XU's Opata, Giles-Osborn are GCAC Players of the Year
May 2, 2010

     NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana tennis standouts Anastesia Opata and Steffen Giles-Osborn were selected Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Players of the Year in a vote of GCAC head coaches.
     Opata, a senior from Lawrenceville, Ga., is 21-8 in singles and 19-10 in doubles this season for the Gold Nuggets, who repeated as champion in the GCAC Tournament on Saturday. Opata is the GCAC's top women's player for the second straight year. It's the Gold Nuggets' sixth straight time in seven years to win the award, which includes Dominique Bell's four-year run.
     Giles-Osborn, a sophomore from Atlanta, is 14-14 in singles and 13-10 in doubles for the XU men, who won the GCAC Tournament for the fifth consecutive time in six years.
     Hassan Abbas of the Gold Rush was chosen men's Newcomer of the Year, and Xavier's Alan Green was named Coach of the Year for the sixth time on the women's side and the fifth time on the men's.
     Abbas, a junior from Saltaire, England, is 22-8 in singles and 14-9 in doubles to lead the Rush in both categories.
     Four XU women and all six on the XU active men's roster were chosen All-GCAC, including four-time selections Colleen McArthur on the women's team and Mario Myles and Cameron Knowles on the men's. Opata and Angelina Callis made All-GCAC for the third time. On the men's team Mikhail Vaval was All-GCAC a third time, and sophomore Sean Richardson made it for the second straight season.
     Gold Nuggets freshman Carmen Nelson was all-conference in doubles.
     Xavier claimed every spot but one on the All-GCAC men's team. The conference honors were announced Saturday after the tournament.