Elon Phoenix Athletics | Today at Elon | þ /u/news Fri, 05 Jun 2026 17:49:13 -0400 en-US hourly 1 Elon Dance Team send-off video earns national SVG award /u/news/2026/06/04/elon-dance-team-send-off-video-earns-national-svg-award/ Thu, 04 Jun 2026 16:38:36 +0000 /u/news/?p=1049643 A video celebrating one of the most successful seasons in Elon Dance Team history has earned national recognition for its þ student production team.

Peter Sillitto ’26 (left) and Colin Dorroh ’27 pose with award
Peter Sillitto ’26 (left) and Colin Dorroh ’27 celebrate after accepting a Sports Video Group College Sports Media Award during a May 27 ceremony in Atlanta.

The “Elon Dance Team Send-Off” video, directed and edited by Peter Sillitto ’26 and produced in collaboration with the Elon Dance Team, received a Sports Video Group (SVG) College Sports Media Award for Outstanding In-Venue Video – Collegiate Student Championship. The award was presented May 27 in Atlanta during the 18th annual SVG College Sports Media Awards ceremony.

The honor came just weeks after the Elon Dance Team captured two national titles at the 2026 National Dance Association College National Championships, winning the Division I pom and Division I hip hop competitions. The back-to-back victories marked a historic achievement for the program, including Elon’s first national championship in the pom category.

Produced for the team’s trip to nationals, the video took a more narrative approach than previous send-off productions.

“Producing a send-off video is something we do every year, with the final piece being shown in the Schar Center and shared across social media,” said Sillitto, a cinema and television arts major. “This year, we wanted to take a more story-driven approach by focusing on the team’s journey to nationals. Our goal was to showcase not only their performances, but also the hard work, dedication and experiences that led them there.”

In addition to Sillitto, the student production team included Kristen Pearson ’27 and Meghan McGarrigle ’28 as producers; and Zack Golub ’26 and Colin Dorroh ’27 as creative producers and camera operators.

across multiple locations, capturing both cinematic visuals and authentic moments from practices, workouts and team activities.

“One of the biggest challenges was making sure we told the team’s real story, which meant being present and ready to film during genuine moments,” Sillitto said. “Capturing those authentic interactions and experiences was an important part of the creative process and helped make the final video feel more personal and meaningful.”

For Sillitto, the award reflects months of collaboration and effort from both the dancers and the production crew.

“I’m proud of the project because every year our goal is to create the best video possible, and we have a lot of creative freedom to experiment with new ideas and push ourselves creatively,” he said. “The final video represents months of hard work from both the dance team and the production crew, so we’re excited and grateful that the project has been recognized.”

Sillitto graduated from Elon in May and recently accepted a position with Booz Allen Hamilton as a videographer and social media content creator.

Sillitto and Dorroh attended the 2026 SVG College Summit in Atlanta alongside Anthony Bamford ’25, coordinating producer for Elon Sports Vision; Patrick Cunningham, director of live broadcast production for Elon Athletics; and students/recent graduates Philip Doherty ’26, Anthony Eppolito ’27 and Joey Marinello ’28.

This year marked another strong showing for Elon at the national competition – the university won its first-ever award in 2025. In addition to the winning Elon Dance Team send-off video, four other Elon productions were recognized as finalists in the Collegiate Student Championship division: “Football: Elon vs. North Carolina A&T,” “Strength Beyond the Game – Brodie Carroll,” “Win The Moment – Asher Cunningham” and “What It Takes – Elon Men’s Basketball Halftime Hype.”

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Susan Rosenstiel named Elon women’s golf head coach /u/news/2026/06/04/susan-rosenstiel-named-elon-womens-golf-head-coach/ Thu, 04 Jun 2026 14:19:01 +0000 /u/news/?p=1049586 Chandler family makes generous gift to Slattery Center /u/news/2026/05/26/chandler-family-makes-generous-gift-to-slattery-center/ Tue, 26 May 2026 15:45:26 +0000 /u/news/?p=1048030 A recent gift from Bob and Amy Chandler continues a nearly 60-year tradition of the Chandler family’s philanthropic support of Elon.

The Chandlers remain impressed by Elon’s commitment to sound strategic planning and doing what’s best for students. It’s what inspired the couple’s gift to Slattery Center, the university’s new hub for health and wellness that will integrate academics, wellness, campus recreation and fitness programs to ensure students gain the skills they need to succeed on campus and throughout their lives.

Scheduled to open later this year, Slattery Center is located within Elon’s Innovation Quad, home to the university’s engineering and other STEM programs. The center is part of the university’s broader HealthEU initiative to serve students, faculty and staff.

“It adds value and is beneficial when you can provide a place where students can go to be in community, exercise, receive counseling and focus on their well-being,” said Bob Chandler, former executive vice president of Chandler Concrete Co. “This facility shows that the university is aware of the challenges students face and how to help them in all aspects of their health.”

Slattery Center is scheduled to open later this year.

The HealthEU initiative focuses on six dimensions of health and wellness: community, emotional, purpose, financial, physical and social. The three-story Slattery Center will feature new classrooms, student-faculty research spaces, multiple floors for wellness and fitness activities, and the Mark and Kim Tyson Counseling Center, which will provide individual and group therapy, as well as workshops and outreach programs.

Through coursework, as well as workshops and training programs focused on health and wellness, Slattery Center will impact all students as they progress through their education and learn essential skills and practices related to wellness and well-being. The center is a key priority of the Boldly Elon strategic plan that will guide the university to 2030.

The couple’s gift will also endow the Chandler Family Global Experience Fund, strengthening Elon’s commitment to provide each of the university’s 17 varsity teams with a global experience every four years.

“Global experiences are a cornerstone of an Elon education, and thanks to Bob and Amy Chandler, our student-athletes will have the opportunity to deepen their understanding of the world while sharing their sport across cultures,” said Jennifer Strawley, director of athletics. “Bob and Amy are truly special people who value the holistic development of our student-athletes and their generosity will be felt for generations. I am deeply grateful for their many years of dedication to this university and for the profound difference they make in the lives of our student-athletes.”

“Our family has been sports fans for as long as I can remember. We love the energy and excitement athletics brings to campus and the opportunities it provides to students,” Bob Chandler said.

“Elon is a national leader in global study, and we are thrilled to help provide this experience for student-athletes,” he added. “It’s essential that students have the opportunity to witness other cultures and encounter the differences and similarities of the people there. It provides tremendous growth for a person and a deeper understanding of the world.”

The Chandler family is among Elon’s most generous and devoted donors, helping to shape one of the finest learning environments in the nation through their gifts to Belk Library, Rhodes Stadium, Ernest A. Koury, Sr. Business Center, Gerald L. Francis Center, Alumni Field House, Richard W. Sankey Hall, Schar Center, The Inn at Elon and Innovation Quad.

Bob Chandler’s parents, Tom and Lynn Chandler, also endowed the Chandler Family Professional Sales Center in the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business. Tom Chandler was the chairman and former CEO of Chandler Concrete, which he founded in 1973, and he served on Elon’s Board of Trustees for more than two decades before being elected Life Trustee in 2021. In 2023, Tom Chandler received the Elon Medallion, the university’s highest honor.

“Elon’s trajectory shows remarkable advancement,” Bob Chandler said. “Elon has a vision of what’s to come and how to keep the university moving forward. It is a vibrant and thriving university that is gratifying for the students, faculty and community.”

The university’s influence extends far beyond the campus.

“The impact that Elon has on Alamance County and the region is significant, and we feel it’s important for our family to support the university,” Bob said. “It’s a community that we are proud to be part of.”

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Commencement 2026: Simrin Carlsen G’26 connects purpose, data and people at Elon /u/news/2026/05/20/commencement-2026-simrin-carlsen-g26-connects-purpose-data-and-people-at-elon/ Wed, 20 May 2026 15:28:28 +0000 /u/news/?p=1048065 Simrin Carlsen G’26 will tell you Central Jersey exists.

She will also tell you Edison, New Jersey, her hometown, has a tower honoring Thomas Edison. She has visited once.

“It was electric,” Carlsen joked.

That quick humor is part of what makes Carlsen easy to talk to. But underneath the wit is a student-athlete with a clear sense of purpose, a sharp analytical mind and a deep interest in work that keeps people at the center.

Carlsen came to þ with one season of volleyball eligibility, a public health background and a question she was still working through: What comes next?

The answer, as it turned out, involved a familiar coach, a new team and a graduate program that helped her see how data could support the kind of mission-driven work she had always cared about.

Carlsen, a Master of Science in Business Analytics student, earned þ degrees in public health and environmental science from Johns Hopkins University. She had spent much of her academic and professional experience drawn to work with a clear purpose, especially in public health and environmental science.

“What stayed consistent for me was wanting to do work that felt mission-driven,” Carlsen said. “I wanted to be part of work that had a clear purpose and could make a meaningful difference for people.”

After completing her þ degree, Carlsen was considering her next step when she reconnected with Matt Troy, who had coached her at Johns Hopkins and was named Elon’s head volleyball coach in December 2024.

Simrin Carlsen G’26 receives the Team MVP award from Coach Matt Troy during the 2026 Phoenix Athletic Awards at Schar Center
Simrin Carlsen G’26 receives the Team MVP award from Coach Matt Troy during the 2026 Phoenix Athletic Awards at Schar Center

Carlsen still had one year of athletic eligibility remaining after an injury earlier in her college career, and Troy saw an opportunity for her to help shape a new chapter for Elon volleyball.

For Carlsen, the possibility of coming to Elon was about more than playing one more season.

“I knew I wanted to continue my education eventually, but I wanted it to feel purposeful,” Carlsen said. “The MSBA program felt like something I could fully invest in.”

Carlsen said the one-year structure, technical focus and support for students from different academic backgrounds made the program feel like the right fit. She saw it as a way to build the skills she wanted while staying connected to work that keeps people at the center.

“Hopkins gave me a strong foundation,” Carlsen said. “At Elon, I saw an opportunity to build on that with technical skills that would help me become a stronger employee and decision-maker.”

Carlsen found that Elon’s MSBA curriculum paired technical skills with practical application. In one trimester, she studied Python and Tableau in Assistant Professor Long Xia’s data visualization course while also taking “Business for the Greater Good” with Associate Professor Elena Kennedy.

For Carlsen, the pairing helped her understand analytics as more than numbers or software. It was also about how information is shared, understood and used.

“You’re getting the technical foundations,” Carlsen said, “but also learning how to translate those findings in a way that is ethical and makes sense to other stakeholders.”

That connection became clearer through her internship with Cone Health, where she worked on patient experience projects. The role helped her see how health care organizations can use data to identify gaps in care, understand patient experiences and make more informed decisions.

Simrin Carlsen G’26 poses with two people and Lottie, a therapy dog, inside a Cone Health building.
Carlsen at her internship with Cone Health

“I got to work on a whole bunch of different projects and figure out how every part of health care touches patient experience,” Carlsen said.

The experience helped confirm the direction she hopes to pursue after graduation.

“Ideally, it would be a role that is people-centric, but also uses analytics to make decisions and hopefully make their lives better,” Carlsen said.

Carlsen’s Elon experience also helped her understand leadership in a new way.

In a course taught by Brittany Mercado, associate professor of management and chair of the Department of Management and Entrepreneurship, Carlsen examined her own leadership style, practiced negotiation and worked through real-world scenarios involving conflict, influence and decision-making.

The timing was meaningful. She was coming off her final collegiate volleyball season and beginning to think about how the leadership skills she had built as an athlete could translate into professional settings.

“It was a class based on identifying your own leadership strategies and the way that you lead,” Carlsen said. “It was very tangible.”

Carlsen said Mercado brought leadership concepts to life by creating a discussion-based environment where students could connect course material to their own experiences.

“You can lecture all day long about leadership,” Carlsen said. “But what made the class meaningful was the way she shared real examples and encouraged us to think about how leadership shows up in our own lives.”

Simrin Carlsen G’26 stands with two classmates in front of her Cone Health Office of Patient Experience Internship research poster.
Carlsen stands with two classmates in front of her Cone Health Office of Patient Experience Internship research poster

Carlsen had spent more than a decade learning those lessons on the volleyball court.

She began playing around age 11 after watching her older sister play. She was drawn to the communication, shared responsibility and constant movement of the sport.

“There are six of you on the court. Everyone is touching the ball at some point,” Carlsen said. “Everything is a team effort.”

At Johns Hopkins, Carlsen competed on a successful Division III team that regularly reached the NCAA tournament, including a Final Four appearance during her senior season. At Elon, she stepped into something different: a new team, a new coaching staff

For Carlsen, coming to Elon was never about stepping into an established program. It was about being invited into one.

“Coach Troy gave me an opportunity I will always be grateful for,” Carlsen said. “I got to come here, work alongside an incredible group of players and help build something we could all be proud of. And I got to do it while getting an education that genuinely changed how I think. I couldn’t have asked for more than that.”

One of Carlsen’s favorite Elon volleyball memories came at Towson, the CAA leader that entered the weekend on an 18-match winning streak.

After dropping the opening match of the weekend, the Elon team came back the next day with nothing to lose and everything to gain.

“When you’re building something new, there’s a freedom to it. Every match is a chance to show people, and yourself, what you’re capable of,” she said.

The Phoenix pushed Towson to five sets and won the final set 17-15, snapping the Tigers’ winning streak and giving Elon its first win over Towson since 2022.

“It felt really good to beat someone that hadn’t been beaten in a long time,” Carlsen said.

That same mix of grit, humor and initiative carried through her graduate year. Carlsen moved to Elon knowing Coach Troy and almost no one else. The cohort structure of the MSBA program helped change that. þ took classes together, worked through the same challenges and built friendships through the intensity of a one-year graduate program.

A January study abroad experience in Madrid and Milan became a turning point for the cohort. The group visited companies, learned about international business practices and spent enough time together outside the classroom to become more than classmates.

Simrin Carlsen G’26 poses with a group of Elon students in front of the Colosseum in Rome.
Carlsen with the MSBA students in front of the Colosseum in Rome.

“You’re going out to dinner, you’re exploring a city, you’re in it together,” Carlsen said. “That was the point where we were all like, ‘Why not be friends?’”

The trip also gave Carlsen a broader view of how culture shapes business. In Spain, the group met with a U.S. commercial diplomat who discussed adapting to a more relationship-driven business culture. In Italy, students learned about the significance of “Made in Italy” goods and the role of craftsmanship, pace and cultural identity in business.

For a student interested in how decisions are made, the experience reinforced that analytics does not exist in a vacuum. Data helps people make choices, but those choices are always shaped by context.

Simrin Carlsen G’26 poses with Elon business students and faculty holding an þ Business flag inside a high-rise office overlooking a city skyline.Carlsen also found support through the Porter Family Professional Development Center, especially from Amanda Traugutt, senior associate director of career services – Love School of Business.

Carlsen reached out shortly after moving to Elon, bringing what she described as “a ton of really big ideas” about life after graduation. Traugutt helped her narrow them down, polish application materials and think more intentionally about possible career paths.

“She will walk with you where you are, but a few steps ahead to help lead you in the right direction,” Carlsen said. “She’s your biggest cheerleader.”

As graduation approaches, Carlsen is looking forward to sharing the moment with the people who understand what the year required. The MSBA program is fast, intense and, for Carlsen, layered with practices, lifts, games, travel, classes and an internship.

Her advice to future students is simple: take initiative.

“The best things that have come up for me have been direct products or byproducts of taking initiative,” Carlsen said.

That includes building relationships with professors, using career resources, connecting with classmates, and paying attention to the opportunities that appear along the way.

“I didn’t come in with a business background,” Carlsen said. “But I am leaving more confident in my ability to hold my ground in conversations about business and analytics.”Simrin Carlsen G’26 and four fellow Elon student-athletes pose in graduation caps and gowns

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Elon wins CAA Outdoor Track & Field championship /u/news/2026/05/18/elon-wins-caa-outdoor-track-field-championship/ Mon, 18 May 2026 13:04:23 +0000 /u/news/?p=1047869 Phoenix kicks off CAA tournament versus Camels /u/news/2026/05/04/phoenix-kicks-off-caa-tournament-versus-camels/ Mon, 04 May 2026 20:42:58 +0000 /u/news/?p=1046264 The Month in Photos: April 2026 /u/news/2026/05/01/month-in-photos-april-2026/ Fri, 01 May 2026 14:45:41 +0000 /u/news/?p=1046013

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As the spring semester at þ draws to a close, the campus remained vibrant and full of energy throughout April. The 2025–26 Elon Speaker Series wrapped up with a visit from bestselling author Frank Bruni, while nearly 200 students, faculty, and staff came together to celebrate Holi, the Hindu Festival of Colors. Progress also continued on the new Roberts Academy, and Elon hosted its largest-ever Spring Undergraduate Research Forum.

Take a look back at April through the lens of the University Communications team.

A new life for Holland House

University leaders and student-athletes celebrated a new era for Elon’s Holland House on South þ with a ribbon-cutting ceremony that debuted a preeminent home for the Phoenix men’s and women’s golf programs. Before the latest renovation, the building was home to two Elon presidents and administrative offices — and even moved across campus.

Members of the Board of Trustees, donors, and þ leaders including President Connie Ledoux Book and Director of Athletics Jenn Strawley cut the ribbon on April 10, 2026, during a rededication ceremony of the university’s Holland House on South þ.

The Montagues in McCrary

þ Performing Arts brought history’s most famous love story to McCrary Theatre with “Romeo and Juliet.” The Shakespearean tragedy tells the tale of Romeo, from the House of Montague, and Juliet, from the House of Capulet, who secretly fall in love and get married, despite their families disapproval.

Romeo and Juliet dress rehearsal at McCrary Theater on April 15, 2026.

Stargazing for mental health

þ were encouraged to engage with nature in support of their mental wellness through the Star Gazing for Mental Health event at Lake Verona. The Astronomy Club, Counseling Services, the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education and the Office of Sustainability sponsored the event.

Trollinger’s new look

Renovations have started on Trollinger House, which was once a small residence hall but will soon serve as the temporary location for Roberts Academy at þ, an all-day private school for children with dyslexia that opens in August.

Established in 2025 through a gift from philanthropists Hal and Marjorie Roberts of Lakeland, Florida, the Roberts Academy at þ will be the fourth in a series of successful university-based private elementary schools the couple also supported at Vanderbilt University, Mercer University and Florida Southern College.

Administrators and staff involved with the launch of the Roberts Academy at þ toured a Trollinger House under renovation in preparation for the arrival of third- and fourth-grade students in August.

A Holi Celebration

On April 10, a warm and sunny spring afternoon, nearly 200 students, faculty, and staff gathered on the lawn of the Lambert Academic Village to celebrate Holi, the Hindu Festival of Colors. This year marked the 14th anniversary of Holi at Elon, a tradition led by the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life.

Holi celebration on Phi Beta Kappa Commons on April 10, 2026.

Escaping the ‘age of grievance’

Journalist and bestselling author Frank Bruni delivered a sold-out Frank P. Elder Lecture in Whitley Auditorium on April 9. He explored how Americans are living in what he calls an “age of grievance,” a time where more people believe they are losing because someone else is winning. The Elder Lecture marks the final event of the 2025-26 þ Speaker Series.

James P. Elder Lecture with Frank Bruni at Whitley Auditorium on April 9, 2026.

A record-breaking SURF

þ held its largest-ever Spring Undergraduate Research Forum on April 28, featuring 384 presentations, including 229 poster presentations, 155 oral presentations, and performances.

SURF Day is an annual event at the university, during which other campus activities are suspended to celebrate the academically centered creative endeavors and research efforts of Elon students.

SURF presentations and posters at Alumni Gym on April 28, 2026.

Double CAA Champs

Both the men’s and women’s tennis teams took home CAA titles in April. The conference title was the , when the Phoenix also took down UNCW. This was Elon’s fifth straight CAA championship match, all of which were against the Seahawks. With the victory, Elon secures an automatic bid to the NCAA Men’s Tennis Championship.

The women have , with both championship match victories coming against William & Mary. With the win, Elon secured the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Women’s Tennis Championship.

Elon men’s tennis team win the CAA championship in 2026
The Elon women’s tennis team win the CAA championship in 2026

Go baby go!

For the first time, Elon students brought the Go Baby Go initiative to campus, adapting ride-on toy cars for children with mobility challenges.

The collaborative effort between the Elon Engineering Club, Phoenix Racing and the Department of Physical Therapy brought the Go Baby Go Initiative to Elon’s campus for the first time. Founded in 2012 at the University of Delaware, Go Baby Go is a national initiative that modifies ride-on toy cars to meet the individual physical needs of young children who experience mobility challenges.

A child tries out a new adapted toy car during the þ Go Baby Go event in April 2026.
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Elon Athletics sets dates for Night of the Phoenix, rescheduled Hall of Fame induction /u/news/2026/04/24/elon-athletics-sets-dates-for-night-of-the-phoenix-rescheduled-hall-of-fame-induction/ Fri, 24 Apr 2026 18:22:15 +0000 /u/news/?p=1045421 Elon women’s tennis wins second straight CAA title /u/news/2026/04/20/elon-womens-tennis-wins-second-straight-caa-title/ Mon, 20 Apr 2026 10:34:31 +0000 /u/news/?p=1044569 Sophomore Lisa Kranec clinched a second straight CAA title for the Elon women’s tennis team on April 19, 2026, winning the final singles match in a third-set tiebreak to lift the Phoenix in a thrilling 4-3 decision over host William & Mary in the conference’s championship match at the McCormack-Nagelsen Tennis Center in WIlliamsburg, Virginia.

The top-seeded Phoenix took the doubles point over the No. 2 seeded Tribe with wins on Courts 1 and 3. Simone Bergeron and Mariana Reding won at the top spot to set up the clinching victory by Kranec and Cornelia Kack on Court 3. Elon then then won three singles matches, with victories from Kack, Reding and Kranec, who clinched at the No. 5 spot.

Elon has won back-to-back CAA championships, with both championship match victories coming against William & Mary. With the win, Elon secured the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Women’s Tennis Championship.

The Rundown

  • Elon won a crucial doubles point with victories at the Nos. 1 and 3 spots.
  • On Court 1, Bergeron and Reding went down an early break but stormed back for a 6-2 triumph against the Tribe’s top tandem of Sia Chaudry and Francesca Davis. It was their fifth straight win together and their 13th of the season. The duo improved to 4-0 together in the last two CAA Tournaments.
  • Kack and Kranec seized early control of their match on Court 3 on the way to a decisive 6-2 win that clinched the opening point for the Phoenix. The pairing is 14-5 together this spring and won matches in both of Elon’s CAA Tournament victories.
  • This was the second time Kack and Kranec clinched the doubles point for Elon against William & Mary this season, as they also did so on April 3 in Williamsburg.
    Madison Cordisco and Alexis Nyborg trailed 5-3 on Court 2 when the doubles point was clinched.
  • The Tribe evened the score with a win at the No. 4 spot.
  • Kack nudged the Phoenix back in front with a convincing 6-1, 6-1 result over Chaudry on Court 1. It was Kack’s 13th win of the spring, 10 of which have come in straight sets. Kack is 6-1 since moving to the No. 1 singles position and went 4-0 against conference opponents this spring.
  • William & Mary again pulled even with a victory on Court 6.
  • In a back-and-forth battle on Court 3, Reding won the final four games in a final set to deliver a crucial point for the Phoenix. Reding came from an early break down to win the opening set against Tilda Larsson but found herself in a deciding frame. Reding fell behind 4-2 in the final set but broke back for 4-3 in the next game.
  • Looking to consolidate the break, Reding fell behind 0-40 in her next service game. However, she dug her way out of the hole and won a deuce point to hold for 4-4.
  • Reding broke in the next game to go ahead 5-4 and successfully served out a 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 victory in the ensuing service game. The win extended Reding’s winning streak to 12 matches as her 15 singles victories lead the Phoenix this season.
  • This was just Reding’s second completed match to reach a third set this season and was the second three-set victory of her CAA Tournament career.
  • Bergeron fought back to force a deciding set after dropping the first on Court 2 against Davis, breaking serve in the final game of the second set to push the match into a third. The match stayed on serve with Bergeron missing on a break point chance at 4-4. With Bergeron serving to stay in the contest in the next game, Davis won another deuce point to close out a 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 for the Tribe that leveled the match at 3-3.
  • While Bergeron’s match was finishing, Kranec was engaged in a dramatic tussle on Court 5 that proved to be the final match on court. Kranec dropped the opening set against Rebeka Svabikova but held serve four times in the second to get the score to 4-4. In the ninth game, Kranec won a deuce point to break Svabikova’s serve and then served out the set to sent the tilt into a third.
  • Kranec took early control in the decider, going ahead 3-0 after a hold, break and another hold. However, Svabikova got the break back and pushed the match set to 5-5. In the 11th game, Kranec manufactured a crucial hold of serve to go ahead 6-5 and force Svabikova to serve for a tiebreak. Svabikova successfully held to force the contest into a championship-deciding tiebreak.
  • In the tiebreak, Kranec sprinted out of the gates, winning the first point on her own serve before winning the next two points on Svabikova’s serve. Kranec then won both of her next two service points and took a 6-0 lead into the change of ends. Svabikova saved the first of six championship points but missed wide on a ground stroke on the second as Kranec secured the clinching 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (1) win for the Phoenix.
  • The win was Kranec’s second of the spring to come in a third set and the first of her career in a third-set tiebreak. The sophomore improved to 3-0 in completed CAA Tournament matches with the triumph.
  • It was Kranec’s 10th victory of the spring and the eighth to come at the No. 5 spot. She has now won two dual singles matches in her career after dropping the opening set, both coming in CAA championship matches against William & Mary.
  • This was Elon’s second 4-3 victory over the Tribe in Williamsburg this season, as the Phoenix also defeated William & Mary by that scoreline on April 3.
  • The Phoenix has now won four straight matches against the Tribe, a streak that started in the 2025 regular season. Elon won both matches against the Tribe in Williamsburg this season after losing its first five road matches in the sereis.
  • The victory was Elon’s first to come by a 4-3 score in a CAA Tournament match since 2022 in the semifinals against College of Charleston.
  • Elon has now won back-to-back conference championships for the first time as a Division I program. The title was Elon’s third under head coach Elizabeth Anderson, who also guided the Phoenix to the 2014 SoCon championship.
  • The match was played indoors due to afternoon rain in Williamsburg.

Up Next

Elon will return to the NCAA Tournament for a second straight season and for the third time as a Division I program. The NCAA Selection Show is set for April 27.

Results

Singles
1. Cornelia Kack (Elon) def. Sia Chaudry (W&M) 6-1, 6-1
2. Francesca Davis (W&M) def. Simone Bergeron (Elon) 6-3, 4-6, 6-4
3. Mariana Reding (Elon) def. Tilda Larsson (W&M) 6-4, 3-6, 6-4
4. Mira Kernagis (W&M) def. Alexis Nyborg (Elon) 6-1, 6-0
5. Lisa Kranec (Elon) def, Rebeka Svabikova (W&M) 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (1)
6. Ale Gonzalez-Galino (W&M) def. Madison Cordisco (Elon) 6-0, 6-2

Doubles
1. Simone Bergeron/Mariana Reding (Elon) def. Sia Chaudry/Francesca Davis (W&M) 6-2
2. Ale Gonzalez-Galino/Mira Kernagis (W&M) vs. Madison Cordisco/Alexis Nyborg (Elon) 5-3, unfinished
3. Cornelia Kack/Lisa Kranec (Elon) def. Emma Pell/Yaelle Vaissaud (W&M) 6-2

Order of finish: Doubles (1,3); Singles (4,1,6,3,2,5)

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Elon dethrones UNCW to win CAA Championship /u/news/2026/04/19/elon-dethrones-uncw-to-win-caa-championship/ Sun, 19 Apr 2026 19:12:51 +0000 /u/news/?p=1044561 The Elon men’s tennis team dethroned five-time reigning conference champion UNCW on April 19 to win its second Coastal Athletic Association crown, defeating the Seahawks 4-1 in the championship match at the Mackesy Tennis Center in Williamsburg, Virginia.

The Phoenix took the doubles point with a pair of tiebreak wins on Courts 1 and 3. Elon then won three singles courts, with victories by Oskar Antinheimo, Jack Curtis and Rafael Ymer to clinch the match. Ymer clinched the title with a three-set victory on Court 2.

The conference title was Elon’s first since 2019, when the Phoenix also took down UNCW. This was Elon’s fifth-straight CAA championship match, all of which were against the Seahawks. With the victory, Elon secures an automatic bid to the NCAA Men’s Tennis Championship.

The Rundown

  • For the second straight day, Elon made an escape in doubles, coming from a break down at the Nos. 1 and 3 spots to win both courts in tiebreaks.
  • The Seahawks took the first doubles match to finish on Court 2, forcing the Phoenix to win the last two courts.
  • On Court 1, Veljko Krstic and Nikola Parichkov overcame an early break deficit against Brady Hussey and Alex de Gabriele, getting the match back on serve and eventually into a tiebreak. Elon’s top tandem fell behind 3-0, but rallied to level the score at 3-3 at the change of ends. They took their first lead at 4-3 and never looked back, winning the next three points to take the tiebreak, 7-3.
  • The tiebreak win was the second in as many days for Krstic and Parichkov, who clinched the doubles point in yesterday’s semifinal victory against William & Mary by coming through a breaker. It was the pairing’s fourth tiebreak win of its seven triumphs this spring.
  • The doubles point came down to Oskar Antinheimo and Nick Fisk on Court 3, who went down a break on two occasions, including a break that allowed UNCW’s team of Jordi Domenech and Tomas Marin to serve for the match at 5-3. However, Antinheimo and Fisk broke serve and then held to level the contest at 5-5. Both teams added another hold to send the contest into a decisive tiebreak.
  • Antinheimo and Fisk raced out to a 4-0 lead and led 4-2 at the changeover. Elon again pulled away after the change of ends, winning the next three points to secure the match and a 1-0 lead. It was the first victory of the season for Antinheimo and Fisk in their third appearance together.
  • This was the first time the Phoenix won the doubles point against the Seahawks in the CAA title match in any of the last five years.
  • Antinheimo put the Phoenix up 2-0 with a 6-2, 7-5 victory on Court 4 against Oscar Baumgartner. Antinheimo cruised through the first set but trailed by an early break in the second. He quickly got the match back on serve and held a 6-5 lead in the frame entering the final game. The senior took a 15-40 advantage in Baumgartner’s service game and won the next point to clinch the match.
  • The victory was Antinheimo’s seventh of the spring and his first in four CAA championship match appearances.
  • UNCW pulled back within one with a victory at the top singles spot.
  • Curtis moved Elon to within a point of the title with a 6-2, 7-5 victory over Domenech on Court 3. Curtis led by a break early in the second set but Domenech got the score back to 5-5. Curtis responded, breaking Domenech for a 6-5 lead before serving out the win in the ensuing game. It was the second straight season Curtis has won in singles in the CAA title match. The junior now has six singles wins this spring.
  • For the second straight match, Ymer clinched victory for the Phoenix, coming from a set down against de Gabriele to win 3-6, 6-3, 6-1. It extended the junior’s winning streak to nine matches as he has won 16 singles contests on the season. The sophomore improved to 6-1 in deciding sets this season with the victory, with three of those triumphs coming from a set down.
  • Parichkov also led 4-1 in a third set when his match was halted on Court 5, with Charles Pilet up a break in his third set at the No. 6 spot.
  • Elon has now won two CAA championships, with both coming via wins in the final against UNCW. It is Elon’s first conference title.

Up Next

Elon will make its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2019 and its fourth as a Division I program. The NCAA Selection Show is set for April 27.

Results

Singles
1. Lukas Steffen (UNCW) def. Veljko Krstic (Elon) 7-5, 6-2
2. Rafael Ymer (Elon) def. Alex de Gabriele (UNCW) 3-6, 6-3, 6-1
3. Jack Curtis (Elon) def. Jordi Domenech (UNCW) 6-2, 7-5
4. Oskar Antinheimo (Elon) def. Oscar Baumgartner (UNCW) 6-2, 7-5
5. Nikola Parichkov (Elon) vs. Tomas Marin (UNCW) 6-2, 5-7, 4-1, unfinished
6. Charles Pilet (Elon) vs. Brady Hussey (UNCW) 6-7 (3), 6-4, 1-0, unfinished

Doubles
1. Veljko Krstic/Nikola Parichkov (Elon) def. Brady Hussey/Alex de Gabriele (UNCW) 7-6 (2)
2. Lukas Steffen/William Dean (UNCW) def. Jack Curtis/Rafael Ymer (Elon) 6-1
3. Oskar Antinheimo/Nick Fisk (Elon) def. Jordi Domenech/Tomas Marin (UNCW) 7-6 (2)

Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3); Singles (4,1,3,2)

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