Elon's Reding, UNCW's Steffen Chosen As Most Outstanding Players At CAA Tennis Championships
Rob Washburn
RICHMOND, Va. (April 24, 2026) – Elon junior
Mariana Reding and UNCW senior
Lukas Steffen have been selected as the top performers at the 2026 CAA Tennis Championships by a vote of the participating coaches.
Reding was chosen as the Most Outstanding Player at the Women’s Tennis Championship after playing a key role in Elon capturing its second straight conference title. Competing at No. 3 singles, the junior clinched the match in a 4-0 semifinal win against Drexel by defeating Adva Dabah, 6-2, 6-3. In a narrow 4-3 victory over William & Mary in the finals, she battled past Tilda Larsson, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4. Reding and partner Simone Bergeron also posted a 2-0 mark at No. 1 doubles.
Steffen was picked as the Most Outstanding Player at the Men’s Tennis Championship after recording a pair of impressive victories for UNCW. Competing at No. 1 singles, the senior topped Drexel’s Tarek Erlewein, 6-3, 6-4, to help the Seahawks rally for a 4-3 victory in the semifinals. In the finals, he beat Elon’s Veljko Krstic, 7-5, 6-2, for UNCW’s lone point in a 4-1 setback to the Phoenix. Steffen and partner William Dean were also 1-1 at No. 2 doubles in the tournament.