Sher and Liljekvist Named All-BIG EAST

May 8, 2014

NEW YORK - Following a spring in which the Seton Hall tennis team posted 12 dual match victories, the program's highest total in over a decade, Pirate standouts Chloe Sher (Tin Shui Wai, Hong Kong) and sophomore Hannah Liljekvist (Djursholm, Sweden) were named to the 2014 All-BIG EAST Women's Tennis Team it was announced by the conference on Thursday morning.

Two of 12 individuals to earn the distinction, Sher closes her stellar career with a program record three-straight All-BIG EAST selections while Liljekvist picks up the honor in her debut season for The Hall after transferring from Saint Mary's (CA) in the fall.

Undoubtedly one of the most prolific players ever to take the court for Seton Hall, Sher was one of five unanimous selections after she once again made every one of her dual match singles appearances at the top position in the lineup; leading the team with 14 victories and a .667 winning percentage in head-to-head competition. Her spring ledger also included four wins against BIG EAST opposition - all of which came in straight sets - while all three of her conference losses came against individuals who are also present on this year's All-BIG EAST squad including fellow unanimous choices Patricia Fargas of DePaul (BIG EAST Player of the Year) and Xavier's Sydney Liggins (BIG EAST Freshman of the Year).

Over her final two campaigns, Sher amassed a dual match record of 9-4 (.692) against the best the league had to offer. In her final spring, the Hong Kong product rattled off eight consecutive wins in March, helping the squad to its most successful season in recent years.

In fact, over that eight-match stretch in which the Pirates went 7-1, Sher did not lose a single match as an individual or on the doubles court, earning consecutive BIG EAST Player of the Week Awards along the way. Playing beside classmate Rocio Portela (Demetrio Vega Baja, Puerto Rico), Sher was also one-half of The Hall's top doubles tandem and ultimately one of the premier pairs in the conference. Ranked #9 in the Northeast region by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) entering the spring, the two seniors went on to add to their program record win total as a duo by collecting 12 victories in 16 completed matches, an impressive stretch that also featured a 3-1 mark against BIG EAST opposition.

As the Pirates were making their charge through March, Portela and Sher posted six-straight wins and also prevailed in the final three matches of their storied careers to finish the season 9-2 in their last 11 appearances that reached completion.

Over four years, the two combined for over 70 doubles wins as a team and have been Seton Hall's all-time winningest pair since before the end of their sophomore campaign.

A revelation for the Pirates at the top of lineup, Hannah Liljekvist came on and provided an invaluable presence that helped elevate the squad to a new level in 2014. Just one season after the Pirates totaled only six wins from the second singles position, Liljekvist registered 10 victories at #2 in 18 outings. Her collection of triumphs included straight-set wins over Alana Prinos (Providence) and Kelly Comolli of Georgetown in the regular season. The sophomore later went on to finish the 2014 BIG EAST Championship as the only Pirate to record two singles victories; downing fellow All-BIG EAST honoree Alex Brinker (Xavier), 6-3, 6-1, before closing the year with a sweep of Butler's Konstantina Adami in a 4-0 Seton Hall shutout.

On three separate occasions in the spring, Liljekvist registered three-straight wins. She turned in several notable performances against non-conference foes including a 6-1, 6-1 drubbing of Connecticut's Emma Alderman and a 6-4, 6-2 win in Puerto Rico against East Carolina captain Melis Tanik who formerly competed in the BIG EAST with West Virginia. She was also victorious in her lone appearance at #1, dropping only two games against Adina Ungurean-Halagian of Saint Peter's.

The native Swede also played a large role in the Pirates' vastly improved doubles results, finishing behind only Portela and Sher with 11 dual match wins to her credit. Liljekvist split her time between the second and third positions on the doubles court, collecting four wins at #2 and seven at #3. By comparison, SHU compiled just 11 total victories as a team between the second and third doubles slots in 2013. Perhaps most impressively however, Liljekvist was The Hall's most successful doubles player against BIG EAST opposition during the regular season. Despite playing with three different partners in five matches, she finished with four doubles wins against league opponents.

Sher became the first Pirate selected to the All-BIG EAST Women's Tennis Team following the spring of 2012 and her joint selection along with Liljekvist marks the first time that two Seton Hall players have received the honor in the same season. Seton Hall was one of four squads in the 10-team league to have as many as two players selected; joining conference champions DePaul (4), as well as Marquette and Xavier who each also landed a pair of all-conference honors.

BIG EAST Player of the Year
Patricia Fargas, DePaul, Jr.

BIG EAST Freshman of the Year
Sydney Liggins, Xavier, Fr.

BIG EAST Coach of the Year
Mark Ardizzone, DePaul

All-BIG EAST

Kelsey Lawson, DePaul, Sr.

Patricia Fargas, DePaul, Jr. ^

Jasmin Kling, DePaul, Jr.

Ana Vladutu, DePaul, So. ^

Victoire Saperstein, Georgetown, Fr.

Ana Pimienta, Marquette, Jr. ^

Erin Gebes, Marquette, So.

Anastasia Polyakova, St. John's, Jr.