KINGSTON, R.I. - Nikki Fernando, Grace Darcy and Sophie Herrman all collected postseason honors from the Atlantic 10, as the conference announced its women's tennis awards Monday afternoon.

Fernando earned A-10 All-Conference First Team recognition, while Darcy was named to the second team. Fernando and Herrman were named to the league's All-Academic Team. The trio also represented the top three players in the Rhode Island singles lineup this season.

This was the second straight year Fernando earned all-conference recognition. She was a second-team pick and all-academic selection in 2025. This year, she led the Rams with 14 singles wins while splitting time between No. 1 and No. 2 singles. She also teamed with freshman Kajsa Helgesen to win a team-best 19 doubles matches, including a 14-8 mark at No. 1 doubles.

With a 3.97 grade-point average in Molecular Neuroscience and Cell and Molecular Biology, Fernando also excelled in the classroom. She finished her career as URI's all-time leader in doubles wins with 68 and she is third all-time with 65 singles wins. Fernando is the only player in program history to win at least 18 doubles matches in three different seasons.

Darcy won 10 singles matches, all while playing in either No. 1 or No. 2 singles for Rhode Island. Late in the season she emerged in the No. 1 slot, going 2-2 down the stretch for the Rams. She and Anastasia Pettersson combined for 14 doubles wins, including a 12-8 record at No. 2 doubles. Despite being just two years into her career, Darcy already is 21st in URI history with 30 doubles wins and 26th with 25 singles wins.

Herrman picked up the third all-academic honor of her well-decorated career, joining Grace Hedstrom (2007-09) as the only Rhode Island players to earn the distinction three times. Herrman has a 4.0 grade-point average in Cell and Molecular Biology and Chemistry.

This is the fifth postseason honor for Herrman, who was a first team all-conference pick in 2024 and a second-team selection in 2023. She won 12 singles matches this season and teamed with Ava Grnja to go 15-8 at No. 3 doubles. For her career, Herrman is fourth in URI history with 59 doubles wins and 13th with 46 singles wins.

In three seasons under head coach Jonas Brobeck, Rhode Island has had three first-team, three second-team and seven academic all-conference honorees. The team has a record of 41-24 while going 3-3 at the Atlantic 10 Championship in that span. In the 10 seasons combined prior to his arrival, URI had three first-time, nine second-team and seven academic all-conference winners. The Rams were 58-118 overall with a 3-9 postseason record in the decade before he came to Kingston.  

2026 Atlantic 10 Women's Tennis
All-Conference First Team
Ellie Hammond, Davidson
Savanna Kollock, Davidson
Paola Dalmonico, Fordham
Valerija Kargina, Fordham
Nevena Kolarevic, Fordham
Nikki Fernando, Rhode Island
Sofia Barbulescu, Richmond
Abby Lee, Richmond
Emmerson White, Saint Louis
Mariam Ibrahim, VCU
Tania Isabel Andrade Sabando, VCU
Sofia Jane Thorne, VCU

Second Team
Bryson Langford, Davidson
Julianne Nguyen, Fordham
Cenan Liu, George Mason
Madison Lee, George Washington
Alexandra Lindqvist, George Washington
Solange Skeene, George Washington
Grace Darcy, Rhode Island
Beatriz Guerra, Richmond
Lucy Webber, Richmond
Tamara Bachmann, St. Bonaventure
Sara Alba, VCU
Andrea Magallanes, VCU

All-Academic Team
Nevena Kolarevic, Fordham
Madison Lee, George Washington
Nikki Fernando, Rhode Island
Sophie Herrman, Rhode Island
Emmerson White, Saint Louis
Sofia Jane Thorne, VCU