Brooklyn, N.Y. - Long Island University senior Selma Babic was named Northeast Conference Women's Tennis Player of the Year for the second straight season, the league announced today. Head coach Asi Phillips took home NEC Coach of the Year honors as the NEC Champion Blackbirds had six players earn spots on all-conference teams.

 

In addition to her player of the year award, Babic was named to the All-NEC First Team at No. 1 singles and paired with freshman Aleksandra Pavlovic to garner a spot on the All-NEC Second Team at No. 1 doubles. Senior H'Ann Johnson was named to the All-NEC First Team at No. 6 singles and teaming up with freshman Taysha Blessington to take home All-NEC Second Team honors at No. 2 doubles. Blessington earned a spot on the all-conference second team at No. 4 singles. The duo of senior Stephanie Elie and junior Dara Lahens were named to the All-NEC First Team at No. 3 doubles.

 

Babic was the NEC Player of the Week on six occasions, winning each of the last five awards for the season. Heading into the NCAA Tournament, she is 19-1 overall in singles play. In dual-match action, the Bosnia and Herzegovina native is 14-1, all at the No. 1 position, and has won 13 straight matches. Babic went 6-0 against NEC opponents, including three wins in the NEC Tournament. She was an All-NEC First Team selection last season after earning second team honors as a sophomore during her first season at Long Island.

 

Blessington has compiled a 14-12 record with a 12-5 mark in dual matches. The Australia native went 5-1 in NEC play, winning twice at the tournament, and has gone 11-5 at the No. 4 spot, with an additional win at No. 2. She was recognized by the conference earlier in the season, taking home a rookie of the week award.

 

Johnson has been the Blackbirds' primary sixth position player but struggled with an injury toward the end of the season, limiting her to doubles play. She played at No. 5 in the NEC Tournament, going 1-1. For the year, Johnson has amassed a 7-2 record, winning six times at No. 6 in dual matches. The Antigua native was 3-2 against the NEC. Johnson earned a spot on the All-NEC Second Team at No. 3 singles in 2008.

 

In doubles action, Babic and Pavlovic make up Long Island's top team. The duo has compiled a 14-2 mark, all in dual matches, and had their 12-match winning streak snapped by Army's Annie Houghton and Kristin Beehler in the regular season finale. Babic and Pavlovic are 5-1 against NEC opponents, going 2-1 in the conference tournament.

 

At No. 2, Johnson and Blessington have compiled 8-3 mark, all in dual action. They went 1-1 at the tournament to finish 2-3 in league play.

 

After earning a spot on the All-NEC Second Team last season, Elie and Lahens moved up to the first team at No. 3 this year. For the season they have amassed an 18-7 record, going 12-4 in dual matches. Counting three wins at the NEC Tournament, Elie and Lahens went 5-1 against NEC competition.

 

The coach of the year of the award is the fourth in five seasons at Long Island for Phillips. After winning the award in 2006 and 2007, and again last season, Phillips guided the Blackbirds to their seventh straight NEC championship match appearance and second consecutive title. Second-seeded Long Island defeated top-seeded Fairleigh Dickinson, 4-2, on April 18. Phillips saw the Blackbirds compile a 14-3 overall record and go 5-1 against NEC opponents.

 

The Blackbirds await their seeding in the NCAA Tournament, which will be announced on Tuesday, May 4. The selection show will be televised on ESPNews between 5:00 and 6:00 p.m.