FARMINGTON, Utah – The Big Sky Conference announced its 2026 Women's Tennis All-Conference teams and individual award winners Wednesday morning, with Idaho State matching a program record with four all-conference singles selections, tying the 1991 team for the most in a single season.
Picked to finish fifth in the Big Sky Preseason Coaches' Poll, the Bengals exceeded expectations throughout the year, finishing just one match shy of a share of the regular season championship and securing the No. 3 seed in the upcoming Big Sky Championships.
Sophomore Millie Day headlined Idaho State's selections, earning All-Big Sky First Team honors in singles play. Competing at the No. 1 position all season, Day posted an 11-8 overall record, including a 5-3 mark in conference play. The honor marks her first career first-team selection after being named Big Sky Freshman of the Year and earning second-team honors a season ago. Day also earned Big Sky Player of the Week honors once during the season, further highlighting her impact at the top of the Bengals' lineup.
Idaho State placed Veronika Zarovna on the All-Big Sky Second Team in singles, capping a standout Sophomore campaign. Zarovna finished with a team-best 15-4 overall record, including a dominant 9-1 mark at the No. 6 singles position. She went a perfect 8-0 in Big Sky play, becoming one of just two players in the conference to finish undefeated in league matches. The recognition marks the first singles postseason honor of her career.
The Bengals added two more singles honorees with Emmy Richards and Stefanya Shalakhova earning honorable mention recognition. Richards compiled a 10-8 overall record, including an 8-4 mark at the No. 4 position and a 6-2 record in conference play, earning the first postseason honor of her career. Shalakhova finished 10-9 overall while competing at No. 2 singles, going 4-4 in Big Sky matches. In addition to her postseason honor, Shalakhova was also named Big Sky Player of the Week once during the season. This honor marks her second career singles honorable mention selection.
In doubles play, Idaho State's top duo of Stefanya Shalakhova and Veronika Zarovna earned All-Big Sky First Team honors after a strong season at the No. 1 position. The pair went 13-3 overall, including a 5-2 mark in conference play, establishing themselves as one of the top tandems in the league. The selection marks Shalakhova's second career doubles all-conference honor and first appearance on the first team, while Zarovna earns her first career doubles honor and second overall postseason recognition.
Overall, Idaho State totaled four all-conference singles selections and one first-team doubles honor, highlighting the depth and consistency of the Bengals' lineup throughout the 2026 season.
Montana's Kelsey Phillips was named the Big Sky Most Valuable Player, Sacramento State's Camila Maldonado earned Freshman of the Year honors, and Sacramento State head coach Sophie Breault was named Coach of the Year.
Idaho State will open postseason play as the No. 3 seed at the Big Sky Championships in Phoenix, taking on the No. 6 seed Montana State in the opening round on Thursday. The Bengals defeated the Bobcats, 6-1, earlier this season and will look to advance to the semifinal round while also avenging last year's tournament-opening loss to Montana State. With a win, Idaho State will move on to face No. 2 seed Northern Arizona on Friday.
2026 Big Sky Women's Tennis Award Winners
MVP: Kelsey Phillips, Montana
Freshman of the Year: Camila Maldonado, Sacramento State
Coach of the Year: Sophie Breault, Sacramento State
All-Big Sky Singles First Team
Kelsey Phillips, Montana*
Patrycja Niewiadomska, Northern Arizona*
Lou Baudouin, Sacramento State*
Millie Day, Idaho State
Irene Riva, Sacramento State
Angel Bean, Montana State
* - unanimous first-team selection
All-Big Sky Singles Second Team
Andrea Noguera, Northern Arizona
Natalie Rainke, Northern Arizona
Marta Giglio, Portland State
Camila Maldonado, Sacramento State
Veronika Zarovna, Idaho State
Zoe Pradel, Eastern Washington
All-Big Sky Singles Honorable Mention
Emmy Richards, Idaho State
Elen Jantacova, Northern Arizona
Palina Saulevich, Sacramento State
Stefanya Shalakhova, Idaho State
Honorable Mention must receive at least 3 votes
All-Big Sky Doubles First Team
Irene Riva/Palina Saulevich, Sacramento State*
Stefanya Shalakhova/Victoria Zarovna, Idaho State
Marta Giglio/Hana Abdelhamid, Portland State
* - unanimous first-team selection
All-Big Sky Doubles Second Team
Angel Bean/Nia Gelashvili, Montana State
Elen Jantacova/Natalie Rainke, Northern Arizona
Patrycja Niewiadomska/Andrea Noguera, Northern Arizona
All-Big Sky Doubles Honorable Mention
Camila Maldonado/Reese Walker, Sacramento State
Lou Baudouin/Emilija Pranyte, Sacramento State
