WEST WINDSOR, NJ (Apr. 19, 2024) – The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) has announced the 2024 Women’s Tennis Major Award winners and All-MAAC Teams, voted on by the league’s seven head coaches.
Headlining the major award winners was unanimous MAAC Coach of the Year, Jeff Bricker from Fairfield University. In his 10
th season at the helm of Fairfield, Bricker led the Stags to the program’s fifth overall MAAC Regular Season Championship in its history, the first under his guidance and first in over a decade, with the last trophy coming back in 2013. His Stags went undefeated in 2024, posting a perfect 6-0 MAAC mark and 10-8 overall record, having closed out the season on a seven match winning streak. During the seven match unbeaten streak, the Stags outscored their opponents by a dominating 39-5 score, recording four shutouts along the way. His team’s most notable win of the season came during the regular season finale on April 15 when the Stags topped rival Quinnipiac, 4-1, snapping the Bobcats 16-match league winning streak which dated back to the spring of 2022 and ultimately secured the regular season title for Fairfield. The coach of the year honor is the second of Bricker’s career, having also garnered the award in 2019 when he led Fairfield to its last MAAC Championship title.
Sofia Kostirko from Mount St. Mary’s University was selected as the 2024 MAAC Player of the Year. A graduate student from Ontario, Canada, Kostirko went 12-2 in dual matches at #1 singles this season. In conference matches, she recorded a 5-1 mark, winning four out of the five MAAC matches in two sets. In doubles action, Kostirko won six overall matches and went 2-2 against MAAC opponents at #1 doubles. Additionally, she was selected to the All-MAAC First Team at #1 singles and picked up MAAC Player of the Week honors on March 20.
Marist College freshman captain, Caterina Assi was named 2024 MAAC Rookie of the Year. A native of Santa Fe, Argentina, Assi won a total of eight matches at both #1 singles and #1 doubles in MAAC play. She went 4-1 in conference singles action, recording three wins in straight sets at the #1 spot. In doubles, Assi also played at the #1 flight for all of MAAC matches, picking up four wins. Moreover, she defeated the #1 player for three out of the four MAAC schools in the season ending tournament and she claimed MAAC Player of the Week accolades on March 6.
The full list of major awards winners and All-MAAC Teams are below.
| 2024 Women’s Tennis Major Awards |
| Awards |
Player |
School |
| Player of the Year |
Sofia Kostirko |
Mount St. Mary's |
| Rookie of the Year |
Caterina Assi |
Marist |
| Coach of the Year |
Jeff Bricker* |
Fairfield |
| All-MAAC First Team |
| Player |
Class |
Position |
School |
| Sofia Kostirko |
Gr. |
#1 Singles |
Mount St. Mary's |
| Laia Giralt |
Jr. |
#2 Singles |
Siena |
| Nicolette Loeffler* |
Fr. |
#3 Singles |
Fairfield |
| Caitlin Flower* |
1Y. |
#4 Singles |
Quinnipiac |
| Lily Malinowski |
Fr. |
#5 Singles |
Fairfield |
| Maeve Cassidy |
Fr. |
#6 Singles |
Fairfield |
| Laia Giralt/Alexa Wilson* |
Jr./Sr. |
#1 Doubles |
Siena |
| Caitlin Flower/Caroline Schulson* |
1Y./1Y. |
#2 Doubles |
Quinnipiac |
| Laina Campos/Nicolette Loeffler |
Gr./Fr. |
#3 Doubles |
Fairfield |
| All-MAAC Second Team |
| Player |
Class |
Position |
School |
| Alexa Wilson |
Sr. |
#1 Singles |
Siena |
| Katarina Plumtree |
Sr. |
#2 Singles |
Fairfield |
| Maria Gabriela Melo |
Fr. |
#3 Singles |
Niagara |
| Jaida Borg |
Sr. |
#4 Singles |
Niagara |
| Emma Boggiali |
Sr. |
#4 Singles |
Siena |
| Dominique Yeo |
Sr. |
#5 Singles |
Quinnipiac |
| Enrica Favaron |
So. |
#6 Singles |
Niagara |
| Maeve Cassidy/Sarah Liu |
Fr./So. |
#1 Doubles |
Fairfield |
| Lily Malinowski/Francesca Karman |
Fr./Gr. |
#2 Doubles |
Fairfield |
| Zaara Omar/Emma Boggiali |
Fr./Sr. |
#3 Doubles |
Siena |
*Denote Unanimous Selection
The 2024 MAAC Men's & Women's Tennis Championships will take place on April 20-21 at Mercer County Park Tennis Center in West Windsor, NJ. The 2024 Championships will be the 12
th consecutive time the event is held at Mercer County Park Tennis Center dating back to the 2012 MAAC Men's & Women's Tennis Championships. For all information regarding the 2024 MAAC Men's & Women’s Tennis Championships, please visit
maacsports.com/tennis.
About the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
With 11 institutions strongly bound by the sound principles of quality and integrity in academics and excellence in athletics, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) is in its 43rd year of competition during the 2023-24 academic year. Current conference members include: Canisius University, Fairfield University, Iona University, Manhattan College, Marist College, Mount St. Mary’s University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena College. Merrimack College and Sacred Heart University will join the MAAC as full members in the 2024-25 academic year, expanding the conference to 13 institutions.
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