BEVERLY, Mass. – After taking the top spot and regular season championship in the Conference of New England, the Nichols College Bison swept through the major awards to headline the 2024 CNE Women’s Tennis Postseason Awards. The league announced the winner and All-Conference teams on Tuesday morning.
Player of the Year: Antonia Carrero, Nichols
Finishing the season with a perfect 6-0 in singles play from the No. 2 spot in the lineup for the Bison, Carrero stands out among the pack in the CNE. She was twice named Conference Player of the Week (9/3 & 10/7), helping the Bison to a regular season championship. The senior from Hamberg, Germany, also finished with an 8-3 overall record in doubles play, with a 5-1 mark in conference play.
Rookie of the Year: Kamora Helton, Nichols
Helton quickly became a headliner in the league for the Bison, holding down the No. 1 spot in the lineup as a freshman. She failed to drop a single decision in league play (5-0 in both singles and doubles play) while boasting overall marks of 6-4 (singles) and 8-3 (doubles). She was named CNE Player of the Week once (9/23) and Rookie of the Week once (9/3).
Coach of the Year: Ron Gendron, Nichols
Gendron led Nichols to a 9-3 overall fall season, with a perfect 6-0 mark in the CNE. With Helton and Carrero in the top spots in the lineup, Gendron’s squad dropped just three points in league play. Their highlight win came in a 6-1 victory over second-seeded Gordon last Wednesday. Gendron earns his first Coach of the Year honor on the women’s side after winning the award as the men’s coach at Nichols this past spring.
Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Johanna Schroeder, Nichols
With a 4.0 GPA and a major in marketing and finance, Schroeder earns this award for her work both on the court and in the classroom. A team captain, the Mexico City, Mexico native also serves as the Marketing Intern at the Dining Hall and Admissions Ambassador. On the court, Schroeder is the defending league Player of the Year and has multiple All-Conference and Player of the Week selections over her four years in Dudley. This past season, she finished 10-2 in singles play overall between the No. 2 and No. 3 lineups spots, with one of her losses coming against Division I Bryant.
All-Conference First Team (Singles)
Kamora Helton, Nichols
Antonia Carrero, Nichols
Lejla Guster, Endicott
Ripley Uyeda, Endicott
Serena Ross, Gordon
Gianna Ferraro, Roger Williams
All-Conference Second Team (Singles)
Serena Wilson, Curry
Pamela Gonzalez Vallardi, Nichols
Izzy Pecora, Roger Williams
Valentina Abarca, Roger Williams
Emily Leclerc, Endicott
Caroline Sutliffe, Endicott
Cora Brosch, Nichols
Caren Urbano, Suffolk
Annette Kim, Gordon
All-Conference First Team (Doubles)
Lejla Guster & Ripley Uyeda, Endicott
Kamora Helton & Pamela Gonzalez Vallardi, Nichols
Gianna Ferraro & Valentina Abarca, Roger Williams
All-Conference Second Team (Doubles)
Annette Kim & Serena Ross, Gordon
Olivia Martinelli & Caroline Sutliffe, Endicott
Charis Volger & Cora Brosh, Nichols
In addition to the major awards and all-conference teams, the CNE also announced its new Community Service Team, highlighting one student-athlete per institution who demonstrates a commitment to their community. Each winner was picked and nominated by each program’s head coach.
Community Service Team
Grace Coopee, Curry
Ripley Uyeda, Endicott
Annette Kim, Gordon
Antonia Carrero, Nichols
Izzy Pecora, Roger Williams
Aastha Shah, Suffolk
Malina Dinis, Western New England
ABOUT THE CONFERENCE OF NEW ENGLAND
Originally founded in 1984 as the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC), and reconstituted as the Conference of New England (CNE) in 2024, the CNE is an NCAA Division III athletic conference composed of 10 full member and five associate member institutions throughout the New England region. Its membership aims to provide student-athletes with a positive experience in their pursuit of excellence through high academic standards, quality competition, and a meaningful student life. The Conference administers championships in 20 intercollegiate sports.