Elon Sweeps 2025 CAA Women's Tennis Postseason Honors

5/9/2025 2:30:00 PM

Rob Washburn

RICHMOND, Va. (May 9, 2025) – On the heels of capturing its first CAA Women’s Tennis Championship last month, Elon swept the three major postseason awards for the 2025 season in voting by the league’s head coaches.

Elon sophomore Simone Bergeron was selected as the CAA Player of the Year, Phoenix freshman Heidi Bulger was chosen as the CAA Rookie of the Year and Elon’s Elizabeth Anderson received CAA Coach of the Year accolades for the second time.

Bergeron compiled a 12-9 overall record in singles this season with all of her matches coming at the No. 1 position. The sophomore was named the Most Outstanding Player at the CAA Women’s Tennis Championship after providing the clinching point in the finals with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 victory over two-time CAA Player of the Year Hedda Gurholt of William & Mary. She also excelled in doubles, going 18-4 with partner Mariana Reding. Bergeron is Elon’s first CAA women’s tennis Player of the Year.

Bulger put together a sensational freshman campaign, posting an 18-4 overall record in singles. She was 13-1 at the No. 4 spot and closed the season on a 12-match winning streak. She added 11 victories in doubles with three different partners. Bulger is Elon’s second CAA Rookie of the Year, joining Lizette Reding in 2021.

Anderson guided Elon to a 19-6 overall record and its first CAA championship after a 4-2 victory over perennial power William & Mary in the finals. The record was the best for the program since 2012-13. The Phoenix closed the year on an eight-match winning streak before falling to 10^th-seeded Tennessee in its inaugural NCAA Tournament appearance. Anderson also was named CAA Coach of the Year in 2016.

Joining Bergeron on the All-CAA singles first team were William & Mary seniors Alessandra Anghel and Hedda Gurholt, UNCW junior Eda Arli, Delaware junior Maryia Hrynashka, and Charleston senior Maja Jekauc.

Making the All-CAA doubles first team were the Elon duo of Bergeron and sophomore Mariana Reding, the William & Mary tandem of Gurholt and senior Ine Stange, and the Charleston pair of freshman Sia Cariov and junior Francesca Salvato.

2025 CAA WOMEN’S TENNIS POSTSEASON AWARDS

CAA Player of the Year: Simone Bergeron, So., Elon
CAA Rookie of the Year: Heidi Bulger, Fr., Elon
CAA Coach of the Year: Elizabeth Anderson, Elon

First Team All-CAA Singles
Name, School                                                 Class                     Hometown
Alessandra Anghel, William & Mary Sr.                          Pistoia, Florence, Italy
Eda Arli, UNCW Jr.                          Izmir, Turkey
Simone Bergeron, Elon So.                         Vienna, Va.
Hedda Gurholt, William & Mary Sr.                          Oslo, Norway
Maryia Hrynashka, Delaware Jr.                          Rancho Cordova, Calif.
Maja Jekauc, Charleston Sr.                          Karlsruhe, Germany

First Team All-CAA Doubles
Name, School Class                     Hometown
Simone Bergeron, Elon So.                         Vienna, Va.
Mariana Reding, Elon                                    So.                         Leon, Mexico
Hedda Gurholt, William & Mary Sr.                          Oslo, Norway
Ine Stange, William & Mary Sr.                          Oslo, Norway
Sia Cariov, Charleston Fr.                          Delray Beach, Fla.
Francesca Salvato, Charleston Jr.                          Miami Beach, Fla.

Second Team All-CAA Singles
Name, School Class                     Hometown
Heidi Bulger, Elon                                           Fr.                          Ocean Ridge, Fla.
Mia Palladino, Stony Brook So.                         Brewster, N.Y.
Mariana Reding, Elon                                    So.                         Leon, Mexico
Elisa Rigazio, Drexel Sr.                          Lyon, France
Diana Starodubtseva, Hampton Jr.                          Kakhovka, Ukraine
Alina Vasilenko, Delaware Sr.                          Moscow, Russia

Second Team All-CAA Doubles
Name, School Class                     Hometown
Elif Albayrak, UNCW Jr.                          Istanbul, Turkey
Eda Arli, UNCW Jr.                          Izmir, Turkey
Lisa Kranec, Elon Fr.                          Cary, N.C.
Helen Sarikulaya, Elon                                   Jr.                          Rockville, Md.
Elisa Rigazio, Drexel Sr.                          Lyon, France
Sofiya Snitko, Drexel                                      Fr.                          Netanya, Israel

Third Team All-CAA Singles
Name, School Class                     Hometown
Oziera Ahmad, Charleston                           So.                         Hampton, N.H.
Sia Chaudry, William & Mary Jr.                          Midlothian, Va.
Stela Joksimovic, UNCW Sr.                          Chapel Hill, N.C.
Paulina Jurkowska, Delaware So.                         Redditch, England
Helen Sarikulaya, Elon Jr.                          Rockville, Md.
Sofiya Snitko, Drexel Fr.                          Netanya, Israel

Third Team All-CAA Doubles
Name, School Class                     Hometown
Alessandra Anghel, William & Mary Sr.                          Pistoia, Florence, Italy
Francesca Davis, William & Mary So.                         Glastonbury, Somerset, England
Cornelia Kack, Delaware Fr.                          Sigtuna, Sweden
Alina Vasilenko, Delaware                            Sr.                          Moscow, Russia
Maryia Hrynashka, Delaware Jr.                          Rancho Cordova, Calif.
Paulina Jurkowska, Delaware                      So.                         Redditch, England