Courtesy of Boston University Athletic Communications

BOSTON – After leading the Boston University women's tennis team to its second Patriot League title in three years and first national ranking since 2011, head coach Lesley Sheehan and graduate student Shelly Yaloz have collected ITA Northeast Regional year-end honors, the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) announced Tuesday.

The six-time Patriot League Coach of the Year and 2019 USTA New England Hall of Fame inductee Sheehan earned her first Wilson/ITA Northeast Coach of the Year award, while the 2023 PL Tournament MVP and Scholar-Athlete of the Year Yaloz was tabbed the region's Most Improved Senior. The announcement marks BU's first regional honor since Johanna Hyoty ('15) earned the 2015 ITA/Arthur Ashe, Jr. Sportsmanship & Leadership Award. BU last had two Terriers recognized back in 2011 when Stefanie Nunic ('12) was tabbed the ITA Player to Watch and Vanessa Steiner ('11) earned the Cissie Leary Award for Sportsmanship.

Sheehan led the Terriers to a program-record 19 wins on the season, a 5-0 PL record and their sixth Patriot League title since joining the conference in the summer of 2013. Following the upset victory over then-No. 49 Brown, she saw BU enter the ITA National Rankings at No. 73 and peak as high as No. 70. The Terriers made their 19th trip to the NCAA tournament under Sheehan's guidance, leading to her 10th overall conference Coach of the Year accolade.

Yaloz posted a 5-0 PL record at the No. 1 slot en route to a 23-7 overall mark in singles play. She notably upset the No. 65 player in the country earlier this spring, which led to one of her three PL Player of the Week nods. In doubles, the two-time All-PL First Team honoree went 20-11. Previously tabbed the 2019 PL Rookie of the Year and Doubles Team of the Year, Yaloz leaves BU with both a bachelor's degree and master's degree along with 88 combined doubles victories and 69 singles wins.