NEW ORLEANS – James Madison’s Ariel Avidan and teammates Sophie Williams and Brooklyn Hoffmann swept Sun Belt Conference Women’s Tennis Players of the Week honors.
Women’s Tennis Player of the Week
Ariel Avidan, James Madison
(Fr. | Kfar Saba, Israel)
James Madison freshman Ariel Avidan provided the match point heroics for the Dukes in their 4-3 win at Virginia Tech, as she overcame a set deficit and seven match points in the third set to defeat Alston Myatt, 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7-2). She faced three match points while down 5-3 and two each while down 5-4 and 6-5 before winning all seven to force a tiebreak. She won the breaker 7-2 to give JMU its first win over Virginia Tech since 2000 and the first triumph for the Dukes in Blacksburg since October of 1993. Avidan also went 2-0 in doubles with Daria Munteanu at the #3 spot, clinching the doubles point against VT. They first beat Howard's #3 duo by a 6-2 score and trailed VT 5-3 before rallying for a 7-6 (7-4) win that gave JMU the 1-0 lead.
Women’s Tennis Doubles Team of the Week
Sophie Williams / Brooklyn Hoffmann, James Madison
The James Madison doubles team of Sophie Williams and Brooklyn Hoffmann notched a 6-0 victory against Virginia Tech's top doubles team of Arina Gamretkaia and Ozlem Uslu on court one. The Dukes went on to win the doubles point and the match 4-3. They also had an unfinished doubles match against Howard, in which they led before JMU clinched the doubles point. The duo is now 4-2 this spring, which includes a three-match win streak.
2026 Sun Belt Women’s Tennis Player of the Week
Week 1 – Kira Matushkina, Old Dominion
Week 2 – Savanna Dada-Mascoll, App State
Week 3 – Ireland Simme, Texas State
Week 4 – Meghna Arun Kumar, Arkansas State
Week 5 – Ariel Avidan, James Madison
2026 Sun Belt Women’s Tennis Doubles Team of the Week
Week 1 – Marina Mrkina / Uladzislava Manzhos, Old Dominion
Week 2 – Kenza Elakili / Manal Ennaciri, South Alabama
Week 3 – Sophie Williams / Brooklyn Hoffmann, James Madison
Week 4 – Lidiia Rasskouskaia / Ulyana Romanova, Old Dominion
Week 5 – Sophie Williams / Brooklyn Hoffmann, James Madison