Four Redbirds Earn MVC Scholar-Athlete Honors

ST. LOUIS – A quartet of Illinois State standouts were named to the Missouri Valley Conference 2022 Women's Tennis Scholar-Athlete Team on Friday, before the start of the 2022 MVC Women's Tennis Championship. Tijana Zlatanovic and Elena Jankulovska were named to the First Team, while Maria Potsi and Alexandra Abyasova earned Honorable Mention honors.

A total of sixteen student-athletes were named to the 2022 MVC Scholar-Athlete Teams, with seven of them named to the First Team. The criterion for the honor parallels the CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America) standards for Academic All-America voting. Nominees must have participated in at least 75% of the regular season matches or be projected to play in the MVC Championship, with at least a 3.30 cumulative GPA (on a 4.00 scale). 

Zlatanovic, who also earned MVC All-Select honors on the court, earns her first MVC Scholar-Athlete Team honor as she maintains a 3.93 GPA in exercise science. The 2021 MVC Individual Champion at No. 1 singles, Zlatanovic has posted a 17-14 overall singles record, including a 4-1 record at No. 1 in MVC play during the regular season and was named a four-time MVC Singles Player of the Week. She is also 4-1 in doubles action with partner Tara Damnjanovic in MVC matches all at the No. 1 spot.

Jankulovska joins Zlatanovic on the MVC Scholar-Athlete First Team with a 4.0 cumulative GPA in psychology. She has posted a 18-14 overall singles record, including a 6-2 mark at the No. 6 spot. 

Potsi and Abyasova were honorable mention selections on the list. Potsi, a biomechanics major with a 3.67 GPA, earned All-MVC First Team honors at the No. 3 singles spot with a perfect 3-0 mark and earned All-MVC honors at No. 2 doubles with partner Penelope Abreu. Potsi has posted has an overall singles record of 18-6 and holds a perfect 5-0 mark in MVC doubles play with Abreu. 

Abyasova holds a 3.75 GPA in parks and recreation administration and has combined with partner Laura Fitzgerald for a 20-3 mark overall in doubles. She has also posted a 21-15 mark in singles play this season, with a 11-8 mark in dual meets and a 3-2 record in MVC play.

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