Leading by Experience BIG EAST Veterans Claim Weekly Awards
NEW YORK – A pair of BIG EAST veterans guide their teams to victorious weekends and secure BIG EAST Tennis Athlete of the Week honors as Mikheil Khmiadashvili of Butler picked up the men’s award and Luize Strike of Seton Hall claimed the women’s title.
BIG EAST Men’s Tennis Athlete of the Week
Mikheil Khmiadashvili, Butler, Sr.
The Butler senior had an impressive weekend as he went 2-1 in singles action and 2-0 in doubles play. Against Valparaiso on Friday, Khmiadashvili and Mason Dragos teamed up for a No. 1 doubles win over No. 17 nationally ranked duo, Jeffrey Schorsch and Charlie Eernhardt. Khmiadashvili picked up a straight-set singles win at No. 2 singles against Dayton helping the Bulldogs to a 6-0 triumph. Against Southern Indiana, he won at both No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles. His only loss came this week came in singles play to the 95
th-ranked player in the nation Valparaiso’s Chad Kissell.
BIG EAST Women’s Tennis Athlete of the Week
Luize Strike, Seton Hall, Jr. (Riga, Latvia)
Strike guided the Pirates to back-to-back wins on Sunday as she went undefeated in both the No.1 singles and doubles spot. She opened the day with a 6-3,7-6 (7-4) victory over Binghamton’s Annie DiMuro and extended her momentum with a straight-set win over Army West Point’s Melanie Allen.
Honorable Mention
Bailey Padgett, Butler, Jr.
The junior went 3-0 in singles action last week at the No.1 spot, knocking off Dayton's Marlys Bridgham in three sets in the morning match, while downing Indiana Wesleyan's Rachel Bottorff in straight sets in the afternoon. These wins came one day after a straight-sets win over Illinois State’s Marcia Tere-Apisah.
Patricia Lancranjan, DePaul, Jr.
Pacing the Blue Demons at the No.3 slot, Lancranjan won all her singles matches and one doubles match in the Courtside Classic in Minneapolis last weekend. Lancranjan defeated Victoria Matejevic from Washington State 6-2, 6-2, and Minnesota’s Barbara Manacera 0-6, 7-5, 6-1.
Christopher Casati, DePaul, Fr.
Casati won his singles and doubles competition in DePaul’s fifth straight match-win of the season against Monmouth on Friday. Casati came back to win 1-6, 6-2, 6-3 over Christian Vieira at No. 5 singles and paired with Fran Tonejc for a 6-2 victory over Sam Bellersen and Vikrant Dahiya at No. 3 doubles.
Cecilia Lynham, Georgetown, So.
The sophomore helped the Hoyas with a win in the No. 5 singles spot (7-5, 6-4), and a doubles win (6-2) at No. 3 in Georgetown’s close contest against Harvard.
2017 Tennis Weekly Honors
Men's Tennis: Nathan de Veer, DePaul (Jan. 25); Alvaro Verdu, Marquette (Feb. 1); Mikheil Khmiadashvili, Butler (Feb.8)
Women’s Tennis: Risa Takenaka, Providence (Jan. 25); Aspasia Avgeri, DePaul (Feb.1; Luize Strike, Seton Hall (Feb.8)