🎾 Malkia Ngounoue and Tiffany Lagarde earn Big 12 Postseason Recognition
IRVING, Texas – The junior duo of Malkia Ngounoue and Tiffany Lagarde earned recognition on the 2021 All-Big 12 individual women’s tennis postseason awards, as announced by the league office on Tuesday afternoon.
"I am very happy for Malkia and Tiffany to be recognized by the Big 12 Conference in earning post season awards. Malkia being named First Team All-Conference in our league is really impressive and just speaks to the respect she has amongst the other coaches in our conference. Malkia continues to come into her own and the most exciting part is she still isn’t close to reaching her ceiling in both singles and doubles. I am proud of Tiffany winning the No. 5 Singles Position Championship mainly because she worked hard to overcome adversity this year and a slow start to her spring season. Tiffany persevered and continued to work hard and she was playing her best tennis of the season during conference play. "
Todd Chapman, head coach
This is Ngounoue’s second postseason conference honor, after garnering All-Big 12 Doubles Second Team honors in 2019. Her success on the court placed her on the All-Big 12 singles First Team. Ngounoue notched nine wins in singles play, mostly in Kansas’ second position, later taking over the number one spot during the conference tournament.
Most notably, she notched the crucial win on court one during the Jayhawks’ play-in match against Kansas State in the opening round of the tournament. Ngounoue defeated the Wildcats’ Karine-Marion Job 7-6, 5-7, 7-5 to propel the Jayhawks to a 4-3 victory.
Lagarde has earned her first Big 12 career accolade, being named to the Big 12 Individual No. 5 Singles position Champion alongside Texas Tech’s Olivia Peet. Lagarde notched six singles victories on the season with four conference wins. She is no stranger to postseason accolades, receiving recognition back at UC Santa Barbara on the Big West singles Second Team.
Below is the complete list of honorees.
2021 All-Big 12/Individual Women’s Tennis Postseason Awards
Coach of the Year: Boomer Saia, Iowa State
Player of the Year: Bunyawi Thamchaiwat, Oklahoma State, Jr.
Newcomer of the Year: Kaitlin Staines, Texas Tech, Jr.
Freshman of the Year: Peyton Stearns, Texas
All Big 12 Women’s Tennis Teams – Singles
First Team
Melany Krywoj, Baylor, Jr.
Malkia Ngounoue, Kansas, Jr.
Carmen Corley, Oklahoma, So.
Bunyawi Thamchaiwat, Oklahoma State, Jr.*
Marie Norris, TCU, R-Sr.
Peyton Stearns, Texas, Fr.*
Lulu Sun, Texas, Fr.
Anna Turati, Texas, Sr.
Second Team
Alicia Herrero Linana, Baylor, Jr.
Miska Kadleckova, Iowa State, Fr.
Karine-Marion Job, Kansas State, So.
Dana Guzman, Oklahoma, Fr.
Alana Wolfberg, Oklahoma State, So.
Charlotte Chavatipon, Texas, Fr.
Lisa May, Texas Tech, Fr.
Margarita Skriabina, Texas Tech, Fr.
All Big 12 Women’s Tennis Teams – Doubles
First Team
Melany Krywoj/Angie Shakhraichuk, Baylor
Carmen Corley/Ivana Corley, Oklahoma*
Lulu Sun/Kylie Collins, Texas
Lisa Mays/Kaitlin Staines, Texas Tech
Second Team
Karine-Marion Job/Maria Linares, Kansas State
Peyton Stearns/Charlotte Chavatipon, Texas
Anna Turati/Fernada Labrana, Texas
Marie Norris/Stevie Kennedy, TCU
Big 12 Women’s All-Freshman Team
Miska Kadleckova, Iowa State
Dana Guzman, Oklahoma*
Charlotte Chavatipon, Texas*
Kylie Collins, Texas
Peyton Stearns, Texas*
Lulu Sun, Texas
Coaches are not allowed to vote for themselves or their own student-athletes.
* Unanimous Selection
Big 12 Individual Position Champions
No. 1 Singles: Bunyawi Thamchaiwat, Oklahoma State (6-1)
No. 2 Singles: Dana Guzman, Oklahoma (7-1)
No. 3 Singles: Margarita Skriabina, Texas Tech (6-0)
No. 4 Singles: Martina Capurro, Oklahoma (5-1)
Nell Miller, Texas Tech (5-2)
No. 5 Singles: Olivia Peet, Texas Tech (4-2)
Tiffany Lagarde, Kansas (4-3)
No. 6 Singles: Malaika Rapolu, Texas (6-0)
