BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Bucknell senior Amar Tahirovic and Navy freshman Nicole Fu earned Patriot League Tennis Player of the Week honors when the League announced awards on Tuesday.
Tahirovic was named Patriot League Men’s Tennis Player of the Week after sweeping the No. 1 singles and doubles positions in Bucknell’s 7–0 victory over Mount St. Mary’s.
Fu collected Patriot League Women’s Tennis Player of the Week honors following an unbeaten start to her collegiate spring season for Navy.
Army West Point junior Emily Ruckno, Lehigh freshman Lena Dogadalski, Boston University sophomore Gabriella Mikaul and senior Jacob Esterowitz, Navy junior Jake Young and Army West Point sophomore Alan Ton earned honorable mention recognition.
Men’s Player of the Week
Amar Tahirovic, Bucknell, Jr., Stuttgart, Germany/Stuttgart
*Tahirovic earned wins at No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles in Bucknell’s 7–0 sweep of Mount St. Mary’s.
*The senior teamed with Brendan McDonald for a 6-4 victory at No. 1 doubles to help secure the doubles point.
*Tahirovic followed with a dominant 6-0, 6-2 win over Akarsh Gaonkar at No. 1 singles.
Women’s Player of the Week
Nicole Fu, Navy, Fy., Rochester Hills, Mich./Rochester Adams
*Fu went a perfect 3-0 across singles and doubles to help Navy open the spring season, extending her unbeaten run to five matches overall.
*The freshman earned three wins in singles play at the top half of the lineup, highlighted by a comeback victory over Saint Francis’ Kelly Dowuona at No. 2 singles.
*Fu partnered with Olivia Fermo at No. 1 doubles, where the duo won both matches to secure the doubles point in Navy’s weekend contests.
Honorable Mentions
Emily Ruckno, Army West Point, Jr., Hilton Head Island, S.C./Hilton Head Island
Ruckno posted a combined 4-0 record in singles and doubles as Army West Point went 3-0 over the weekend against Villanova and Sacred Heart. She earned wins at No. 4 singles and No. 2 doubles against Villanova, then followed with victories at No. 3 singles and No. 1 doubles against Sacred Heart.
Lena Dogadalski, Lehigh, Fy., Libertyville, Ill./Libertyville
Dogadalski earned a straight-set win at No. 1 singles, defeating Monmouth’s top player, 6-3, 6-4.
Gabriella Mikaul, Boston University, So., Manalapan, N.J./Laurel Springs School
Mikaul went 1-1 at No. 1 singles on the week and helped Boston University secure the doubles point in its 7-0 win over Rhode Island with a 6-1 victory at No. 1 doubles. She also battled in singles against 49
th nationally ranked Stephanie Yakoff of Harvard before the match was suspended due to the Crimson clinching the team win.
Jacob Esterowitz, Boston University, Sr., Rockville, Md./Thomas Wootton
Esterowitz earned a 7-6 (4), 6-2 victory at No. 1 singles to help Boston University edge Fairfield, 4-3.
Jake Young, Navy, Jr., Hilton Head, S.C./Hilton Head Prep
Young compiled a 5-2 combined singles and doubles record, going 2-1 in singles play at No. 2 and 3-1 in doubles across matches against Saint Francis, Penn, Niagara and Binghamton.
Alan Ton, Army West Point, So., Fountain Valley, Calif./Fountain Valley
Ton went 4-2 earning singles victories against Pratt CC, St. Bonaventure and Sacred Heart, helping Army West Point post team wins over Pratt CC and St. Bonaventure.
ABOUT THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
The Patriot League is in its fourth decade of academic and athletic achievement, continually demonstrating that student-athletes can excel at both academics and athletics without sacrificing high standards. The Patriot League’s athletic success is achieved while its member institutions remain committed to its founding principle of admitting and graduating student-athletes who are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important component of a well-rounded education.