Caroline Brigham (Jr., Eagle, Idaho) and Kaila Nip (Soph., Lahaina, Hawaii) registered a pair of career firsts with their selections to the All-Northwest Conference Women’s Tennis first and second team, respectively. The complete all-star squad was announced Thursday afternoon following a vote of the league’s coaches.
Complete NWC All-Star Team
Brigham, a second team honoree a season ago and an honorable mention in 2011, was named to the first team for the first time in her Wildcat career. She began her junior season playing at No. 2 singles and doubles before moving into the top flight in both competitions about midway through the year. Brigham posted a 9-8 overall record in singles action and a 6-11 mark in doubles, including a 9-3 singles record against Northwest Conference opponents.
Nip received all-league consideration for the first time in her collegiate career. She partnered with Kelly Watanabe (Soph., Kirkland, Wash.) for Linfield’s best doubles record this season. The sophomores went 10-6, including 9-1 against conference foes, in tandem competition, playing primarily at No. 3 doubles. Individually, Nip compiled an 8-7 record in singles while competing as the Wildcats’ No. 3 player.
Linfield finished tied for third in the final Northwest Conference tennis point standings, and entered the season-ending tournament as the fourth seed. The ‘Cats fell 6-0 to top-seeded and 17th-ranked Whitman in the tournament semifinal, ending the season with a 7-5 record against NWC opponents and 8-10 overall.
Regular-season and tournament champion Whitman took home the top two awards, as Courtney Lawless was honored as the NWC Player of the Year and John Hein was selected by his peers as the NWC Coach of the Year.
