Sheehan, Zhao Highlight Patriot League Postseason Accolades
May 10, 2023 | Women's Tennis
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Freshman Emily Zhao of the Boston University women's tennis teams highlighted the postseason awards slate as she was named the Patriot League Rookie of the Year, the league announced Wednesday. Head Coach Lesley Sheehan was named the PL Coach of the Year and four Terriers garnered All-Patriot League selections.
Zhao, who had an overall singles record of 13-6, went 10-3 in the dual match season and posted a 4-0 record in league play. She won two of those matches at the No. 6 spot and the other two at the Nos. 4 and 5 spots. Most notably, the freshman clinched BU's win over then-No. 49 Brown in a dominant 7-5, 6-1 decision. In doubles, she went 11-2 in dual matches with a 2-0 PL record, finishing the season on a five-match win streak. She also won all her doubles matches in the PL Tournament.
Sheehan led the Terriers to a program record 19 wins on the season which included a 5-0 PL record and the program's sixth Patriot League Title. Following the upset over No.49 Brown, she saw BU enter the ITA National Rankings at No. 73 and peak as high as No. 70. This marked the first national ranking for BU since 2011. The Terriers made their 19th trip to the NCAA First Round under Sheehan's guidance, leading to her 10th conference and sixth Patriot League Coach of the Year accolade.
Grad Student Shelly Yaloz and sophomore Michelle Kleynerman earned First Team All-Patriot League distinction. Yaloz went 15-5 in dual match singles play and boasted a 5-0 PL record all at the No. 1 spot. Kleynerman, who predominantly played at the No. 2 singles spot, went 12-4 in dual matches and 4-0 in league play. The two were paired together in doubles for most of the season and finished with a 13-2 dual match record and a 3-0 PL record. The pair also clinched the doubles point in all three matches in the Patriot League Tournament.
Junior Victoria Carlsten was named to the Second Team All-Patriot League. She played most of her singles matches at the No. 3 spot with a 13-4 dual match record as well as a 5-1 record at the No. 2 spot. The junior also went 4-0 in league play and was part of the double clinch for the PL Title. In doubles, she went 15-4 in the spring and 3-0 in PL contests.
Junior Kaitlin Tan also received Second Team All-Patriot League honors. With a 19-3 dual match record in singles, she led BU with a perfect 17-0 record at the No. 4 spot. Tan finished the season on a nine-match win streak in singles dating back to BU's win over Brown in March. The junior won each of her PL contests to post a 4-0 league record in addition to her 3-0 PL Tournament performance. She also went 9-9 in dual matches in doubles with a 2-1 PL record from the No. 1 spot.
Full List of Award Winners
2023 Women's Tennis All-Patriot League and Major Awards
Player of the Year – Emily Tannenbaum, Navy, So.
Doubles Team of the Year – Cooper Jackson/Paige Herremans, Army West Point
Rookie of the Year – Emily Zhao, Boston University, Fr.
Coach of the Year – Lesley Sheehan, Boston University
First Team All-Patriot League
Cooper Jackson, Army West Point, So.
Michelle Kleynerman, Boston University, So.
Shelly Yaloz, Boston University, 5th
Whitney King, Bucknell, So.
Hamsa Javagal, Lehigh, So.
Emily Tannenbaum, Navy, So.
Second Team All-Patriot League
Maria Drobotova, Army West Point, Fr.
Ylan Duong, Army West Point, Fr.
Victoria Carlsten, Boston University, Jr.
Kaitlin Tan, Boston University, So.
Amelia Galin, Colgate, Fr.
Sia Chaudry, Navy, Fr.
Zhao, who had an overall singles record of 13-6, went 10-3 in the dual match season and posted a 4-0 record in league play. She won two of those matches at the No. 6 spot and the other two at the Nos. 4 and 5 spots. Most notably, the freshman clinched BU's win over then-No. 49 Brown in a dominant 7-5, 6-1 decision. In doubles, she went 11-2 in dual matches with a 2-0 PL record, finishing the season on a five-match win streak. She also won all her doubles matches in the PL Tournament.
Sheehan led the Terriers to a program record 19 wins on the season which included a 5-0 PL record and the program's sixth Patriot League Title. Following the upset over No.49 Brown, she saw BU enter the ITA National Rankings at No. 73 and peak as high as No. 70. This marked the first national ranking for BU since 2011. The Terriers made their 19th trip to the NCAA First Round under Sheehan's guidance, leading to her 10th conference and sixth Patriot League Coach of the Year accolade.
Grad Student Shelly Yaloz and sophomore Michelle Kleynerman earned First Team All-Patriot League distinction. Yaloz went 15-5 in dual match singles play and boasted a 5-0 PL record all at the No. 1 spot. Kleynerman, who predominantly played at the No. 2 singles spot, went 12-4 in dual matches and 4-0 in league play. The two were paired together in doubles for most of the season and finished with a 13-2 dual match record and a 3-0 PL record. The pair also clinched the doubles point in all three matches in the Patriot League Tournament.
Junior Victoria Carlsten was named to the Second Team All-Patriot League. She played most of her singles matches at the No. 3 spot with a 13-4 dual match record as well as a 5-1 record at the No. 2 spot. The junior also went 4-0 in league play and was part of the double clinch for the PL Title. In doubles, she went 15-4 in the spring and 3-0 in PL contests.
Junior Kaitlin Tan also received Second Team All-Patriot League honors. With a 19-3 dual match record in singles, she led BU with a perfect 17-0 record at the No. 4 spot. Tan finished the season on a nine-match win streak in singles dating back to BU's win over Brown in March. The junior won each of her PL contests to post a 4-0 league record in addition to her 3-0 PL Tournament performance. She also went 9-9 in dual matches in doubles with a 2-1 PL record from the No. 1 spot.
Full List of Award Winners
2023 Women's Tennis All-Patriot League and Major Awards
Player of the Year – Emily Tannenbaum, Navy, So.
Doubles Team of the Year – Cooper Jackson/Paige Herremans, Army West Point
Rookie of the Year – Emily Zhao, Boston University, Fr.
Coach of the Year – Lesley Sheehan, Boston University
First Team All-Patriot League
Cooper Jackson, Army West Point, So.
Michelle Kleynerman, Boston University, So.
Shelly Yaloz, Boston University, 5th
Whitney King, Bucknell, So.
Hamsa Javagal, Lehigh, So.
Emily Tannenbaum, Navy, So.
Second Team All-Patriot League
Maria Drobotova, Army West Point, Fr.
Ylan Duong, Army West Point, Fr.
Victoria Carlsten, Boston University, Jr.
Kaitlin Tan, Boston University, So.
Amelia Galin, Colgate, Fr.
Sia Chaudry, Navy, Fr.
Players Mentioned
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