PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The Little East Conference (LEC) announced its annual women’s tennis award recipients, Thursday, following a vote of the league’s head coaches. UMass Boston’s Zainab Patel repeated as the LEC Singles Player of the Year, while Coach of the Year, Doubles Team of the Year and Rookie of the Year honors went to 2025 LEC champion Rhode Island College.
Patel posted a perfect 8-0 record at No. 1 singles in conference play to earn the LEC Singles Player of the Year award for the third consecutive season. The junior’s overall record stands at 12-1 for the season, all at No. 1 singles.
RIC’s No. 1 doubles pairing of senior Erica Botelho and sophomore Haylie Peacock were voted the LEC Doubles Team of the Year. They ran the table in LEC regular season play, and are 13-1 overall this season at the top flight.
Freshman Faith Owren was elected the LEC Rookie of the Year. She is undefeated in singles action this season, going 12-0 at No. 5 singles and 1-0 at No. 4 singles, and is 7-3 in doubles action with all but one match taking place at No. 3 doubles. Owren is the sixth Anchorwoman to be named the LEC Rookie of the Year, the most recent being Peacock last season.
RIC head coach Adam Spring was voted the LEC Women’s Tennis Coach of the Year for the eighth time in his career after guiding the Anchorwomen to a undefeated fall season, going 15-0 on their way to claiming the LEC regular season and tournament championships. RIC’s season will resume in the spring, and include a trip to the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament.
The complete listing of award recipients is as follows.
| Singles Player of the Year |
Zainab Patel |
UMass Boston |
| Doubles Team of the Year |
Erica Botelho / Haylie Peacock |
Rhode Island College |
| Rookie of the Year |
Faith Owren |
Rhode Island College |
| Coach of the Year |
Adam Spring |
Rhode Island College |
|
|
|
| First Team All-LEC |
|
|
| Singles |
Aislyn Kelliher |
Bridgewater State |
| Singles |
Zainab Patel |
UMass Boston |
| Singles |
Arianna De Thomas |
Rhode Island College |
| Singles |
Haylie Peacock |
Rhode Island College |
| Singles |
Erica Botelho |
Rhode Island College |
| Singles |
Abigail Emerson |
Southern Maine |
| Doubles |
Erica Botelho |
Rhode Island College |
|
Haylie Peacock |
|
| Doubles |
Alyssa Conley |
Southern Maine |
|
Abigail Emerson |
|
| Doubles |
Althea Bradley |
UMass Boston |
|
Tatiana Malone |
|
|
|
|
| Second Team All-LEC |
|
|
| Singles |
Morgan Smith |
Bridgewater State |
| Singles |
Emilia Houwers |
Rhode Island College |
| Singles |
Faith Owren |
Rhode Island College |
| Singles |
Althea Bradley |
UMass Boston |
| Singles |
Tatiana Malone |
UMass Boston |
| Singles |
Zuri Walters |
UMass Dartmouth |
| Singles |
Madison Satori |
Salem State |
| Singles |
Alyssa Conley |
Southern Maine |
| Doubles |
Aislyn Kelliher |
Bridgewater State |
|
Morgan Smith |
|
| Doubles |
Arianna De Thomas |
Rhode Island College |
|
Emilia Houwers |
|
| Doubles |
Samantha Bidzerkowny |
Salem State |
|
Delaney Cox |
|
|
|
|
| Sportsmanship Team |
|
|
| Hannah Higgins |
Bridgewater State |
|
| Maya Rubinstein |
UMass Boston |
|
| Alyson Tobias |
UMass Dartmouth |
|
| Alyssa Craigie |
Plymouth State |
|
| Li Hsiu Hou |
Rhode Island College |
|
| Ryann Tripp |
Salem State |
|
| Payton Thibodeau |
Southern Maine |
|
| Madelyn Nonni |
VTSU Castleton |
|
| Ava Ciampi |
Western Connecticut |
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