For the second straight week, an Elon University women’s tennis player has been named Southern Conference Player of the Week. This week’s honor went to senior Jordan Johnston, who went 3-1 during matches played March 17-23.
Johnston went 2-0 in singles play during the week, starting with a three-set victory over Ansley Speaks of Furman University in Elon’s 4-3 loss to the Paladins March 21. Speaks took the first set by a narrow 7-6 margin, but Johnston stormed back to take the second and third sets, as well as the match, 6-7, 6-0, 6-2.
Johnston once again showed this resiliency March 22 against Wofford College. She dropped the first set, 3-6, to Sarah Evans, but lost only one game in the next two sets to win the match, 3-6, 6-0, 6-1. Johnston is 9-1 in her last ten singles matches, her only loss coming to Kimmy Guerin of Wake Forest University March 16.
At No. 1 doubles, Johnston and her partner, junior Barbora Lazarova, went 1-1 in their matches against Furman and Wofford. The pair dropped an 8-5 decision to Alex Moreno-Kaste and Katherine Oudin of Furman March 21, but rebounded to handily defeat Evans and Julia Paulson of Wofford March 22 by an 8-1 margin. Since being paired together Feb. 22, Johnston and Lazarova hold a record of 5-2.
Johnston becomes the second Elon women’s tennis player to win SoCon Player of the Week this season. This is the second straight week that a Phoenix has earned the honor, as Lazarova won the award for matches played March 10-16.