Elon Women’s Tennis Places Four on All-CAA Teams

RICHMOND, Va. – Elon University women’s tennis placed four players on the all-conference teams as the Colonial Athletic Association announced its 2018 women’s tennis postseason awards on Wednesday, May 2.

Olivia Lucas headlined the award winners for Elon as she was selected to the All-CAA First Team for singles and All-CAA Second Team for doubles. Additionally, Erica Braschi collected All-CAA Second Team honors for both singles and doubles, while Alex Koniaev and Maria Paraja also earned All-CAA Second Team accolades on the doubles team.

Lucas topped off her stellar collegiate career with an All-CAA team recognition in singles for the fourth-straight season. She also collected her second-career All-CAA accolade for her doubles play. The Greenville, S.C. native finished with 16 victories over the fall and spring seasons, which included a 13-11 record and a 3-1 mark against CAA players at the No. 1 position in the spring. Lucas also had a 13-11 mark in doubles action during the dual match season playing primarily at the No. 1 and No. 2 positions. She concludes her career as one of the best to don the maroon and gold in dual matches with 50 singles wins and 46 doubles wins. Her career-doubles win total is sixth all-time and her total singles victories rank seventh in program history.

Braschi concluded her decorated career with her third-straight All-CAA singles and doubles honors. The Dorado, Puerto Rico native finished the season with 17 total singles wins over the fall and spring seasons, including a 14-9 record overall during dual matches playing primarily at the No. 2 position. She also posted a 12-10 mark in doubles action mainly at the No. 2 and No. 3 positions. Additionally, Braschi collected Elon’s CAA Institutional Female Scholar-Athlete Award earlier this season. She finished her career as one of the best in program history in dual matches with 59 singles wins and 53 doubles wins. In the program Division I record books, Braschi’s singles mark ranks second all-time and her doubles wins ranks third in program history.

Koniaev and Paraja each claimed their first-career postseason all-conference honors with spots on the All-CAA Second Team for doubles. The duo finished with eight doubles wins each during the spring and the tandem played at the No. 1 position in doubles when paired together. The duo had a big win in doubles during the CAA Championship quarterfinals, earning a 7-5 win at the top position to help the Phoenix clinch the doubles point en route to a 4-0 sweep of Drexel. They also fought hard in an unfinished match against No. 41-ranked William & Mary in the semifinals, forcing a tiebreaker to help the Phoenix win an epic doubles point. Koniaev and Paraja also picked up a 6-2 win in a road victory against Anastasia Palaska and Christi Woodson of College of Charleston during the regular season.

The Colonial Athletic Association also named its major award winners for the 2018 season. William & Mary’s Rosie Cheng was named CAA Player of the Year, Liz Norman of James Madison took home CAA Rookie of the Year, and the Tribe’s head coach Tyler Thomson claimed CAA Coach of the Year honors.

2018 All-CAA Women’s Tennis Teams
First Team
Singles

Olivia Lucas, Elon
Rosie Cheng, William & Mary
Anna Makarova, James Madison
Liz Norman, James Madison
Natalia Perry, William & Mary
Brooke Pilkington, Delaware

Doubles
Abby Amos, James Madison
Liz Norman, James Madison
Sabrina Barisano, UNCW
Maddy Muller-Hughes, UNCW
Sara Komer, Delaware
Brooke Pilkington, Delaware

Second Team
Singles

Erica Braschi, Elon
Kendra Bunch, Drexel
Sara Komer, Delaware
Jona Roka, James Madison
Nicole Shakhnazarova, Towson
Clara Tanielian, William & Mary
Christi Woodson, Charleston

Doubles
Erica Braschi, Elon
Olivia Lucas, Elon
Alex Koniaev, Elon
Maria Paraja, Elon
Rosie Cheng, William & Mary
Olivia Thaler, William & Mary

2018 PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Rosie Cheng, William & Mary
2018 ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Liz Norman, James Madison
2018 COACH OF THE YEAR: Tyler Thomson, William & Mary