is exciting to have our two seniors (Nadeen and TJ) named to the All-Conference team in doubles. With 11 teams in the conference and only eight to be named, it is always an accomplishment. The duo was 11-1 in the spring, with two nationally-ranked wins and defeated the All-American team from #2 Florida State to achieve a high ranking of #24. To do what no Air Force team has done before, it is a great way to finish their season.
Air Force women's tennis finished the 2019-20 season with a 10-4 record in dual competition. The program's .714 winning percentage in duals was its best-ever in the Mountain West era. The Falcons accomplished this feat with a schedule that featured Colorado (win), Creighton (win), Nebraska and #7 Texas and #4 Florida State.
2019-20 Mountain West Women's Tennis All-Conference
Singles:
TJ Fumagalli, Sr., Air Force
Joana Baptista, Fr., Boise State
Lilian Poling, Sr., Boise State
Priscilla Palermo, Jr., Colorado State
A.C. Hummel, So., Fresno State
Anastasia Luneva, Fr., Nevada
Hsiang-Wen Huang, Jr., New Mexico
Bronte Murgett, Jr., New Mexico
Tamara Arnold, Jr., San Diego State
Nnena Nadozie, Jr., San Diego State
Alba Pedrero Galindo, So., San José State
Izumi Asano, Jr., UNLV
En-Pei Huang, Jr., UNLV
Hannah Jones, Sr., Utah State
Lucy Octave, Sr., Utah State
Maria Oreshkina, So., Wyoming
Doubles:
TJ Fumagalli/Nadeen Lieberman, Air Force
Lilian Poling/Holly Stewart, Boise State
Emily Luetschwager/Stella Cliffe, Colorado State
Sara Kuuttila-Webbert/Myu Kageyama, New Mexico
Tamara Arnold/Julia Jordan, San Diego State
Izumi Asano/En-Pei Huang, UNLV
Hannah Jones/Sidnee Lavatai, Utah State
Maria Oreshkina/Oleksandra Balaba, Wyoming
Player of the Year:
TJ Fumagalli, Sr., Air Force
Co-Freshman of the Year:
Cécile Morin, San Diego State
Oleksandra Balaba, Wyoming
The honor caps a historic four-year career for Fumagalli, who graduates with a school-record 228 wins (next closest is 203). The New Braunfels, Texas, native earned All-MW singles honors for the fourth time, posting a 19-8 mark in singles and 11-3 mark in dual singles this season. She led the team with a 39-13 combined record for the season. Fumagalli is the school record holder in 11 of 12 win categories and was on her way towards the 12th record before the season was cut short before conference play began. She caps her career with 114 singles and 114 doubles wins--both school records. Fumagalli was the first player in program history to earn national rankings in both singles and doubles.
In addition, Fumagalli and Lieberman were named to the All-MW doubles team. The duo combined to go 11-2 in doubles play, including a 11-1 mark in dual competition and finished the season ranked #32 in the ITA National Doubles rankings. Fumagalli and Lieberman faced three nationally-ranked opponents, going 2-1 in those matches. Their signature win came over #15 Petra Hule and Victoria Allen of Florida State in Tallahassee. Fumagalli picked up her fourth all-conference doubles honor, becoming the first in program history to earn all-conference in both singles and doubles all four years. Lieberman earned her first all-conference honor.
Air Force women's tennis head coach Kim Gidley quotes regarding TJ Fumagalli:
"This is such a well deserved award for TJ and a fitting end to a storied career. This is a first-ever for an Air Force women's tennis player and a huge accomplishment for both TJ and our program. It brings recognition to our women's tennis team and proves that you can be the very best, while competing at a Service Academy. TJ really does it all; she held the Wing Athletic position in the fall for the Cadet Wing, earned the highest GPA on the team this semester and was nationally ranked in the top two percent of all doubles teams in the country, with wins against nationally-ranked players named to the All-American team. I know that TJ had other plans on how to finish her career, but when play stopped, she set herself above the rest."
"In over 30 years of coaching, TJ Fumagalli is the greatest team tennis player I have coached. I am not sure there will ever be another one like her. She does not play for the individual accolades, but for the team. TJ wants to be the very best for the team and be accountable and strive to win every match she plays for the team. What I can say is…look at what she has accomplished all four years when she has competed for her team. TJ is, was, and will always will be the spark that ignites a team to bring them on fire and accomplish great things."
Gidley quotes regarding Fumagalli and Lieberman:
It is exciting to have our two seniors (Nadeen and TJ) named to the All-Conference team in doubles. With 11 teams in the conference and only eight to be named, it is always an accomplishment. The duo was 11-1 in the spring, with two nationally-ranked wins and defeated the All-American team from #2 Florida State to achieve a high ranking of #24. To do what no Air Force team has done before, it is a great way to finish their season.
Air Force women's tennis finished the 2019-20 season with a 10-4 record in dual competition. The program's .714 winning percentage in duals was its best-ever in the Mountain West era. The Falcons accomplished this feat with a schedule that featured Colorado (win), Creighton (win), Nebraska and #7 Texas and #4 Florida State.
2019-20 Mountain West Women's Tennis All-Conference
Singles:
TJ Fumagalli, Sr., Air Force
Joana Baptista, Fr., Boise State
Lilian Poling, Sr., Boise State
Priscilla Palermo, Jr., Colorado State
A.C. Hummel, So., Fresno State
Anastasia Luneva, Fr., Nevada
Hsiang-Wen Huang, Jr., New Mexico
Bronte Murgett, Jr., New Mexico
Tamara Arnold, Jr., San Diego State
Nnena Nadozie, Jr., San Diego State
Alba Pedrero Galindo, So., San José State
Izumi Asano, Jr., UNLV
En-Pei Huang, Jr., UNLV
Hannah Jones, Sr., Utah State
Lucy Octave, Sr., Utah State
Maria Oreshkina, So., Wyoming
Doubles:
TJ Fumagalli/Nadeen Lieberman, Air Force
Lilian Poling/Holly Stewart, Boise State
Emily Luetschwager/Stella Cliffe, Colorado State
Sara Kuuttila-Webbert/Myu Kageyama, New Mexico
Tamara Arnold/Julia Jordan, San Diego State
Izumi Asano/En-Pei Huang, UNLV
Hannah Jones/Sidnee Lavatai, Utah State
Maria Oreshkina/Oleksandra Balaba, Wyoming
Player of the Year:
TJ Fumagalli, Sr., Air Force
Co-Freshman of the Year:
Cécile Morin, San Diego State
Oleksandra Balaba, Wyoming
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