Andreea Novaceanu Named ITA East Senior Player of the Year

Novaceanu went 20-11 from the first singles position this season

Andreea Novaceanu

BUFFALO, NY- Senior Andreea Novaceanu (Bucharest, Romania/Emil Racovita) continued her stellar senior season as she was named the ITA East Senior Player of the Year the Intercollegiate Tennis Association announced.

Novaceanu played number one singles all season as she helped lead the Bulls to the University’s first ever Mid-American Conference Championship and their first ever trip to the NCAA Tournament. The Bulls played seventh-ranked UCLA where she faced the eighth-ranked player in the country in Riza Zalameda. Novaceanu took the first set from Zalameda, 6-4, and was leading in the match when play was halted. Zalameda was also named the ITA Senior Player of the Year for the West Region.

Novaceanu was named to the All-MAC First Team for the third time in four seasons this past year as she finished with a 20-11 mark in singles play. Novaceanu finished her brilliant four-year career with an 83-28 overall record in singles, which makes her the winningest singles player in UB women’s tennis history. Her 83 wins also tie her with Mike Rockman for the most singles victories in UB tennis history, men or women.

Novaceanu has been regionally ranked in each of the last two seasons as she was 22nd in the East as announced by the ITA and Fila in 2006-07 and this past season she was ranked 21st in the East. She was also the 18th ranked player in the ITA Regionals this past year where she went 1-1.

Novaceanu was also in the doubles draw at the ITA Regionals with fellow senior Tina Jacob (Singapore/Raffles JC). Over the course of the season, Novaceanu and Jacob finished with a 14-5 doubles record, including an 8-2 mark at third doubles.

Novaceanu is the first UB women’s tennis player to earn this award from ITA. She is also now one of eight regional winners who automatically qualify as finalists for the ITA National Senior Player of the Year.

ITA Senior Player of the Year
East -Andreea Novaceanu - University at Buffalo
Southeast-Amanda Taylor - Vanderbilt University
South-Kristi Miller - Georgia Tech
Midwest-Brook Buck - University of Notre Dame
Central-Anatasia Surkova - Brigham Young University
Southwest-Zuzana Zemenova - Baylor University
Northwest-Susie Babos - University of California-Berkeley
West-Riza Zalameda - University of California-Los Angeles

05/12/2008