CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – The coaches have selected the 2025-26 American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) Women’s Tennis postseason award selections. These outstanding student-athletes have distinguished themselves throughout the conference fall season and the individual tournament. 
 
Coaches from the conference nominated and selected this year’s all-conference team, recognizing the top performers in both singles and doubles play. In addition to honoring the all-conference team, the release also recognizes the Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, and Coaching Staff of the Year. 
 
The A-R-C proudly announces today that Coe College’s Sophia Fain has been selected as Women’s Tennis Player of the Year for the 2025 season. Coe’s Aisha Gurung has been named Rookie of the Year and Coe head coach Mike Strydom and his staff were voted American Rivers Coaching Staff of the Year. In addition to the major awards, the conference announced the 2025 all-conference team. 
 
Strydom in his sixth season at the helm of the women’s tennis team at Coe, guided the Kohawks to a second-place finish in the league standings. Coe finished conference play with a 7-1 mark and a 7-2 overall record. Coe’s Coaching Staff of the Year is the third under the direction of Strydom and the 11th for the program. Strydom is assisted by Claire Christian, Molly Fiala Garber, and Sam Koeppl. 
 
Fain, a junior from Waterloo, Iowa, is earning all-conference recognition in singles and doubles along with her second consecutive Player of the Year accolade. She finished conference dual play with a 7-1 record at No. 1 singles and a 6-1 record in No. 1 doubles action. This is Fain’s third all-conference honor of her career. Fain earned her second straight A-Singles title earlier this season at the 2025 A-R-C Women’s Tennis Individual Tournament. 
 
Gurung, a freshman from Nepal, is earning all-conference recognition at singles and doubles along with her Rookie of the Year honor. She finished conference dual play with a 7-1 record at a mixture of No. 2 and No. 3 3 singles and a 7-1 record in doubles. She partnered with Addison Leasure, 2024 Rookie of the Year, in the A-R-C Women’s Tennis Individual Tournament to earn gold in A-Doubles. 
 

2025 All-American Rivers Conference Women's Tennis Team
Player of the Year - Sophia Fain, Coe College
Rookie of the Year - Aisha Gurung, Coe College
Coaching Staff of the Year - Coe College (Head Coach: Mike Strydom)
Singles	School	Year	Hometown/High School
Sophia Fain ! # $ % &	Coe College	Jr.	Waterloo, Iowa/Columbus
Aisha Gurung	Coe College	Fr.	Kathmandu, Nepal
Addison Leasure @ # $	Coe College	So.	Colorado Springs, Colo./Doherty
Alice Tysoe $	Coe College	So.	Sydney, Australia
Molly Jex	University of Dubuque	So.	Germantown, Wis./Divine Savior Holy Angels
Mary Breitbach # $ % &	Loras College	Jr.	Peoria, Ill./Peoria Notre Dame
Allie Christensen $	Luther College	So.	Johnston, Iowa/Johnston
Lena Lichau #	Luther College	Jr.	Marsberg, Germany/Carolus-Magnus-Gymnasium Marsberg
Julia Moreno $	Luther College	Sr.	Itajai, Brazil/Colegio Saber
Abby Ostermann # $	Luther College	Sr.	Menasha, Wis./Kimberly
Rafaela Tavares	Luther College	Sr.	Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil/Leonardo da Vinci
Morgan Kathman	Wartburg College	Jr.	Boone, Iowa/Boone
Doubles	School	Year	Hometown/High School
Lauren Gano -h1	Central College	Jr.	Johnston, Iowa/Johnston
Sophia Fain ! # $ % &	Coe College	Jr.	Waterloo, Iowa/Columbus
Aisha Gurung	Coe College	Fr.	Kathmandu, Nepal
Addison Leasure @ # $	Coe College	So.	Colorado Springs, Colo./Doherty
Alice Tysoe $	Coe College	So.	Sydney, Australia
Molly Jex	University of Dubuque	So.	Germantown, Wis./Divine Savior Holy Angels
Mary Breitbach # $ % &	Loras College	Jr.	Peoria, Ill./Peoria Notre Dame
Allie Christensen $	Luther College	So.	Johnston, Iowa/Johnston
Lena Lichau #	Luther College	Jr.	Marsberg, Germany/Carolus-Magnus-Gymnasium Marsberg
Jay Mascardo	Luther College	Jr.	Iowa City, Iowa/Iowa City West
Julia Moreno $	Luther College	Sr.	Itajai, Brazil/Colegio Saber
Abby Ostermann # $	Luther College	Sr.	Menasha, Wis./Kimberly
Honorable Mention	School	Year	Hometown/High School
Jenna Mahoney -h1	Central College	Sr.	Misawa, Japan/Robert D. Edgren
Emma Murphy	Central College	Jr.	Liberty, Mo./Liberty
Alli Hagness # $ % &	Coe College	Jr.	Waterloo, Iowa/Columbus
Adriana Benavente # %	University of Dubuque	Jr.	Arequipa, Peru/Colegio de los Sagrados Corazones
Sarah Wilde	University of Dubuque	So.	Jefferson City, Mo./Capital City
Megan Covelli	Loras College	Fr.	Lockport, Ill./Lockport Township
Ellie Kalina	Loras College	Sr.	Slinger, Wis./Slinger
Abby Struble	Luther College	Sr.	Clinton, Iowa/Clinton
Crystal Craft -h3	Nebraska Wesleyan University	Sr.	Firth, Neb./Norris
Kylie Engelsman	Nebraska Wesleyan University	Fr.	Arvada, Colo./Ralston Valley
Previous Honors
! - 2024 Player of the Year
@ - 2024 Rookie of the Year
# - 2024 All-Conference (Singles)
$ - 2024 All-Conference (Doubles)
-h1 - 2024 Honorable Mention
% - 2023 All-Conference (Singles)
& - 2023 All-Conference (Doubles)
-h2 - 2023 Honorable Mention
-h3 - 2022 Honorable Mention

 

About the American Rivers Conference
Nationally respected for excellence in NCAA Division III athletics, the American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) has a tradition dating back to its founding in 1922 as the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Association and adopted its current name in 2018 to reflect its strong Iowa roots and growing regional footprint. The A-R-C is a collaborative community that champions the holistic development of student-athletes, uniting member institutions in a shared commitment to academic achievement, athletic distinction, and leadership.
 
The A-R-C is home to nine full-time member institutions: Buena Vista University, Central College, Coe College, University of Dubuque, Loras College, Luther College, Nebraska Wesleyan University, Simpson College, and Wartburg College. Luther College has announced its departure from the conference, effective at the conclusion of the 2025–26 academic year.