NEW YORK -- Xavier senior Imani Graham headlines the 2024 BIG EAST Women’s Tennis All-Conference selections after unanimously repeating as Player of the Year, as announced by the league on Thursday. Musketeer head coach, Doug Matthews, led the Coaching Staff of the Year. Georgetown’s Emily Novikov rounds out the major award winners, earning Freshman of the Year accolades.

Graham is joined by teammate Anna Roggenburk, UConn’s Olivia Wright, Creighton’s Malvika Shukla, DePaul’s Hannah Smith, and Villanova’s Ami Grace Dougah on the six-person all-conference first team. Dougah, Graham, Roggenburk, Shukla, and Wright were recognized unanimously.

The BIG EAST Second Team features Butler’s Delaney Schurhamer, DePaul’s Eleanor Nobbs, Georgetown’s Emily Novikov and Chloe Bendetti, Marquette’s Emilija Kojcic, and St. John’sMouna Bouzgarrou.

Five athletes earn All-Conference accolades for at least the second time in their careers. Graham and Bouzagarrou are three-time honorees while Shukla, Roggenburk, and Kojcic earn their second recognitions.

Competing at No. 1 singles, Graham posted a 14-5 record while going undefeated in conference play. Notable non-conference victories included wins over Yale’s Shyla Aggarwal, Indiana’s Lara Schneider, Lousville’s Jamilah Snells, and Virginia Commonwealth’s Tania Isabel Andrade Sabando. Playing at No. 1 doubles with Roggenburk, the Florida native posted a 15-6 record and ranked as high as #74 nationally (ITA, 03/05/24).

Matthews and assistant coach Ryan Rasco led Xavier to a 19-5 mark this spring, highlighted by an unblemished 5-0 mark in BIG EAST play. At the 2024 BIG EAST Tennis Championship, the top-seeded Musketeers became the first program in the reconfigured conference to capture four consecutive tennis titles, doing so with a 4-2 victory over second-seeded DePaul.

Novikov enjoyed a standout rookie campaign with an 11-4 overall record while playing as high as No. 2 singles (2-1). The California product went undefeated in conference play, besting opponents from Butler, UConn, St. John’s, and Villanova. At No. 3 doubles, Novikov went 6-4.

Player of the Year
Imani Graham, Sr., Xavier (St. John’s, Fla.)*

Freshman of the Year
Emily Novikov, Fr.,  Georgetown (Campbell, Calif.)

Coaching Staff of the Year
Xavier - Head Coach: Doug Matthews; Assistant Coach: Kara Matthews

All-Conference
Organized alphabetically by school, last name
*Denotes unanimous selection
 
First Team
Olivia Wright, Jr., UConn*
Malvika Shukla, Sr., Creighton*
Hannah Smith, So., DePaul
Ami Grace Dougah, Gr., Villanova
Imani Graham, Sr., Xavier*
Anna Roggenburk, R-Sr., Xavier*

Second Team
Delaney Schurhamer, Sr., Butler
Eleanor Nobbs, Jr., DePaul
Chloe Bendetti, Gr., Georgetown
Emily Novikov, Fr., Georgetown
Emilija Kojcic, Sr., Marquette
Mouna Bouzgarrou, Gr., St. John’s