WATERVILLE, Maine – The 2026 North Atlantic Conference (NAC) women’s tennis postseason accolades have been announced and recently crowned NAC Champion Simmons University is well-represented among the list of honorees.

Simmons junior Masha Shutts (Wellesley, Mass.) headlines the list of Simmon’s honorees, as she has been selected as the NAC Women’s Tennis Player of the Year while claiming All-Conference Singles and All-Conference Doubles honors.

The Shark’s first-year Ivy Cote (Saunderstown, R.I.) is the 2026 NAC Women’s Tennis Rookie of the Year and Husson University senior Kayla Lockhart (Brewer, Maine) has collected Senior Scholar Athlete of the Year accolades. Rounding out the major awards was the coaching staff from Simmons University, led by Bob Rauseo, which earned Coaching Staff of the Year recognition.

Shutts takes home Player of the Year as well as Singles and Doubles All-Conference awards after posting an impressive 11-1 record in No. 1 singles (5-0 in NAC play) along with a 10-2 mark with teammate Amoli Vad (New York, N.Y.) in doubles play. Shutts also earned All-Tournament Team honors.

Cote earns 2026 NAC Women’s Tennis Rookie of the Year and All-Conference Singles and Doubles accolades after posting a 9-4 record in solo action (5-0 in conference) and a 7-3 mark (3-0 in conference) in doubles play during her first NCAA season. She was also named to the 2026 NAC All-Tournament Team and was the NAC Rookie of the Week twice this season.

Lockhart, who also earned All-Conference Doubles honors, claims the coveted NAC Women’s Tennis Senior Scholar Athlete of the Year accolades. Kayla Lockhart has demonstrated exceptional academic achievement throughout her time at Husson University while pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Health Science as part of Husson’s Doctor of Physical Therapy program. Lockhart entered Husson as the recipient of two four-year academic scholarships, earning both the Beacon Scholarship and Trustees Scholarship in recognition of her academic excellence throughout high school. She has continued that success at the collegiate level, earning President’s List recognition in every semester of her academic career.

Lockhart posted a 3.94 GPA during her first fall semester and a 3.95 GPA the following spring. She continued her strong academic performance as a sophomore, recording a 3.929 GPA in the fall before earning a perfect 4.0 in the spring. Lockhart followed with consecutive 4.0 semesters during her junior year, continuing a remarkable record of academic consistency and excellence.

Her accomplishments in the classroom have also earned recognition at the conference, regional and national levels. Lockhart has been named to the North Atlantic Conference Fall All-Academic Team and earned College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honors. Additionally, Lockhart was inducted into Chi Alpha Sigma, the national college athlete honor society recognizing student-athletes who excel in both the classroom and athletic competition. She is also a member of the National Society of Leadership and Success, an organization focused on developing leadership skills and recognizing students who demonstrate a commitment to personal and professional growth.

The 2026 NAC Women’s Tennis Coaching Staff of the Year honors goes to Simmons University, Led by head coach Bob Rauseo and assistant coach Jyl Collins. Rauseo and Collins secured NAC Women’s Tennis Coach of the Year honors for the first time after guiding the Sharks to back-to-back NAC Championship this fall. Simmons posted an impressive 14-1 overall record with a perfect 5-0 mark against conference opponents en route to claiming the top seed in the NAC tournament. The Sharks posted a fourteen-match winning streak this season, with their sole loss coming against Roger Williams in their first match of the season.

In addition to All-Conference Singles and Doubles Honors, six student-athletes were also named to the NAC Women’s Tennis Sportsmanship Team for consistently demonstrating the tenets of sportsmanship and ethical behavior. These honorees positively influenced the tennis culture and match environment by exemplifying integrity beyond the rules and etiquette of the game.

Major Award
Player of the Year – Masha Shutts, Simmons University
Rookie of the Year – Ivy Cote, Simmons University
Senior Scholar Athlete – Kayla Lockhart, Husson University
Coaching Staff of the Year – Simmons University

First Team All-Conference Singles
Masha Shutts, Simmons University
Mary Osucha, Lesley University
Emilie Lapointe, Simmons University         
Amoli Vad, Simmons University
Gigi Bhagat, Thomas College
Ivy Cote, Simmons University
 
Second Team All-Conference Singles
Anah Albert, Husson University
Katelyn Cotter, Husson University
Grace Burke, Simmons University
Taylor Juhase, Thomas College
Sadie May, Husson University
Julia Spencer, Husson University
Lily Daigle, Thomas College
 
First Team All-Conference Doubles
Amoli Vad / Masha Shutts, Simmons University
Emilie Lapointe / Emma Parsons, Simmons University
Mary   Osucha / Lucy Boyce, Lesley University

Second Team All-Conference Doubles
Ivy   Cote / Victoria McCrann, Simmons University
Gigi Bhagat / Sarah Mack, Thomas College
Anah Albert / Kayla Lockhart, Husson University

Sportsmanship Team
Megan Richardson, Vermont State University Lyndon
Grace Burke, Simmons University
Taylor Juhase, Thomas College
Emily Laperriere, Lesley University
Katelyn Cotter, Husson University
Caitlyn Morey, Vermont State University Johnson