MILWAUKEE – Nel Van Hout of the Milwaukee women's tennis team has been named Horizon League Player of the Year and was joined by Nadiia Konieva on the All-League First Team, announced today when the league office unveiled the all-league teams and specialty award winners.
 
In addition, Honoka Yamashita was selected for the Horizon League Sportsmanship Award.
 
The postseason accolades are the third of Konieva's MKE career; the honors are the first for both Van Hout and Yamashita.
 
Van Hout being selected as the Player of the Year marks the first time in program history a Panther has won the conference's top accolade. The sophomore transfer from Marshall has put together an incredible season overall and upped that in league action, finishing a perfect 5-0 at No. 1 singles during the league regular season.
 
Van Hout currently leads the team in victories on both the singles (21-5) and doubles sides (19-9). With one more doubles victory, she would be the first Panther to record 20-plus victories in both singles and doubles since the 2013-14 campaign. Her 21 singles victories are also the most since that season and are currently tied for 10^th-most in a single season in program history. Her 40 combined victories are also currently tied for No. 10 on the all-time single-season list.
 
Konieva caps her Milwaukee career with first-team status, adding to the second-team honors from a year ago as well as the spot she earned on the first team as a freshman. Like Van Hout, Konieva also registered a perfect 5-0 ledger in regular-season league play, all coming at No. 2 singles. Those five wins are part of an 18-7 singles slate for Konieva, giving her 64 singles wins in her career – currently in fourth place on the career list. Her 15-9 doubles mark in 2026 ups her career doubles total to 66 wins, currently fifth in program history. Her combined total of 130 (66/64) gives her the fifth most victories in the history of the program.
 
Yamashita continues to enjoy a solid sophomore campaign and came up big for the Panthers in league play this spring, going 3-2 in singles and 2-1 in doubles.
 
Up next, the Panthers head to the Horizon League Tournament as the No. 2 seed starting Saturday after a first-round bye. Action Saturday in the semifinals will get underway at 2 p.m. CT.
 
Player of the Year
Nel Van Hout, Milwaukee
 
Freshman of the Year
Oliwia Klimas, Oakland
 
Herb Foster Sportsmanship Awards
Honoka Yamashita, Milwaukee*
Lydia Foster, Youngstown State*
 
Coach of the Year
Brian Nester, Northern Kentucky
Dave Brown, Oakland
 
All-League First Team
Ella Franz, Cleveland State
Kally Kadzinski, IU Indy
Nel Van Hout, Milwaukee
Nadiia Konieva, Milwaukee
Oliwia Klimas, Oakland
Hanna Telzynska, Youngstown State
 
All-League Second Team
Anna Mancino, Cleveland State
Sydney Zakic, Northern Kentucky
Martyna Piechowics, Oakland
Edie Hammond, Oakland
Lorena Cedeno, Youngstown State
Yeseniia Ovcharova, Youngstown State
 
Herb Foster Sportsmanship Award Finalists
Laura Tapia, Cleveland State
Calli Sokolowski, IU Indy
Honoka Yamashita, Milwaukee*
Haley Slay, Northern Kentucky
Emilia Jarvinen, Oakland
Lydia Foster, Youngstown State*