Livianu Repeats as BIG EAST Women’s Tennis Player of the Year
NEW YORK – For the second straight year, St. John’s sophomore Jessica Livianu has been named BIG EAST Women’s Tennis Player of the Year. Marquette’s rookie Natalija Popovic garners Freshman of the Year honors while St. John’s Lauren Leo and her staff claim Coaching Staff of the Year.
Repeating as Player of the Year, Livianu has failed to disappoint in her sophomore campaign. The Brooklyn native has collected a 16-1 record during dual-match play this season, with her lone defeat coming due to an injury retirement in the team’s opener at Harvard. Since returning to the court on February 2, Livianu has rattled off 16-consecutive victories on the top court and has yet to lose a match against a BIG EAST opponent in her career.
Popovic played No. 1 and 2 singles for the Golden Eagles finishing the season 14-7, with an impressing 6-1 record against BIG EAST opponents. During the regular season she took down BIG EAST first teamer Olaya Inclan Solis of St. John’s as well as second teamer Lauren Ghidotti of Xavier. In doubles play the freshman recorded a 5-1 record against BIG EAST opponents alongside sophomore teammate Fleur Eggink.
Leo and her staff led the Johnnies to a 17-5 mark and earned an automatic berth into the NCAA tournament after defeating DePaul, 4-2, for the program’s first ever BIG EAST Championship title. St. John’s enters the tournament riding a seven match winning streak, including 11 of its last 13 overall. The squad is one win shy of matching last season’s victory total of 18, the most since the 1981-82 year.
Livianu and Popovic were joined by DePaul’s Keisha Clousing and Patricia Lancranjan, St. John’s Solis and Seton Hall’s Luize Strike on the All-BIG EAST First Team.
Playing No. 1 and 2 singles for the Blue Demons, Clousing and Lancranjan helped lead DePaul back to the BIG EAST title game. Clousing picked up six dual match victories at the top singles spot, while Lancranjan finished 14-4 this spring, going 7-1 against BIG EAST opponents.
For the Johnnies, Solis combined for 31 victories (singles 15, doubles 16) and clinched all three matches in the BIG EAST Championship on her way to being named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.
Strike concluded her senior campaign with a 10-6 record during singles play, mostly playing at the top position, leading the Pirate’s to the No. 5 seed in the BIG EAST Championship.
The full list of BIG EAST awards are listed below.
Player of the Year: Jessica Livianu, St. John’s
Rookie of the Year: Natalija Popovic, Marquette
Coaching Staff of the Year: St. John’s
First Team
Keisha Clousing, DePaul, Sr.
Patricia Lancranjan, DePaul, Sr.
Natalija Popovic, Marquette, Fr.
Jessica Livianu, St. John’s, So.
Olaya Inclan Solis, St. John’s, Jr.
Luize Strike, Seton Hall, Sr.
Second Team
Aspasia Avgeri, DePaul, So.
Ashley Ishimura, Creighton, Jr.
Fleur Eggink, Marquette, So.
Claudia Althans, Villanova, Fr.
Lauren Ghidotti, Xavier, Sr.
Ahmeir Kyle, Xavier, Fr.