CARMEL, Ind. – The Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) announced the 2026 Women's Tennis All-Conference and major award winners on Thursday.
Earlham sophomore Vanessa Akuaku (Accra, Ghana) was voted the HCAC Player of the Year following a dominant performance at the top of the Quakers’ lineup. She held a 15-3 singles record, playing in the No. 1 flight all year. Her win total included a 7-0 regular season record in conference play. Additionally, all but two of her singles victories came in straight sets. Akuaka also played up and down the doubles lineup, primarily as part of Earlham’s top pairing, recording an overall doubles record of 10-5.
Announcing her presence during her first year of competition was HCAC Newcomer of the Year Paige Mills (Powder Springs, Ga.) from Rose-Hulman. Mills bounced between the No. 2 and No. 3 singles positions for the Engineers, recording a 10-13 overall singles record. She was 5-2 in conference play with four straight-set wins. Mills also played primarily No. 2 doubles with an overall doubles record of 8-9.
After leading Transylvania to a perfect 7-0 HCAC and an 11-4 overall record Bill Carey was voted as the 2026 HCAC Coach of the Year.
Player of the Year: Vanessa Akuaku, Earlham College
Newcomer of the Year: Paige Mills, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Coach of the Year: Bill Carey, Transylvania University
The HCAC also honors an All-Conference First Team and Honorable Mention. The members of those teams are selected by a vote of league coaches.
2026 HCAC WTEN All-Conference First Team
| Name |
Institution |
| Vanessa Akuaku |
Earlham College |
| Mackenzie Davis |
Earlham College |
| Emerson Donaldson |
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology |
| Ella Frantz |
Anderson University |
| Lilly Hartman |
Transylvania University |
| Maria Hayes |
Transylvania University |
| Ellie Held |
Transylvania University |
| Ailyn Hendricks |
Franklin College |
| Lawrencia Manu |
Earlham College |
| Paulina Razo |
Transylvania University |
| Annamarie Stogsdill |
Hanover College |
| Paula Torrent |
Anderson University |
| Emma Tranter |
Franklin College |
| Maddy Williams |
Transylvania University |
2026 HCAC WTEN All-Conference Honorable Mention
| Name |
Institution |
| Camille Clark |
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology |
| Rylee Clevenger |
Manchester University |
| Meredith Cooper |
Transylvania University |
| Reagan Cox |
Franklin College |
| Dilara Galiera |
Berea College |
| Nova Gladden |
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology |
| Savannah Heist |
Hanover College |
| Gabby Hosier |
Anderson University |
| Paige Hobbs |
Earlham College |
| Grace Keener |
Manchester University |
| Autumn Korey |
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology |
| Paige Mills |
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology |
| Madelyn Santner |
Hanover College |
| Hailey Vandeventer |
Hanover College |
For more information on HCAC Women's Tennis, visit the websites of any of the participating schools, or go to the HCAC's home on the internet at www.heartlandconf.org. Be sure to stay up to date on all of your Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference news by following @HCACDIII on X and by liking the "HCAC DIII" Facebook page.