NEW YORK – Xavier senior Abby Nugent headlined the 2026 BIG EAST Women’s Tennis All-Conference awards after being unanimously lauded as the league’s Player of the Year, as announced by the conference on Thursday.
Seton Hall’s Kira Farrakhova was named the BIG EAST Freshman of the Year. Under the direction of head coach Doug Matthews, Xavier earned BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year recognition.
Major awards and All-BIG EAST Teams were selected by a vote of the league’s head coaches, who were not allowed to vote for themselves or their own players.
Nugent was joined on the All-BIG EAST First Team by teammate Maddie Rexroat, UConn’s Ela Platenikova, DePaul’s Sasha Stula, St. John’s Victoria Papadopoulou, and Farrakhova. Nugent, Rexroat, Farrakhova, and Stula were unanimous selections.
The All-BIG EAST Second Team featured UConn’s Chloe Lomans, Creighton’s Sophie Schwartz, DePaul’s Yasemin Pehlivan, Georgetown’s Julia Chu, St. John’s Noemi Babikova, and Villanova’s Olivia Corcoran. Chu was a unanimous honoree.
Nugent is a three-time All-BIG EAST selection, while Stula, Papadopoulou, Rexroat, and Babikova pick up their second conference recognitions.
Competing at No. 1 singles, Nugent owned a 12-9 overall record while going undefeated against BIG EAST opponents (6-0). She was named the 2026 BIG EAST Championship Most Outstanding Player following an unblemished tournament run in both singles and doubles play.
On Feb. 6, she earned a ranked win over Michigan State’s #116 Amara Brahmbhatt (6-3, 2-6, 6-4). With partner Clara Owen, the senior competed at No. 1 doubles, boasting a 16-3 record. The duo was ranked #40 in the ITA preseason rankings.
Nugent is the second Musketeer in the previous four seasons to claim BIG EAST Player of the Year recognition, joining former teammate Imani Graham, who earned the honor in back-to-back seasons (2023, 24). The 2023 BIG EAST Freshman of the Year, Nugent is the fourth athlete, and second Musketeer, to register both Freshman and Player of the Year honors during their career.^
Matthews, whose coaching staff includes assistants Ryan Rasco, Kara Matthews, and Campbell Nakayama, earned his fifth BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year award since taking over the helm in 2015. This year, Matthews led the Musketeers to their sixth-consecutive BIG EAST tournament title, matching the conference record set by Notre Dame (2008-13).
During the regular season, Xavier owned a 16-8 overall record and a perfect 4-0 mark in league play. Matthews’ squad will meet Vanderbilt in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament on Friday (May 1, 5 p.m. ET), marking the Musketeers’ sixth-straight, and seventh overall, NCAA tournament appearance.
Farrakhova is Seton Hall’s first BIG EAST tennis major award winner^, after leading the Pirates with a 10-9 record (4-3, BIG EAST) on the top singles court. She logged wins over UConn, Providence, St. John’s, and Villanova during the regular season, also defeating regionally ranked Maryia Hrynashka (Delaware) in straight sets on Feb. 13.
In doubles play, she owned a 9-9 record (3-3, BIG EAST) while competing on the first and second tandem courts.
^Dating back to Conference realignment in 2013
2026 BIG EAST Women’s Tennis Major Awards & All-Conference Teams
*Denotes unanimous selection
BIG EAST Player of the Year: Abby Nugent, Xavier*
BIG EAST Freshman of the Year: Kira Farrakhova, Seton Hall
BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year: Xavier
All-BIG EAST First Team
Ela Platenikova, UConn
Sasha Stula, DePaul*
Victoria Papadopoulou, St. John’s
Kira Farrakhova, Seton Hall*
Abby Nugent, Xavier*
Maddie Rexroat, Xavier*
All-BIG EAST Second Team
Chloe Lomans, UConn
Sophie Schwartz, Creighton
Yasemin Pehlivan, DePaul
Julia Chu, Georgetown*
Noemi Babikova, St. John’s
Olivia Corcoran, Villanova