News release from Texas A&M Athletics:
BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION – Texas A&M’s Mary Stoiana was named a finalist for the Honda Award for women’s tennis, the Collegiate Women Sports Awards announced Thursday.
Stoiana’s nomination marks her second-straight year in the running for the award. The honor is given to female athletes in 12 different NCAA-sanctioned sports who show excellence not only on the playing field but in the classroom and in their community.
During the 2023-24 season, Stoiana stood out among the nation’s best. The junior kickstarted her fall campaign on top, as she was the first Aggie in program history to win the ITA All-American singles championship. Her victory in the fall propelled her to the top of the ITA singles rankings, where Stoiana had another program first, being ranked No. 1 in the country.
Continuing her success into the spring, she helped the Aggies capture their first National Championship in program history. Individually she secured 25 victories in singles and 20 in doubles during dual-match season. Her performances helped her claim a plethora of honors throughout the year, including back-to-back SEC Player of the Year honors, NCAA Tournament MVP, NCAA All-Tournament Team accolades in singles and doubles, All-America distinction in singles and doubles and finally All-SEC First Team honors. She concluded the year still being the top-ranked player with an outstanding singles record of 38-4 which converts to a 90.5 winning percentage, the highest among all ranked players in the country. Her and partner Mia Kupres finished the year ranked No. 3 and boasted a 28-7 record.
Stoiana’s shine also extends off the court, as she is a leader for teammates in the classroom and community. The Southbury, Connecticut, native dons a 3.733 cumulative GPA as a sport management major and was named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-America Third Team and Academic All-District Team last year. Stoiana keeps the Bryan-College Station community in mind, as she participates in a multitude of community service projects. She serves as a role model for the youth of the area as she participates in REVved Up to Read, an initiative set up through Texas A&M Athletics where student-athletes visit local schools to read and interact with the young students. Stoiana also serves as a member on Texas A&M’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, with goals to help improve the experience of future student-athletes.
Voting opens today, May 30, for the Honda Award and closes June 4. The winner will be announced at a later date.