Indianapolis, Ind. - The Youngstown State women's program had three first-team all-league selections, highlighted by Player and Newcomer of the Year Paula de Man the league announced on Friday evening at the tournament's banquet.
Joining de Man on the Horizon League all-conference squad were junior Margarita Sadovnikova and sophomore Marta Burak. It was the third time Sadovnikova was named to the league's first-team squad. Burak was the 2011-12 HL Newcomer of the Year giving the Penguins back-to-back recipients in that category. She was also a first-team all-league pick last year.
YSU has had a first-team All-Horizon League pick in each of the past four seasons.
de Man has had an impressive spring season for the Penguins breezing through Horizon League play with a 7-0 mark at No. 1 singles. She did not lose a set in any of her HL matches and only one time let an opponent score five points in a set. She was 21-1 in dual play this spring and entering her match at Saturday's Horizon League Championships semifinals has won 14 straight since March 3.
Sadovnikova, a first-team pick in 2010-11 and 2011-12, is the second three-time all-confernce honoree for the Penguins since Whitney Thomas earned three second-team honors. Sadovnikova also went 7-0 in Horizon League play at No. 2 singles. She won six of her seven matches in straight sets.
Burak was the third Penguin to post a 7-0 conference mark and be named to the first team, for the second time in her brief career. She posted a school record 26 wins during the campaign, breaking the previous school record by five. Burak has won 13 straight matches, including the last five in straight sets. She won six of her seven matches in straight sets and surrendered just eight points in her final five matches.
The Penguins, the No. 2 seed, open Horizon League Championships play on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. against Cleveland State.
