Photo by: Varun Aravind (@vflicks04)
WTEN | Sofia Daryaie Named All-WCC Honorable Mention
4/21/2026 2:05:00 PM | Women's Tennis
SAN BRUNO, Calif. - Junior Sofia Daryaie represented the Saint Mary's women's tennis team on Tuesday with her first career All-WCC selection, earning singles Honorable Mention in the 2026 all-conference selections.
After missing the majority of the 2024-25 season due to injury, Daryaie bounced back in a big way for the Gaels, taking over the top singles position for head coach Katharina Winterhalter and her squad. The Los Gatos native recorded four singles and a team high eight doubles victories to earn her first career All-WCC selection. Daryaie competed out of the top singles position for the majority of the season and brought her career singles win total to 23 after an impressive 19-win season as a true freshman in 2024.
Daryaie had notable wins in straight sets against UC Riverside and in WCC action against Gonzaga's top singles player, defeating fellow All-WCC Honorable Mention Emily Robertson 6-2 7-6. She also went unfinished in two highly competitive sets against the 2026 WCC Co-Player of the Year in Eva Alvarez Sande from Washington State.
The complete 2026 All-WCC awards and teams can be found below:
2026 Women's Tennis All-Conference Awards
Coach of the Year: Tassilo Schmid, Pepperdine
Co-Player of the Year: Živa Falkner, Pepperdine
Co-Player of the Year: Eva Alvarez Sande, Washington State
Freshman of the Year: Sonja Zhiyenbayeva, Pepperdine
Singles All-Conference
First Team
Živa Falkner, Pepperdine
Anastasiia Grechkina, Pepperdine
Charlotte Keitel, San Diego
Maxine Murphy, Washington State
Eva Alvarez Sande, Washington State
Sonja Zhiyenbayeva, Pepperdine
Second Team
Daniella Dimitrova, Santa Clara
Lidia González, LMU
Vilma Krebs-Hyllested, San Diego
Hannah Read, San Diego
Chantal Sauvant, Pepperdine
Duru Soke, Pepperdine
Honorable Mention
Sofia Daryaie, Saint Mary's
Alexia Harmon, Pepperdine
Indiya McLeod, Pacific
Dariya Radulova, Portland
Emily Robertson, Gonzaga
Alaia Rubio Perez, Portland
Maria Shmakova, San Diego
Kim Zahrai, LMU
Doubles All-Conference
First Team
Živa Falkner and Sonja Zhiyenbayeva, Pepperdine
Anastasiia Grechkina and Chantal Sauvant, Pepperdine
Maxine Murphy and Chisato Kanemaki, Washington State
Second Team
Ada Piestrzynska and Anastasia Bozova, LMU
Hannah Read and Anni Moll, San Diego
Duru Söke and Shihomi Leong, Pepperdine
Honorable Mention
Vilma Krebs-Hyllested and Maria Shmakova, San Diego
Emily Robertson and Ella Nielsen, Gonzaga
Alaia Rubio Perez and Maria Galatescu, Portland
Be sure to follow your Gaels on Facebook, Instagram, and X to get all the latest Saint Mary's athletics updates and information.
#GaelsRise
After missing the majority of the 2024-25 season due to injury, Daryaie bounced back in a big way for the Gaels, taking over the top singles position for head coach Katharina Winterhalter and her squad. The Los Gatos native recorded four singles and a team high eight doubles victories to earn her first career All-WCC selection. Daryaie competed out of the top singles position for the majority of the season and brought her career singles win total to 23 after an impressive 19-win season as a true freshman in 2024.
Daryaie had notable wins in straight sets against UC Riverside and in WCC action against Gonzaga's top singles player, defeating fellow All-WCC Honorable Mention Emily Robertson 6-2 7-6. She also went unfinished in two highly competitive sets against the 2026 WCC Co-Player of the Year in Eva Alvarez Sande from Washington State.
The complete 2026 All-WCC awards and teams can be found below:
2026 Women's Tennis All-Conference Awards
Coach of the Year: Tassilo Schmid, Pepperdine
Co-Player of the Year: Živa Falkner, Pepperdine
Co-Player of the Year: Eva Alvarez Sande, Washington State
Freshman of the Year: Sonja Zhiyenbayeva, Pepperdine
Singles All-Conference
First Team
Živa Falkner, Pepperdine
Anastasiia Grechkina, Pepperdine
Charlotte Keitel, San Diego
Maxine Murphy, Washington State
Eva Alvarez Sande, Washington State
Sonja Zhiyenbayeva, Pepperdine
Second Team
Daniella Dimitrova, Santa Clara
Lidia González, LMU
Vilma Krebs-Hyllested, San Diego
Hannah Read, San Diego
Chantal Sauvant, Pepperdine
Duru Soke, Pepperdine
Honorable Mention
Sofia Daryaie, Saint Mary's
Alexia Harmon, Pepperdine
Indiya McLeod, Pacific
Dariya Radulova, Portland
Emily Robertson, Gonzaga
Alaia Rubio Perez, Portland
Maria Shmakova, San Diego
Kim Zahrai, LMU
Doubles All-Conference
First Team
Živa Falkner and Sonja Zhiyenbayeva, Pepperdine
Anastasiia Grechkina and Chantal Sauvant, Pepperdine
Maxine Murphy and Chisato Kanemaki, Washington State
Second Team
Ada Piestrzynska and Anastasia Bozova, LMU
Hannah Read and Anni Moll, San Diego
Duru Söke and Shihomi Leong, Pepperdine
Honorable Mention
Vilma Krebs-Hyllested and Maria Shmakova, San Diego
Emily Robertson and Ella Nielsen, Gonzaga
Alaia Rubio Perez and Maria Galatescu, Portland
Be sure to follow your Gaels on Facebook, Instagram, and X to get all the latest Saint Mary's athletics updates and information.
#GaelsRise
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
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