BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Navy senior Aniketh Ayinala and Boston University sophomore Gabriella Mikaul earned Patriot League Men’s and Women’s Tennis Player of the Week honors, respectively, when the League office announced its awards on Tuesday.
Ayinala captured Patriot League Men’s Tennis Player of the Week recognition after going 3–0 across singles and doubles, highlighted by a three-set win at No. 2 singles against Bucknell and a straight-set victory in Navy’s sweep of Colgate.
Mikaul was named Patriot League Women’s Tennis Player of the Week after posting a 3–0 combined record, including a straight-set No. 1 singles win over Army West Point, while going 2–0 at No. 1 doubles alongside Nancy Liu.
Bucknell’s Abby Platt and Amar Tahirovic, Colgate’s Sophia Montero, Holy Cross’Ashley Zilora and Matt Carlson, Navy’s Emma Gu, Army West Point’s Emily Ruckno and Daniel Choi, and Lehigh’s Alex Van Lumich earned honorable mention recognition.
Patriot League Men’s Player of the Week
Aniketh Ayinala, Navy, Sr., Charlotte, N.C./Saddleback Prep
*Ayinala went 3–0 across singles and doubles, highlighted by a three-set win at No. 2 singles against Bucknell.
*He added a straight-set 6-3, 6-3 victory at No. 2 singles in Navy’s sweep of Colgate.
*Ayinala earned a 6-3 win at No. 3 doubles alongside Steve Nguyen against Bucknell.
Patriot League Women’s Player of the Week
Gabriella Mikaul, Boston University, So., Manalapan, N.J./Laurel Springs School
*Mikaul posted a 3–0 combined record, including a straight-set No. 1 singles win over Army’s Madison Smith.
*She went 2–0 at No. 1 doubles alongside Nancy Liu, earning dominant 6-2 and 6-0 victories.
*Mikaul helped Boston University secure wins over Lehigh and Army West Point by setting the tone with dominant No. 1 doubles victories (6-0 vs. Lehigh, 6-2 vs. Army) alongside Nancy Liu.
Honorable Mentions
Abby Platt, Bucknell, Sr., Dallas, Tex./Greenhill School
Platt went a perfect 4–0 at No. 1 singles and doubles, highlighted by a three-set tiebreak win over Lafayette and a dominant straight-set victory against Franklin & Marshall.
Sophia Montero, Colgate, Jr., Westfield, N.J./Westfield
Montero earned a key No. 2 singles win in a Patriot League victory over Loyola Maryland and added a No. 1 doubles win against Navy during a 1–1 week for the Raiders.
Ashley Zilora, Holy Cross, Sr., Medfield, Mass./Medfield
Zilora posted a 2–0 singles record and 2–1 doubles mark, highlighted by a comeback three-set win against Merrimack and strong performances in a 2–1 week.
Emma Gu, Navy, So., West Lafayette, Ind./Harrison
Gu went 2–0 at No. 1 singles with wins over Loyola Maryland and Colgate, finishing the regular season 5–1 in League play and extending her singles winning streak.
Emily Ruckno, Army West Point, Jr., Hilton Head Island, S.C./Hilton Head Island
Ruckno went 4–0 across singles and doubles, earning straight-set wins against Lehigh and rallying for a three-set victory against Boston University.
Alex Van Lumich, Lehigh, Jr., Zaragoza, Spain/IES Goya
Van Lumich went 3–1 across singles and doubles, earning wins at No. 1 singles and doubles against Villanova and Boston University.
Amar Tahirovic, Bucknell, Sr., Stuttgart, Germany/Stuttgart
Tahirovic earned a straight-set No. 1 singles win over Navy and a doubles victory, reaching 200 career wins combined across singles and doubles.
Daniel Choi, Army West Point, Sr., Irvine, Calif./Crean Lutheran
Choi picked up multiple singles and doubles wins, including a straight-set singles victory against Lehigh and a No. 1 doubles win over Boston University.
Matt Carlson, Holy Cross, Jr., Amherst, N.Y./Nichols
Carlson went 2–1 in both singles and doubles, remaining undefeated in Patriot League singles play with a pair of wins at the No. 1 and No. 2 spots.
Patriot League Men’s Players of the Week
1.27 – Amar Tahirovic, Bucknell
2. 3 – Amar Tahirovic, Bucknell
2.10 – Jimin Jung, Army West Point
2.17 – Liam Kilmer, Bucknell
2.24 – Sean Jaeger, Lehigh
3.3 – Amar Tahirovic, Bucknell
3.10 – Alan Ton, Army West Point
3.17 – Herrick Legaspi, Navy
3.24 – Adam Stavrakas, Bucknell
3.31 – Sean Jaeger, Lehigh
4.7 – Alex Van Lumich, Lehigh
4.14 – Aniketh Ayinala, Navy
Patriot League Women’s Players of the Week
1.27 – Nicole Fu, Navy
2. 3 – Emma Sy, Army West Point
2.10 – Peyton Amspacher-Philemon, Navy
2.17 – Olivia Fermo, Navy
2.24 – Gabriella Mikaul, Boston University
3.3 – Abby Platt, Bucknell
3.10 – Madison Smith, Army West Point
3.17 – Grace Li, Navy
3.24 – Gabriella Mikaul, Boston University
3.31 – Abby Platt, Bucknell
4.7 – Emma Gu, Navy
4.14 - Gabriella Mikaul, Boston University
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.