Butler, Creighton, DePaul and Villanova Claim a Share of BIG EAST Tennis Awards
BIG EAST Men’s Tennis Athlete of the Week - (3/8/17)
Tyler Roth, Villanova, Fr.
The freshman had an impressive week in California as he combined with Stefan Suarez to pick up the first doubles win against UCSD. He continued to do well when he defeated Marc Isaia in the No. 3 singles slot after a 6-2, 6-3 win. In Villanova’s following match, Roth followed up with a three-hour match for the Wildcats to clinch the victory against Youngstown State. After a long match, he won 6-7 (6), 7-6 (5), 6-4. Roth also was the only point against the 6-1 loss to UC Irvine winning in the singles matches.
BIG EAST Men’s Tennis Athlete of the Week - (3/15/17)
Mikheil Khmiadashvili, Butler, Sr.
The Bulldog veteran went undefeated in singles play last week, helping Butler to wins over Furman and BIG EAST foe, Creighton. Against Furman, Khmiadashvili defeated Cameron Green, 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (8), at the No. 2 singles spot to clinch the match last week in a match played in Orlando. The senior maintained his momentum with a win against Creighton’s Harrison Lang, 7-6, 6-3, at No. 1 singles.
BIG EAST Women’s Tennis Athlete of the Week - (3/8/17)
Keisha Clousing, DePaul, Jr.
Clousing won all her matches two weeks ago as DePaul defeated Bradley and Eastern Illinois with a 6-1 score for both matches. Clousing played No. 3 singles and No. 2 doubles with Patricia Lancranjan for both matches. Against Bradley, she defeated Natalia Barbery 6-1, 6-1 and Ariel Dechter and Aimee Manfredo 6-4 with Lancranjan in doubles. Against Eastern Illinois, she defeated Srishti Slaria 6-2, 6-0 and Emily Pugachevsky and Slaria 6-1 with Lancranjan in doubles.
BIG EAST Women’s Tennis Athlete of the Week - (3/15/17)
Michaela Henne, Creighton, So.
Henne closed out Creighton’s spring break trip to Florida with a 4-0 record in singles and 3-1 mark in doubles action. The sophomore recorded three wins at the No. 3 singles slot and one at No. 2., including a 6-0,6-0 sweep over Marian’s Maria Angela Sunga and a 6-1, 6-0 win against Providence’s Aidan Epstein. She has now tallied seven consecutive singles victories and leads the Bluejays with a 10-3 singles record.
Notable Performances
3/8/17
Mikheil Khmiadashvili, Butler,
Khmiadashvili posted a 3-0 record last week with a singles and a pair of doubles victories. Paired with Mason Dragos, he
posted wins at No. 1 doubles over Northern Illinois and Mount St. Mary’s and then went on to a 6-4, 6-4 win over Northern Illinois’s Eric Marback at No 2 singles.
Baily Padgett, Butler, Jr.
Posting a 3-0 mark on the weekend, the junior won double at the No. 1 singles spot, taking a 6-3, 6-2 win over Toledo's Sidnay Huck and a three-set victory over Cleveland State’s Isabella Spindler.
Alex Galoustian, DePaul, Jr.
Competing in the 51
st Annual H-E-B Tournament in Corpus Christi, Galoustian went 4-0, with victories over Louisiana and UTRGV
Sarah Swift, Georgetown, Jr.
Swift helped the Hoyas to a doubles point against UC San Diego and Long Beach State with wins at No.2 and No. 3, respectfully.
Peter Beatty, Georgetown, Jr.
The junior guided the Hoyas to a 5-2 win over D-II No. 14 UC San Diego with a three-set 6-3,1-6,6-0 victory at the No. 1 spot.
3/15/17
Alex Galoustian, DePaul, Jr.
Galoustian helped DePaul to a 7-0 sweep over Illinois State at home last Friday as he won both his singles and doubles matches. The junior played No. 1 singles for the first time this season, defeating Urh Krajnc Domiter 5-7, 6-2, 6-3. He paired with Nathan de Veer at No. 1 doubles to defeat Krajnc Domiter and Matias Chomali 6-2.
Drew Spinosa, Georgetown, Jr.
The junior went undefeated in singles play with consecutive victories at the No. 6 spot, including wins over Utah States’ Sophia Haleas and Loyola Marymount’s Micheline Aubuchon.
Anna Fajnorova, Seton Hall, So.
Fajnorova helped the Pirates win the doubles point against Utah State with a 6-0 victory at the top flight paired with Luize Strike. She also picked up a 5-7, 6-2, 6-0 win at No. 2 singles.
Carina Burdick, Villanova, Fr.
Burdick won three out of her four matches in California this past week all at the No. 6 singles spot. She went 6-1, 6-1 against Youngstown State and also went 6-1, 6-1 against Concordia. She finished up her last match in California with a 6-0, 6-2 win against UC Riverside.
Tyler Roth, Villanova, Fr.
The rookie continues to be successful solo and combined with Thomas Dodson in doubles matches. He went 6-1, 6-1 against UC Riverside also won his doubles match 6-3 with Dodson. Roth went into a three match set against Concordia Irvine and came out on top winning 7-6, 6-1, 10-8.
Sophia Abelson, Xavier, So.
The sophomore went 2-2 this past week. Abelson claimed Xavier’s only victory against Florida Gulf Coast as she won in the No. 5 singles with a 6-2,4-6, 6-3 decision.
Trent Smith, Xavier, So.
Although the Musketeers fell 5-2 to Florida Gulf Coast, Smith won his No. 4 singles match against Javier Fernandez 7-5, 6-4.
2017 Tennis Weekly Honors
Men's Tennis: Nathan de Veer, DePaul (Jan. 25, Feb. 15); Alvaro Verdu, Marquette (Feb. 1); Mikheil Khmiadashvili, Butler (Feb.8); Aviv Ben Shabat, Butler (Feb.22); Thomas Dodson, Villanova (March 1)
Women’s Tennis: Risa Takenaka, Providence (Jan. 25); Aspasia Avgeri, DePaul (Feb.1, March. 1); Luize Strike, Seton Hall (Feb.8); Yuliya Shupenia, DePaul (Feb. 15), Jessica Livianu, St. John’s (Feb.22), Keisha Clousing, DePaul (March 8); Michaela Henne, Creighton (March 15)