TUCSON, Ariz. — Arizona Women's Tennis standouts Midori Castillo and Josie Usereau have earned regional recognition from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA), as announced Friday. Castillo was named the 2025 ITA Arthur Ashe Leadership & Sportsmanship Award recipient, while Usereau received the 2025 ITA Most Improved Player in the Southwest Region.
The honors cap a successful season and career for both Wildcats, who played key roles in Arizona's rise to a top-30 national ranking and its first NCAA Tournament win since the 2012 season.
"A huge congratulations to Midori. There are a lot of great people and players, and for her to win such an honor is an incredible feat," said head coach Ryan Stotland. "Midori is well deserving. She has been instrumental in our program growing and improving every year. She loves tennis with a passion, and her teammates and everyone that gets to meet her absolutely loves her. She is an incredible person, and we are so excited she won this prestigious award."
The Arthur Ashe Leadership & Sportsmanship Award is the highest individual honor presented by the ITA. It recognizes student-athletes who demonstrate exceptional sportsmanship, leadership, academic achievement, and community service in the spirit of tennis legend Arthur Ashe Jr.
Senior Midori Castillo posted a 20-12 record in singles play this season, including 12 dual-match wins. In doubles, she went 13-12 overall, competing primarily alongside Martyna Ostrzygalo, with the pair reaching a peak national ranking of No. 28. Off the court, Castillo has been a steady leader and model of service. As a sophomore, she logged over 40 community service hours as part of Arizona's nationally ranked outreach efforts and was previously named Pac-12 Player of the Week for her dominant stretch early in the 2023 season.
Sophomore Josie Usereau, a transfer from Cal State Fullerton, was honored as the ITA Most Improved Player for the Southwest Region after a breakout campaign in Tucson. Usereau went 17-10 in singles, including 10-7 in duals, and became Arizona's highest-ranked singles player this season at No. 34. In doubles, she teamed with Danielle Tuhten for a 15-6 dual match record and a peak national ranking of No. 37.
"Josie has improved significantly and is well deserving of this award," said Stotland. "Our region has so many great players, so it was a great showing of how much Josie improved in one year. Her professionalism and skills were really put to the test this year, but she was ready and proved that she is one of the elite players in college tennis. She has proved to the country that she can beat anyone, and this award is just a great cherry on top of our season."
Together, Castillo and Usereau helped power Arizona through a milestone season, including a 16-10 overall record and a strong showing in the Big 12 Championship. Their leadership, both on and off the court, has helped establish a new standard for the program.
National award winners will be announced this Friday, June 13th.
