CORRECTION: The original version of this article stated that the NCAA tournament is on May 15. The NCAA tournament is on May 2. Elon News Network regrets this error.
Shiny golden confetti, a water jug poured over head coach Elizabeth Anderson, grins from ear to ear, dancing and an exclamation of disbelief.
“I can’t believe I’m actually holding this,” senior Miray Konar screamed as she held the Coastal Athletic Association Championship trophy.
Those were the scenes at Jimmy Powell Tennis center in the early afternoon April 27. Elon women’s tennis made history, winning its first CAA Championship in program history by beating William & Mary 4-2 in a thrilling affair that came down to the wire. After the win, sophomore Simone Bergeron said that it felt like a dream.
“It still hasn't quite hit me that we just won conference,” Bergeron said. “It’s unreal, it’s actually crazy. We've worked for years and this season has been like a roller coaster of wins and losses, and we've worked so hard, we've conditioned harder than we ever had before, and it paid off in the end.”
William & Mary came into the match looking to win its fourth consecutive CAA Championship, but Elon was not any standard opponent. The Phoenix were the No. 1 seed in the tournament — the first time in program history — and beat the Tribe 4-3 recently in its final regular season match.
The day started with doubles, and all three Elon pairings lost their opening game, but that didn’t prove to be the norm. Bergeron, who was at No. 1 doubles with sophomore Mariana Reding, was lethal at the net, hitting volleys and putting the ball away. Reding and Bergeron, along with Elon’s No. 2 doubles pairing of junior Helen Sarikulaya and freshman Lisa Kranec, bounced back by holding serve and then breaking William & Mary’s serve to go up 2-1. Konar and freshman Heidi Bulger struggled like they did yesterday going down 5-0 quickly. They ended up losing 6-1.
Bergeron and Reding got it to 5-2 with the chance to win, but Bergeron was broken on her serve. Bergeron ended up hitting a spectacular shot near the net to clinch the 6-3 victory.
Mariana Reding hits a forehand in Elon’s win over William & Mary on April 27. Reding started off the season by being named to the 2025 All-CAA First Team - Doubles.
At 5-3, Kranec helped win the match 6-3 with a powerful overhead, eliciting chants and cheers from the Elon men’s tennis team who was in attendance, waiting for its championship match later in the day. The win at No. 2 doubles gave Elon the doubles point.
Going into singles, Elon needed to win three out of the six matches to clinch the championship.
Bergeron faced off against William & Mary’s Hedda Gurholt in No. 1 singles in what was likely the match of the tournament. The two of them put on a show, illustrating three incredible sets of pure tennis excellence.
“It was an insane match,” Bergeron said. “Constant ups and downs, but I just tried to grit through, trusted all of my training this year, and just got the support from my teammates and just got it done at the end of day.”
Bergeron started the match by holding serve, relying on her forehand to deliver a powerful punch and moved Gurholt around the court. Bergeron favored her net game as she went to the net to finish points. The match was defined by its lengthy rallies made up of groundstrokes from the baseline. Endurance was key, and Bergeron tried to outlast Gurholt by bringing the point to the net in order to quicken each point. She needed to avoid the long rallies to keep her stamina.
Bergeron said the match was hard but credited her ability to stay in those long rallies to the team’s dedication to conditioning this year.
“We conditioned more than we ever had, and it paid off unbelievably,” Bergeron said. “On a hot day like this, it's so crucial that we're able to hang in the long rallies like that. I'm prone to cramping, so I was just taking pickle juice shots on the side, trying to not cramp.”
Compared to a relatively quick doubles session, the singles lasted over two hours in a tight back-and-forth affair. No. 1, 2 and 3 singles were all tied at 2-2 early on. Bergeron went down 4-2 but fought back to win the next four games and win the first set 6-4. Gurholt battled back and wore Bergeron down with groundstrokes and won the next set 6-4.
Despite starting the match well and getting it to 3-3, Reding lost the first set 6-3. She left the court for several minutes in between sets, sparking a 2-1 start in the next set. However, it didn’t last long as she lost three straight games and ended up losing the match 6-3, 6-4.
Sarikulaya had some bright moments through her mix of topspin forehands and volleys but ended up losing the first set 6-3. She also started the second set off well, jumping to a 2-0 start but lost five straight games and couldn’t continue the momentum, losing the match 6-3, 6-3.
Meanwhile, Bulger was dominating and won the first set 6-2 and then went on cruise control in the second set, winning it 6-0.
With Bulger, Reding and Sarikulaya all finished, the overall score was 2-2 between Elon and William & Mary. The championship was coming down to the wire and each team needed to win two out of the three matches still going on. All three matches were in a final, deciding set.
Anderson said the team’s culture was crucial in its ability to keep focused amid three-set matches.
“We have a really good team culture, and they were just not willing to go away,” Anderson said. “It meant a lot that so many were competing out there together, working together, and that makes a difference because there was so much good energy and momentum.”
Kranec looked impressive early on in the third set, going up 3-1. She ended up winning the match 6-3, leaving Elon one point away from victory. All eyes were on junior Madison Cordisco, who was in a third set of her own, and Bergeron. A packed Jimmy Powell Tennis Center was mostly filled by Elon supporters as they cheered on Bergeron on Court 1. Bergeron said she tried not to look at the scoreboard and tried to keep her focus on just the court.
Bergeron attacked with ferocity at the baseline, hitting searing forehands down the line and across the court. Bergeron had found her rhythm in the deciding set, going up 5-2. Gurholt served to stay in the match and held. Bergeron was serving for the match at 5-3 but was broken as Gurholt’s return game moved Bergeron from side to side. However, Bergeron broke Gurholt’s serve in the following game and an impressive return on match point clinched the championship and the 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 victory. As she sealed the win, Bergeron immediately dropped to the ground in shock and sheer joy as her teammates ran toward her, embracing in a group hug.
As Gurholt walked away in defeat, Bergeron and her teammates jumped up and down in celebration, shedding tears with her teammates. Konar, who is the sole senior on the team, lifted the championship trophy as throngs of cheers came from the direction of the crowd.
Bergeron expressed her love for her teammates and said the future is bright for them.
“I love them with all of my heart. We all love each other,” Bergeron said. “They're fighters. Every single one of us is a fighter and we're out there all day supporting each other.”
Anderson credited the team’s grit and resilience this year and expressed how proud she was.
“They deserve this so much, and so I'm so proud of them,” Anderson said. “It's a really special moment right now to be able to do this at Elon too, it means so much to me.”
Elon’s win earns them an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, which starts May 2.