The University of Akron Athletics
Akron’s Sophia Geier Named MAC Player of the Year Again; Geier, Vasilescu & Uljanov Earn All-MAC Honors
April 25 | Women's Tennis
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CLEVELAND– University of Akron redshirt senior Sophia Geier (Burgebrach, Germany) has been named the 2019 Mid-American Conference Women's Tennis Player of the Year, the MAC announced on Thursday.
Geier and sophomore Miruna Vasilescu (Ulm, Germany) earned first-team All-MAC honors, while sophomore Anna Uljanov (Schweinfurt, Germany) was a second-team All-MAC selection.
All three Zips have been honored by the MAC before. Geier is a three-time All-MAC honoree as well as the 2017 MAC Player of the Year. As true freshmen last spring, Vasilescu and Uljanov earned second-team All-MAC honors in 2018, while Vasilescu was named the league's Newcomer of the Year.
"I could not be more proud of all three of these young women," Akron head coach Brandon Padgett said.
A two-time first-team All-MAC selection, Geier finished undefeated in MAC play this spring. The three-time team captain stands 27-4 in singles action, 19-1 in spring action, and a perfect 7-0 in MAC play, all at the No. 1 spot. She stands second on Akron's career lists with 104 singles victories and 174 combined (singles/doubles) wins while her 70 doubles victories rank No. 11 on the career chart. Geier was named the MAC Singles Player of the Week three times this spring.
Geier is the sixth Zip in program history to earn MAC Player of the Year and second UA player to earn it more than once. She joins UA's career leader Zara Harutyunyan [2009-12], who earned MAC Player of the Year three times (2009, 2010, 2011), and Ariadna Blinova (2016).
"Sophia has accomplished some amazing things throughout her career, and being able to receive this honor for the second time in three seasons truly speaks to how dedicated she has been to her overall development as a player," he said. "I'm saddened that we will not have her on court for us next season as a player, but extremely excited that we will have her as a graduate assistant coach."
Vasilescu stands 22-9 overall in singles action, 19-4 this spring, and 6-1 in MAC play. She played No. 1 and 2. She went a perfect 4-0 at No. 1, earning MAC Singles Player of the Week accolades twice. Vasilescu plays No. 1 doubles with junior Rita Pedroso (Porto, Portugal). The duo stands 22-9 overall, 17-6 this spring, and 5-2 in MAC play.
"Miruna had a great season for us, and she is so deserving of this honor," Padgett said. "The level of improvement and development we've seen from her from last season to this season is exceptional. This conference has some extremely strong first singles players, so for her to be voted first team playing at the second singles position says a great deal about her level of play and the amount of respect she has earned in the MAC."
In singles action Uljanov stands 21-10 overall, 17-5 this spring, and 6-1 in MAC play at the No. 3 spot. She teams with Geier at No. 2 doubles. The duo stands 15-6 overall and 12-6 this spring. They have earned MAC Doubles Team of the Week twice this spring.
"Anna played outstanding tennis for us all season, and her growth as a player continues to amaze me," he added.
Akron earned the No. 2 seed in this weekend's MAC Championship at Buffalo. The Zips (20-5 overall, 5-2 MAC) earned a quarterfinal round bye and will face the winner of the No. 3 seed Western Michigan (12-10 overall, 4-3 MAC)/No. 6 seed Buffalo (13-7 overall, 3-4 MAC) match in semifinal action on Saturday, April 27, at 2 p.m.
2019 Women's Tennis All-MAC Honors
Coach of the Year: Ricardo Rosas, Miami
Player of the Year: Sophia Geier, Akron
Newcomer of the Year: Brindtha Ramasamy, Miami
Leann Grimes Davidge Sportsmanship Award: Claire Aleck, Toledo
FIRST TEAM
Sophia Geier, Akron &^
Brindtha Ramasamy, Miami
Audrey Berger, Ball State
Miruna Vasilescu, Akron ~
Melina Lyubomirova, Western Michigan ~
Paula Comella, Bowling Green #+*
SECOND TEAM:
Denise Azcui, Western Michigan
Pia Schwarz, Buffalo
Anna Uljanov, Akron ~
Peyton Gollhofer, Ball State +*
Chantal Martinez Blanco, Buffalo #+^
Milana Lysova, Miami
# 2018 First-team All-MAC
~ 2018 Second-team All-MAC
& 2017 First-team All-MAC
+ 2017 Second-team All-MAC
* 2016 First-team All-MAC
^ 2016 Second-team All-MAC
CLEVELAND– University of Akron redshirt senior Sophia Geier (Burgebrach, Germany) has been named the 2019 Mid-American Conference Women's Tennis Player of the Year, the MAC announced on Thursday.
Geier and sophomore Miruna Vasilescu (Ulm, Germany) earned first-team All-MAC honors, while sophomore Anna Uljanov (Schweinfurt, Germany) was a second-team All-MAC selection.
All three Zips have been honored by the MAC before. Geier is a three-time All-MAC honoree as well as the 2017 MAC Player of the Year. As true freshmen last spring, Vasilescu and Uljanov earned second-team All-MAC honors in 2018, while Vasilescu was named the league's Newcomer of the Year.
"I could not be more proud of all three of these young women," Akron head coach Brandon Padgett said.
A two-time first-team All-MAC selection, Geier finished undefeated in MAC play this spring. The three-time team captain stands 27-4 in singles action, 19-1 in spring action, and a perfect 7-0 in MAC play, all at the No. 1 spot. She stands second on Akron's career lists with 104 singles victories and 174 combined (singles/doubles) wins while her 70 doubles victories rank No. 11 on the career chart. Geier was named the MAC Singles Player of the Week three times this spring.
Geier is the sixth Zip in program history to earn MAC Player of the Year and second UA player to earn it more than once. She joins UA's career leader Zara Harutyunyan [2009-12], who earned MAC Player of the Year three times (2009, 2010, 2011), and Ariadna Blinova (2016).
"Sophia has accomplished some amazing things throughout her career, and being able to receive this honor for the second time in three seasons truly speaks to how dedicated she has been to her overall development as a player," he said. "I'm saddened that we will not have her on court for us next season as a player, but extremely excited that we will have her as a graduate assistant coach."
Vasilescu stands 22-9 overall in singles action, 19-4 this spring, and 6-1 in MAC play. She played No. 1 and 2. She went a perfect 4-0 at No. 1, earning MAC Singles Player of the Week accolades twice. Vasilescu plays No. 1 doubles with junior Rita Pedroso (Porto, Portugal). The duo stands 22-9 overall, 17-6 this spring, and 5-2 in MAC play.
"Miruna had a great season for us, and she is so deserving of this honor," Padgett said. "The level of improvement and development we've seen from her from last season to this season is exceptional. This conference has some extremely strong first singles players, so for her to be voted first team playing at the second singles position says a great deal about her level of play and the amount of respect she has earned in the MAC."
In singles action Uljanov stands 21-10 overall, 17-5 this spring, and 6-1 in MAC play at the No. 3 spot. She teams with Geier at No. 2 doubles. The duo stands 15-6 overall and 12-6 this spring. They have earned MAC Doubles Team of the Week twice this spring.
"Anna played outstanding tennis for us all season, and her growth as a player continues to amaze me," he added.
Akron earned the No. 2 seed in this weekend's MAC Championship at Buffalo. The Zips (20-5 overall, 5-2 MAC) earned a quarterfinal round bye and will face the winner of the No. 3 seed Western Michigan (12-10 overall, 4-3 MAC)/No. 6 seed Buffalo (13-7 overall, 3-4 MAC) match in semifinal action on Saturday, April 27, at 2 p.m.
2019 Women's Tennis All-MAC Honors
Coach of the Year: Ricardo Rosas, Miami
Player of the Year: Sophia Geier, Akron
Newcomer of the Year: Brindtha Ramasamy, Miami
Leann Grimes Davidge Sportsmanship Award: Claire Aleck, Toledo
FIRST TEAM
Sophia Geier, Akron &^
Brindtha Ramasamy, Miami
Audrey Berger, Ball State
Miruna Vasilescu, Akron ~
Melina Lyubomirova, Western Michigan ~
Paula Comella, Bowling Green #+*
SECOND TEAM:
Denise Azcui, Western Michigan
Pia Schwarz, Buffalo
Anna Uljanov, Akron ~
Peyton Gollhofer, Ball State +*
Chantal Martinez Blanco, Buffalo #+^
Milana Lysova, Miami
# 2018 First-team All-MAC
~ 2018 Second-team All-MAC
& 2017 First-team All-MAC
+ 2017 Second-team All-MAC
* 2016 First-team All-MAC
^ 2016 Second-team All-MAC
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
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