Ed Cassiere 06/03/10
NEW ORLEANS — Hassan Abbas, who led the Xavier University of Louisiana men in singles and doubles victories this season, is the Newcomer of the Year on the 2010 All-Louisiana collegiate tennis team announced late Wednesday.Abbas and teammate Steffen Giles-Osborn were chosen to the six-player first team. It's the first time the Gold Rush had two first-team selections.
Anastesia Opata was a repeat first-team selection on the All-Louisiana women's team, and the Gold Nuggets' Angelina Callis made the second team for the second consecutive year.
Abbas, a junior from Saltaire, England, and a graduate of Bingley Grammar School and Ventura (Calif.) College, was 23-8 in singles and 14-11 in doubles for the Gold Rush. He had a 13-match singles winning streak which included victories against six NCAA Division I opponents. Last month he was chosen Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Newcomer of the Year.
Giles-Osborn, a sophomore from Atlanta and a graduate of Westlake High School, was 14-15 in singles and 14-11 in doubles and the GCAC Player of the Year.
Opata, a senior from Lawrenceville, Ga., and a graduate of Central Gwinnett High School, was All-Louisiana for the third straight year — she was second team in 2008 — after going 22-8 in singles and 20-11 in doubles. Opata was GCAC Player of the Year in 2009 and 2010.
Callis, a senior from Los Angeles and a graduate of Dorchester (Mass.) High School, was 24-6 in singles and 20-11 in doubles. Callis had three singles victories against NAIA top-50 opponents, and she led the Gold Nuggets in total victories for the second consecutive season.
Both Xavier teams this year won repeat GCAC championhips and won first-round matches at the NAIA National Championship.
A Louisiana Sports Writers Association panel selected the All-Louisiana teams.