Xavier University Athletics
Imani Graham Named BIG EAST Player of the Year, Abby Nugent Freshman of the Year
05.03.23 | Women's Tennis
Graham and Nugent are joined by Kat Lyman on the All-Conference Team
NEW YORK – After winning a third-straight BIG EAST Championship, three Musketeers earned All-BIG EAST honors, including a pair of major awards. Imani Graham was selected as the BIG EAST Player of the Year, while Abby Nugent was named the BIG EAST Freshman of the Year. Kat Lyman also earned All-BIG EAST.
Imani Graham was a unanimous selection to the All-BIG EAST First Team, earning all-conference honors for a second-straight year. Graham led Xavier with 13 wins in the No. 1 singles spot, going undefeated in BIG EAST play. Among her win were victories over BIG EAST First Team Selections Emilija Kojcic of Marquette, Maria Constantinou of UConn, and Yuliya Kizelbasheva of DePaul, as well as second team selection Lalita Devarkonda of St. John's. She also picked up wins against Purdue, James Madison, Michigan State, Cincinnati and Wichita State.
Graham, a junior originally from St. Johns, Fla., also had nine doubles wins, primarily playing at No. 2 with Anna Roggenburk, including wins against Indiana, Purdue, UConn, Marquette and Creighton.
Graham was named the BIG EAST Singles Player of the Week for the week of April 17 and was named the Doubles Team of the Week, paired with Anna Roggenburk, for the week of April 10. Graham is Xavier's first BIG EAST Player of the Year since Sydney Liggins earned the honor in 2016.
Abby Nugent earned Freshman of the Year honors and a spot on the All-BIG EAST Second Team after going 10-6 in singles play and 11-5 in doubles.
Among her wins in singles, primarily played at No. 3, were victories over DePaul, Michigan State, Cincinnati and Indiana.
Nugent, originally from Springboro, Ohio, played 19 matches at No. 1 doubles, paired with Kat Lyman. The duo collected wins over BIG EAST opponents DePaul, Creighton and St. John's, as well as Penn State, Purdue, JMU and Memphis.
Nugent was named the BIG EAST Singles Player of the Week for the week of February 20. Nugent is Xavier's fourth BIG EAST Freshman of the Year, joining Anna Roggenburk (2021), Emily Thomas (2019) and Sydney Liggins (2014)
Kat Lyman earned a spot on the All-BIG EAST Second Team after collecting 10 singles wins and 11 doubles wins, helping Xavier to a third-straight BIG EAST Championship.
Lyman, a redshirt junior from Mount Pleasant, S.C., had singles wins over All-BIG EAST honoree Yesica de Lucas of St. John's, as well as conference wins against Creighton, DePaul and Marquette, and wins in the matches against Wichita State, Michigan State and Penn State.
Lyman partnered with Abby Nugent in the No. 1 spot in 19 matches. The duo collected wins over BIG EAST opponents DePaul, Creighton and St. John's, as well as Penn State, Purdue, JMU and Memphis.
This is Lyman's second selection to the All-BIG EAST Team, also earning a spot on the All-Conference second team following the 2021 season.
BIG EAST Women's Tennis
Player of the Year: Imani Graham, Xavier
Freshman of the Year: Abby Nugent, Xavier
Coaching Staff of the Year: Creighton
First Team All-BIG EAST (alphabetical)
Natalie Boesing, Butler
Maria Constantinou, UConn^
Imani Graham, Xavier^
Yuliya Kizelbasheva, DePaul
Emilija Kojcic, Marquette
Malvika Shukla, Creighton
Second Team All-BIG EAST (alphabetical)
Mouna Bouzgarru, St. John's
Lalita Devarakonda, St. John's
Yesica de Lucas, St. John's
Kat Lyman, Xavier
Valerie Negin, Creighton
Abby Nugent, Xavier
Imani Graham was a unanimous selection to the All-BIG EAST First Team, earning all-conference honors for a second-straight year. Graham led Xavier with 13 wins in the No. 1 singles spot, going undefeated in BIG EAST play. Among her win were victories over BIG EAST First Team Selections Emilija Kojcic of Marquette, Maria Constantinou of UConn, and Yuliya Kizelbasheva of DePaul, as well as second team selection Lalita Devarkonda of St. John's. She also picked up wins against Purdue, James Madison, Michigan State, Cincinnati and Wichita State.
Graham, a junior originally from St. Johns, Fla., also had nine doubles wins, primarily playing at No. 2 with Anna Roggenburk, including wins against Indiana, Purdue, UConn, Marquette and Creighton.
Graham was named the BIG EAST Singles Player of the Week for the week of April 17 and was named the Doubles Team of the Week, paired with Anna Roggenburk, for the week of April 10. Graham is Xavier's first BIG EAST Player of the Year since Sydney Liggins earned the honor in 2016.
Abby Nugent earned Freshman of the Year honors and a spot on the All-BIG EAST Second Team after going 10-6 in singles play and 11-5 in doubles.
Among her wins in singles, primarily played at No. 3, were victories over DePaul, Michigan State, Cincinnati and Indiana.
Nugent, originally from Springboro, Ohio, played 19 matches at No. 1 doubles, paired with Kat Lyman. The duo collected wins over BIG EAST opponents DePaul, Creighton and St. John's, as well as Penn State, Purdue, JMU and Memphis.
Nugent was named the BIG EAST Singles Player of the Week for the week of February 20. Nugent is Xavier's fourth BIG EAST Freshman of the Year, joining Anna Roggenburk (2021), Emily Thomas (2019) and Sydney Liggins (2014)
Kat Lyman earned a spot on the All-BIG EAST Second Team after collecting 10 singles wins and 11 doubles wins, helping Xavier to a third-straight BIG EAST Championship.
Lyman, a redshirt junior from Mount Pleasant, S.C., had singles wins over All-BIG EAST honoree Yesica de Lucas of St. John's, as well as conference wins against Creighton, DePaul and Marquette, and wins in the matches against Wichita State, Michigan State and Penn State.
Lyman partnered with Abby Nugent in the No. 1 spot in 19 matches. The duo collected wins over BIG EAST opponents DePaul, Creighton and St. John's, as well as Penn State, Purdue, JMU and Memphis.
This is Lyman's second selection to the All-BIG EAST Team, also earning a spot on the All-Conference second team following the 2021 season.
BIG EAST Women's Tennis
Player of the Year: Imani Graham, Xavier
Freshman of the Year: Abby Nugent, Xavier
Coaching Staff of the Year: Creighton
First Team All-BIG EAST (alphabetical)
Natalie Boesing, Butler
Maria Constantinou, UConn^
Imani Graham, Xavier^
Yuliya Kizelbasheva, DePaul
Emilija Kojcic, Marquette
Malvika Shukla, Creighton
Second Team All-BIG EAST (alphabetical)
Mouna Bouzgarru, St. John's
Lalita Devarakonda, St. John's
Yesica de Lucas, St. John's
Kat Lyman, Xavier
Valerie Negin, Creighton
Abby Nugent, Xavier
Players Mentioned
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