William & Mary's Saric Headlines 2021 All-CAA Women's Tennis Team
Rob Washburn
RICHMOND, Va. (May 11, 2021) – William & Mary junior
Mila Saric was chosen as the 2021 Colonial Athletic Association women’s tennis Player of the Year by a vote of the league’s head coaches.
Also receiving top women’s tennis honors from the conference were Elon freshman
Lizette Reding, who was selected as the CAA Rookie of the Year, and James Madison’s
Shelley Jaudon, who earned CAA Coach of the Year accolades.
Saric becomes William & Mary’s sixth different CAA Player of the Year over the past eight seasons. The junior compiled an impressive 11-3 record at No. 1 singles, highlighted by a pair of victories over nationally ranked Holly Hutchinson of Old Dominion. She closed the season on an eight-match winning streak, which included a 3-0 mark in the CAA Women’s Tennis Championship that earned her Most Outstanding Performer honors. Saric was 7-2 in doubles with partner Vitoria Okuyama and finished 10-4 overall.
Reding is the first Elon player to be selected as the CAA Rookie of the Year. The freshman put together a sensational rookie campaign with a 16-3 record in singles, mostly at the No. 3 slot. She won eight of her final nine matches, with the only setback coming in three sets. Reding and partner Alison O’Dea were 11-6 in doubles.
Jaudon received her second straight CAA Coach of the Year award after guiding James Madison to back-to-back conference titles. The Dukes defeated Towson (4-0), Charleston (4-0) and William & Mary (4-2) to earn the CAA Championship and their second NCAA Tournament berth in school history. JMU finished the season with a 14-4 record, with three of the four losses coming to nationally ranked opponents.
Joining Saric on the All-CAA first team in singles were James Madison sophomore
Daria Afanasyeva, Delaware sophomore
Eliza Askarova, Charleston senior
Eva Nyikos, James Madison senior
Jona Roka and Elon sophomore
Sibel Tanik.
Three doubles teams received first-team All-CAA honors as well. Chosen to the squad were JMU’s Afanasyeva and senior
Alexis Franco, Delaware’s Askarova and senior
Sarah Whited, and William & Mary’s Saric and senior
Vitoria Okuyama.
2021 ALL-CAA WOMEN’S TENNIS TEAMS
First Team
Singles
Daria Afanasyeva, James Madison So. Moscow, Russia
Eliza Askarova, Delaware So. Philadelphia, Pa.
Eva Nyikos, Charleston Sr. Neusiedl Am See, Austria
Jona Roka, James Madison Sr. Lorton, Va.
Mila Saric, William & Mary Jr. Los Cristianos-Arona, Tenerife, Spain
Sibel Tanik, Elon So. Raleigh, N.C.
Doubles
Daria Afanasyeva, James Madison So. Moscow, Russia
Alexis Franco, James Madison Sr. Largo, Fla.
Eliza Askarova, Delaware So. Philadelphia, Pa.
Sarah Whited, Delaware Sr. Virginia Beach, Va.
Vitoria Okuyama William & Mary Sr. Arapongas, Parana, Brazil
Mila Saric, William & Mary Jr. Los Cristianos-Arona, Tenerife, Spain
Second Team
Singles
Jojo Bach, Delaware So. Cowfold, United Kingdom
Slade Coetzee, Charleston So. Miami Beach, Fla.
Charlotte Madson, UNCW Gr. Pittsburgh, Pa.
Vitoria Okuyama, William & Mary Sr. Arapongas, Parana, Brazil
Lizette Reding, Elon Fr. Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico
Sarka Richterova, Drexel So. Prague, Czechia
Doubles
Themis Haliou, Towson Jr. Strovolos, Cyprus
Alexa Martinez, Towson Sr. Havre De Grace, Md.
Kylie Moulin, James Madison So. Lithia, Fla.
Jona Roka, James Madison Sr. Lorton, Va.
Jojo Bach, Delaware So. Cowfold, United Kingdom
Isabella Montana, Delaware So. Miami, Fla.
Third Team
Singles
Alexis Franco, James Madison Sr. Largo, Fla.
Kylie Moulin, James Madison So. Lithia, Fla.
Isabella Montana, Delaware So. Miami, Fla.
Natalia Nikolopoulou, James Madison So. Athens, Greece
Victoria Saldh, Elon Jr. Gothenburg, Sweden
Daniela Voloh, James Madison So. Thornill, Ontario, Canada
Doubles
Zoe Huffman, UNCW So. Maiden, N.C.
Charlotte Madson, UNCW Gr. Pittsburgh, Pa.
Alison O’Dea, Elon Fr. Dublin, Ireland
Lizette Reding, Elon Fr. Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico
Vitoria Okuyama, William & Mary Sr. Arapongas, Parana, Brazil
Jill van den Dungen, William & Mary Gr. Mierlo, Netherlands
2021 CAA WOMEN’S TENNIS PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Mila Saric, William & Mary
2021 CAA WOMEN’S TENNIS ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Lizette Reding, Elon
2021 CAA WOMEN’S TENNIS COACH OF THE YEAR: Shelley Jaudon, James Madison