The historic year for the Fairleigh Dickinson women's tennis program continued on Wednesday as the Northeast Conference announced its postseason awards headlined by junior
Anna Rapoport (Moscow, Russia/#1239 ) taking home NEC Player of the Year, Head Coach
Ira Miller wrapping up Coach of the Year, and all six starters earning First or Second Team All-NEC honors.
In just her first season with the Knights (16-7), Rapoport impressed all season by putting together a singles record of 18-3, to lead her team to the NCAA Tournament where they will face 14th seeded Virginia on Friday, May 11 in Charlottesville, VA. In addition to Player of the Year, she picked up First Team All-NEC for the No. 1 singles spot as well as Second Team All-NEC for No. 1 doubles alongside senior
Irina Dementyeva (Moscow, Russia/W 91). Rapoport checked in at No. 125 in the ITA's national ranking earlier in the season and was No. 8 in the Northeast Region. She joins Julija Korsunova as the only FDU players to earn NEC Player of the Year accolades.
Miller, now in his 14th season in charge of the women's team, picks up this third NEC Coach of the Year award. The FDU Hall of Famer guided the Burgundy and Blue to their third NEC women's tennis title and the second under Miller's watch.
Joining Rapoport on the First Team All-NEC for singles are senior
Elmine Botes (Heidelberg Gauteng, Rep. of South Africa/Hoer Volkskool and British International Distance College) at the No. 2 slot, Dementyeva at No. 4, junior
Egzona Morina (Prishtina, Kosovo/American School of Kosovo) at No. 5 singles and sophomore
Manuela Leme (Varginha, Brazil/E.E. Antania Alves Cruz) for her performance at No. 6. Senior
Julia Prantl (Benediktbeuern, Germany/GUS-Gymnasium Bad Tolz) took home Second Team All-NEC for the No. 3 singles slot.
After earning All-NEC Second Team accolades the past two seasons, Botes played her way onto the first team this season thanks to her 10-1 mark at No. 2 singles. Botes put together an overall record of 16-10, and is riding a three-match winning streak heading into the NCAA Tournament. For her effort in doubles, Botes and her partner Leme tacked on First Team All-NEC for No. 3 doubles. The tandem teamed up for eight wins in 12 matches against No. 3 doubles competition.
Dementyeva has been a rock in the middle of FDU's lineup with wins in her last nine No. 4 singles matches. The Moscow native went a perfect 7-0 during the month of April including a win in the clinching match of the NEC Championships against Quinnipiac. A Second Team All-NEC doubles player, Dementyeva and her partner, Rapoport, have compiled an 8-5 record so far in No. 1 doubles.
Morina, a Second Team All-NEC pick last season and a first teamer in 2010, has gone 7-1 against No. 5 singles competition on the season. Her come-from-behind 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 win over Quinnipiac's Ariana Launie helped FDU secure the NEC title.
Leme turned it on late in the season with wins in eight of her last nine matches at No. 6 singles. The sophomore compiled a 17-13 singles record while splitting time between No. 4, 5 and 6 singles.
Prantl led the Knights with 22 singles wins on the season and went 4-2 against NEC opponents. The senior, who was the NEC's Player of the Month for September, has now been named to the NEC Second Team two times to go with one First Team All-NEC honor for singles.
2012 NEC Women's Tennis Award Winners
NEC Player of the Year
Anna Rapoport (Moscow, Russia/#1239 ) Fairleigh Dickinson Jr Moscow, Russia/#1239
NEC Rookie of the Year
Sanne Louwers LIU Brooklyn Fr Nuenen, Netherlands/Mgr. Cuytenlaan
NEC Coach of the Year
Ira Miller Fairleigh Dickinson
2012 NEC Women's Tennis First Team All-Conference
Singles
Flight Name School Yr Hometown/High School
#1
Anna Rapoport (Moscow, Russia/#1239 ) Fairleigh Dickinson Jr Moscow, Russia/#1239
#2
Elmine Botes (Heidelberg Gauteng, Rep. of South Africa/Hoer Volkskool and British International Distance College) Fairleigh Dickinson Sr Heidelberg Gauteng, Republic of South Africa/
Hoer Volkskool & British International Distance College
#3 Sarah Viebrock Quinnipiac Jr Carmel, NY/John F. Kennedy Catholic
#4
Irina Dementyeva (Moscow, Russia/W 91) Fairleigh Dickinson Sr Moscow, Russia/W 91
#5
Egzona Morina (Prishtina, Kosovo/American School of Kosovo) Fairleigh Dickinson Jr Prishtina, Kosovo/American School of Kosovo
#6
Manuela Leme (Varginha, Brazil/E.E. Antania Alves Cruz) Fairleigh Dickinson So Varginha, Brazil/E.E. Antania Alves Cruz
Doubles
#1 Sanne Louwers LIU Brooklyn Fr Nuenen, Netherlands/Mgr. Cuytenlaan
Taysha Blessington LIU Brooklyn Jr Sydney, Australia/Roseville College
#2 Marcela Brandao Bryant So Santo Andre, Brazil
Claudia Hidalgo Bryant Jr Guayaquil, Ecuador/Unidad Educativa Delta
#3
Elmine Botes (Heidelberg Gauteng, Rep. of South Africa/Hoer Volkskool and British International Distance College) Fairleigh Dickinson Sr Heidelberg Gauteng, Republic of South Africa/
Hoer Volkskool & British International Distance College
Manuela Leme (Varginha, Brazil/E.E. Antania Alves Cruz) Fairleigh Dickinson So Varginha, Brazil/E.E. Antania Alves Cruz
2012 NEC Women's Tennis Second Team All-Conference
Singles
Flight Name School Yr Hometown/High School
#1 Sanne Louwers LIU Brooklyn Fr Nuenen, Netherlands/Mgr. Cuytenlaan
#2 Taysha Blessington LIU Brooklyn Jr Sydney, Australia/Roseville College
#3
Julia Prantl (Benediktbeuern, Germany/GUS-Gymnasium Bad Tolz) Fairleigh Dickinson Sr Benediktbeuern, Germany/GUS-Gymnasium Bad Tolz
#4 Michelle Dassa Quinnipiac Fr Marlboro, NJ/Marlboro
#5 Stephanie Smyers Bryant So Pittsburgh, PA/North Allegheny
#6 Rosie Bird Bryant Fr Hamilton, New Zealand/Hillcrest
Doubles
#1
Anna Rapoport (Moscow, Russia/#1239 ) Fairleigh Dickinson Jr Moscow, Russia/#1239
Irina Dementyeva (Moscow, Russia/W 91) Fairleigh Dickinson Sr Moscow, Russia/W 91
#2 Lisa Maas LIU Brooklyn So Norden, Germany/Middle Tennessee State
Nancy Zonneveld LIU Brooklyn Fr Frankfurt, Germany/European School Frankfurt
#3 Devlin-Ann Ammendola Bryant Fr Massapequa, NY/Farmingdale
Rosie Bird Bryant Fr Hamilton, New Zealand/Hillcrest
