Veterans Ready to Lead Women’s Tennis Team in NAIA Title Defense

Justine Lespes, Stephanie Fernandez, Teodora Jovic, Angel Carney, and Iryna Lysykh are players who have been synonymous with success – and lots of it – for the Georgia Gwinnett College women’s tennis team throughout their collegiate careers.

They’ve contributed to the Grizzlies winning the past three NAIA national championships and 61 of the past 62 dual matches.

The five talented players are back for more achievements as GGC opens this spring as the nation’s top-ranked team. The 2024 campaign is set to begin Sunday, January 28, at NCAA Division II Lander University (South Carolina). The squad will then compete in the 2024 Intercollegiate Tennis Association NAIA Indoor National Championship from February 2-4. 

The first home match is planned with the Grizzly Invitational from February 16-18 at the GGC Tennis Facility. 

Lespes, the lone returning junior, is the nation’s No. 1-ranked singles player after winning the ITA Cup’s NAIA title with a dramatic three-set victory. She earned first NAIA All-America team honors by posting a 17-0 singles record, with a 10-0 mark on the No. 3 court, last spring in her first season as a Grizzly. Lespes, from La-Teste-de-Buch, France, also has been an ITA NAIA All-America in singles and doubles. 

Fernandez has been a key contributor to GGC’s 2023 and 2022 national championships. The senior from Caracas, Venezuela, helped capture the doubles point that rallied the team to a victory against No. 1-ranked Keiser University (Florida) in last spring’s championship match. She has a 24-0 career record in singles and has been a two-time ITA NAIA All-American in doubles. 

Jovic is a fellow senior NAIA All-American who reached the ITA Cup’s singles semifinals for the second straight fall. The native of Gorokan, Australia, concluded 2023 ranked No. 3 in singles after having an 8-3 record in No. 1 singles matches.

Carney was a consistent singles performer last season, posting a 16-0 record on the No. 5 court. Overall, the senior from Dallas, Georgia, went 18-0 in singles to earn ITA NAIA All-American honors during her first GGC season. 

Lysykh is striving to contribute to her fourth straight NAIA national championship team after posting a 41-5 career record in singles and 40-2 mark in doubles. The senior is a two-time Marvin P. Richmond Most Outstanding Player award recipient at the 2022 and 2021 NAIA national tournaments and has twice earned first NAIA All-American team honors. 

Newcomers adding depth to the 2024 team’s singles and doubles lineups are junior Carol Mora and sophomore Versace Gatti.