By Cassie Logan | @c4ssielogan

ARLINGTON, Texas - The UT Arlington women's tennis team had its hard work pay off as it earned seven selections to the Sun Belt All-Conference list, the league announced on Thursday.

The program was also the lone UTA representative and one of 14 Sun Belt teams to earn an NCAA Division I APR Academic Public Recognition Award, announced on April 13.

Sophomore Agustina Serio was branded as the Sun Belt's Student-Athlete to Watch and named to the All-Conference singles second team.

"This award that she obtained shows how much respect everyone in the conference has for her and the commitment and hard work," UT Arlington coach Diego Benitez said of Serio being named SBC Player to Watch. "She has been great for us and I am extremely proud to be associated with her and be coaching her for the next two years."

Senior Elizabeth Thoms and junior Angeles de los Rios were chosen to the All-Conference singles first team and paired together as an All-Conference doubles first team pick.

"I am extremely proud of Lizzy finishing up her senior year as captain and finishing the season with first team on singles and doubles," Benitez said. "It shows how much hard work she has put in this year. She is just an example of what a student-athlete should be. She continues to work hard and is really excited about this tournament.

"I am really proud of Angeles. Every match that she plays is a hard match. It translates to all the hard work that she has put in in practice."

Thoms rounds out her historic career with conference recognition. Thoms is currently 18-9 in singles play this season with an 8-3 mark in the No. 1 position. Thoms received the Student-Athlete of the Week award on Feb. 24, the third of her career. The senior is fourth all-time in career singles wins (72), two shy of third. Thoms also ranks sixth with 64 doubles wins.

De los Rios is tied for the second-most singles wins among the Mavericks this season at 18-6, including a perfect 8-0 while playing in the No. 2 spot. The junior was awarded Women's Student-Athlete of the Week on March 23.

De los Rios and Thoms have dominated as UTA's No. 1 doubles pair, posting a 10-5 overall record, 3-0 in Sun Belt play, with two wins over nationally ranked opponents. The young duo of Serio and freshman Valeria Lopez protected points at the other end of the lineup and notched a 10-2 record as the Mavs' No. 3 team.

Serio and Lopez earned All-Conference doubles second team honors.

Serio leads the Mavericks with a 23-6 singles record, besting her 14-3 performance as a freshman. Serio is just one win away from tying for 10th in single-season history. She was named the Sun Belt Women's Student-Athlete of the Week on April 6 in midst of a seven-match winning streak.

The awards come two days after the final ITA/Oracle Collegiate Rankings in which the Mavericks finished 64th. UTA is one of three Sun Belt members recognized, joining No. 46 Georgia State and defending champion No. 53 South Alabama. The Mavericks are the third seed for the Sun Belt Championship and will open against Louisiana at 11:30 p.m. Friday.

UTA is 16-4 and just two wins shy of tying the all-time program record for wins in a season. The Mavericks remained perfect at the UTA Tennis Center throughout the regular season to extend their home winning streak to 23 matches dating to the start of the 2015 campaign.

Follow @UTAMavsTennis for updates throughout the tournament.

Student-Athlete of the Year

• Alexandria Stiteler (South Alabama)

Freshman of the Year

• Alexandria Stiteler (South Alabama)

Student-Athlete to Watch

• Agustina Serio (UT Arlington)

Coach of the Year

• Jason Marshall (Georgia State)

Sun Belt All-Conference Singles First Team

• Linn Timmermann (Georgia State)
• Alexandria Stiteler (South Alabama)
• Laura Valkova (South Alabama)
• Angeles de los Rios (UT Arlington)
• Elizabeth Thoms (UT Arlington)
• Sanae Ohta (Troy)

Sun Belt All-Conference Doubles First Team

• Tarani Kamoe/Linn Timmermann (Georgia State)
• Cinta Papka/Alexandria Stiteler (South Alabama)
• Angeles de los Rios/Elizabeth Thoms (UT Arlington)

Sun Belt All-Conference Singles Second Team

• Giulia Riepe (Georgia Southern)
• Niri Rasolomalala (Georgia State)
• Tiffany Mylonas (UL Monroe)
• Laura Matuskova (South Alabama)
• Michaela Meszarosova (South Alabama)
• Agustina Serio (UT Arlington)

Sun Belt All-Conference Doubles Second Team

• Melissa Burckhartt/Kelly Drew (UL Lafayette)
• Michaela Meszarosova/Laura Valkova (South Alabama)
• Valeria Lopez/Agustina Serio (UT Arlington)