Player of the Week
Polina Zelentsova, District of Columbia
Junior | Chaiky, Ukraine
Polina Zelentsova went 4-0 on the week for the Firebirds, earning victories in both singles and doubles competition as the Firebirds split their two conference matchups. She opened the week with a dominant performance against Daemen University, posting straight-set wins at No. 1 singles (6-3, 6-0) and partnering with Célia Bastin for a decisive 6-1 victory at No. 1 doubles. She carried that momentum into the weekend against D’Youville University, rallying for another pair of hard-fought wins - including rallying from a first-set loss to claim a thrilling 0-6, 6-4, 7-6(0) win at the No. 1 position, and a 7-6(5) tiebreak win in doubles play.
Rookie of the Week
Marley Conover, Daemen
Freshman | San Luis Obispo, CA
Conover picked up two wins, helping the Wildcats defeat Oswego 7-0 on Sunday, snapping Daemen's losing streak. She earned a 6-1 win at No. 1 doubles. Conover then picked up a dominating 6-0, 6-0 victory at No. 1 singles. She now has three doubles wins and three singles victories this season.
ECC Weekly Honor Roll
Celia Bastin, District of Columbia
Senior | Dinant, Belgium
Célia Bastin turned in a perfect 4-0 week for the Firebirds, earning victories in both singles and doubles play as UDC split its two East Coast Conference matchups. Bastin was dominant in the Firebirds’ win over Daemen University, securing straight-set victories at No. 2 singles 6-1, 6-0, and pairing with Polina Zelentsova to claim the No. 1 doubles point. She followed that up with another standout performance against D’Youville University, where she battled to a 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 triumph at No. 2 singles and helped clinch doubles with a 7-6(5) win at the top spot.
Erika Ismailova, D’Youville
Freshman | Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
Ismailova has continued to build on a great start to the 2025 fall campaign with a 7-5, 6-4 singles victory on Saturday at UDC. Ismailova moves to 6-1 in singles competition on the season, with her lone loss coming in the ITA round of 16. She was also credited with a doubles forfeit victory, moving her doubles record to 2-2 on the year.
Mina Randjelovic, D’Youville
Sophomore | Paracin, Serbia
Randjelovic took the deciding point in a 4-3 victory at UDC on Saturday, vaulting the Dawgs to 3-0 in the fall season. After dropping the doubles point in a tie-break, the score sat at 3-1 in favor of DYU with the top 3 singles matches still in progress. #2 singles lost their match, and #1 was heading into a deciding set when Mina secured the final point for DYU (4-6, 6-3, 6-1), locking up the victory and continuing an unprecedented start to the Saints tennis campaign.
ECC Women's Tennis Weekly Award Winners
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Sept. 23 - Mina Randjelovic, D’Youville
Sept. 30 - Lilie Bizouerne, Queens
Oct. 7 - Marie Bertran, Queens
Oct. 14 - Polina Zelentsova, District of Columbia
Oct. 21 - Polina Zelentsova, District of Columbia (2x)
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Sept. 23 - Nele Herbst, D’Youville
Sept. 30 - Erika Ismailova, D’Youville
Oct. 7 - Florentina Schmidt, Queens
Oct. 14 - Ela Vasic, Queens
Oct. 21 - Marley Conover, Daemen
1. Queens - 22 points (4 first-place votes)
2. St. Thomas Aquinas - 19 points (1 first-place vote)
3. District of Columbia - 18 points
4. Daemen - 8 points
5. D'Youville - 8 points