IRVING, Texas – SMU graduate student Taylor Johnson has been chosen as the 2024 American Athletic Conference Women’s Tennis Player of the Year by the league’s head coaches.
Florida Atlantic’s Panna Bartha was named The American’s Freshman of the Year. SMU head coach Jeff Nevolo was chosen by his counterparts as The American Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season.
Johnson, a native of Prescott, Arizona, led SMU to its second consecutive American Athletic Conference Championship, playing primarily at the No. 1 position in both singles and doubles. She went 12-9 in dual matches, closing the season with wins in her last four singles contests, and was 13-5 in doubles (10-5 in dual matches) as part of SMU’s top tandem. Johnson earned The American’s automatic qualification to the NCAA Doubles Championship along with partner Lana Mavor.
Bartha, who hails from Pecs, Hungary, compiled a 14-6 singles record and a 12-8 doubles mark in her first season at Florida Atlantic. She played at No. 1 singles throughout the season, leading the Owls to a 13-9 dual match ledger.
Nevolo, who is in his fifth season as SMU's head coach, was chosen as The American’s Coach of the Year for the second time after he led the Mustangs to a 13-11 overall record against a schedule that included 12 nationally ranked teams. SMU went on to repeat as the American Athletic Conference champion as the Mustangs went 3-0 in the conference tournament last week.
Johnson joins teammate Hadley Doyle, the 2023 American Player of the Year, on the 14-player all-conference team. Rice also placed two players on the team as freshman Divna Ratkovic and senior Federica Trevisan earned the nod from the coaches. Doyle and South Florida’s Grace Schumacher were named to the all-conference team for the fourth time in their respective careers.
2024 AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE WOMEN’S TENNIS POSTSEASON HONORS
Player of the Year
Taylor Johnson, Gr., SMU
Freshman of the Year
Panna Bartha, Florida Atlantic
Coach of the Year
Jeff Nevolo, SMU
All-Conference Team
Adela Wasserbauerova, Gr., UAB
Lucie Petruzelova, Jr., Charlotte
Lucia Quiterio, Gr., Charlotte
Panna Bartha, Fr., Florida Atlantic
Leonie Moeller, Fr., Memphis
Camila Soares, Sr., Memphis
Divna Ratkovic, Fr., Rice
Federica Trevisan, Sr., Rice
Grace Schumacher, Sr., South Florida
Hadley Doyle, Gr., SMU
Taylor Johnson, Gr., SMU
Fatima Gutierrez, So., UTSA
Maria Berlanga Bandera, Jr., Tulsa
Xin Tong Wang, Fr., Wichita State