SOMERSET, N.J. - Following a dominant two-year run, LIU Brooklyn has no plans to relinquish its hold on the Northeast Conference (NEC) women's tennis title any time soon.The Blackbirds appear to be the class of the league once again on paper, at least in the minds of NEC head coaches who selected LIU as the preseason favorite in their annual poll. LIU received five first place votes.
Bryant, the 2018 NEC runner-up, was tabbed second and earned a pair of first place nods. Perennial contender Fairleigh Dickinson landed in the third spot, picking up the final first place vote. Sacred Heart and Saint Francis U tied for fourth, with Mount St. Mary's, Wagner and St. Francis Brooklyn right behind in that order.
The Mercer County Tennis Center in West Windsor, NJ will once again serve as the venue for the seven-team single-elimination NEC championship from April 18-20. The winner will earn the NEC's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament field.
While LIU Brooklyn is under new leadership this year with the elevation of Jan Griga to head coach, don't expect much in the way of change in the Big Apple. The Blackbirds, who posted a combined 30-11 overall record and 16-0 slate against conference rivals over the last two years, return all six of their All-NEC singles and doubles honorees and all seven starters, including two-time reigning NEC Player of the Year Anna Grigoryan. In building a burgeoning Hall of Fame resume, Grigoryan compiled a 35-12 singles record the last two seasons, including a 12-1 mark against NEC competition. Last year, the senior led the circuit with 23 victories, including two in the postseason to earn NEC Tournament MVP honors. This past fall, the former NEC Rookie of the Year competed in the invitation only Oracle/ITA Masters for the second straight year in Malibu, CA and came away with a defining win over then #43-ranked Maria Kononova of North Texas.
Grigoryan is set to once again team up with fellow first team All-NEC honorees Malin Leysen, Jessica Brzozowska and Jennifer Gogova, along with second teamer Sasha Bollweg. The five all-stars combined for a 28-2 singles record versus league opponents a year ago. Also bolstering the team is Ana Leonte, who was an All-NEC first team honoree in doubles, and senior Clemence Krug, who posted a 5-1 conference record in singles action last year. Grigoryan, Krug and Leysen, who was named the NEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year in women's tennis last spring, are the only seniors in this battle-tested group.
The Blackbirds are 2-1 in dual matches so far this season, including a 6-1 win on the road against Marist, and a 7-0 sweep during their first conference match against rival St. Francis Brooklyn.
2019 Northeast Conference Women's Tennis Preseason Coaches Poll
1. LIU Brooklyn (5)
2. Bryant (2)
3. Fairleigh Dickinson (1)
4 (tie). Saint Francis U
Sacred Heart
6. Mount St. Mary's
7. Wagner
8. St. Francis Brooklyn
First place votes in parentheses