The 2025-26 season is Elizabeth Anderson’s 22nd at Elon, as the Phoenix competes in its 12th season as a member of the Coastal Athletic Association.
Anderson’s teams have seen a steady and exciting rise in the conference standings during her tenure, which included the program’s first NCAA Tournament appearance in 2014 and again in 2025. The Phoenix has won 13 or more dual matches in 13 straight seasons, including posting a 19-6 mark last year which featured Elon's first ever CAA championship. Anderson has been named the CAA Women's Tennis Coach of the Year twice in her tenure (2016 and 2025). During Anderson's tenure, she has had a total of 55 all-conference selections, five freshmen of the year award winners, two conference player of the year and two conference tournament outstanding performers.
Just as impressive has been Elon’s accomplishments in the classroom. A total of 48 student-athletes have earned academic all-league honors and 50 have been named to the CAA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll under Anderson. Additionally, her teams have won the ITA Team Academic Award every year since 2006. Anderson has also had five players earn the Carolina region's Intercollegiate Tennis Association's regional Arthur Ashe Leadership & Sportsmanship Award, and three players named the region's Cissie Leary Award winner.
For the first time since joining the conference in 2015, Elon won the CAA championship in 2025. The Phoenix finished the season with a 19-6 record after winning the CAA Tournament, hosted at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center, with victories over College of Charleston in the semifinals and William & Mary in the championship match. With the conference title, Elon secured an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament for the second time in program history. The 19 victories were the most for Elon in a season since 2013, as Anderson surpassed 300 career victories as Elon's head coach during the campaign and was tabbed CAA Coach of the Year. Elon went 6-0 on the season against CAA opponents. Simone Bergeron was named CAA Player of the Year and the Most Outstanding Player of the CAA Tournament while also receiving All-CAA First Team honors in both singles and doubles. Heidi Bulger took home CAA Rookie of the Year while also garnering All-CAA Second Team recognition in singles, with Mariana Reding also securing a spot on the All-CAA Second Team in singles along with a All-CAA First Team nod in doubles. Helen Sarikulaya earned All-CAA Second Team honors in doubles and Third Team recognition in singles. During the fall, Sarikiulaya and Miray Konar advanced to the semifinals at ITA Carolina Regionals, becoming the first Elon duo to advance to the semifinals in either singles or doubles at the event.
Elon went 14-10 during the 2024 spring season and advanced to the quarterfinals of the CAA Tournament, which the Phoenix hosted at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center. The maroon and gold went 12-2 in home contests and won regular season conference contests against Hampton, Campbell, UNCW and North Carolina A&T. The Phoenix also picked up stellar non-confernece victories in the regular season against Gardner-Webb, Appalachian State and Davidson. Elon won 10 consecutive matches from Feb. 10 through March 13, matching the team's second longest winning streak in its Division I history. Lizette Reding made the All-CAA First Team in singles with Sibel Tanik making the All-CAA Third Team. The duo made the All-CAA First Team in doubles.
The Phoenix posted a 16-7 mark in the 2022-23 season and advanced to the CAA Tournament semifinals for the eighth consecutive edition of the event. Elon went 11-2 in home matches, making it the third straight campaign the team won double-digit home contests. The Phoenix delivered regular season victories over CAA opponents in North Carolina A&T, Hampton and UNCW, and a CAA Tournament victory over Stony Brook. Five Elon student-athletes received all-conference honors and graduate student Olivia Archer was chosen as the recipient of the Robert C. Browne Scholarship Award at the Elon Athletics Banquet.
Elon finished the 2021-22 season with a 17-9 record and advanced to the CAA Tournament final for the first time since joining the league. The Phoenix posted a 13-1 record in home matches, marking the second consecutive season the team won double-digit home matches. Throughout the year, Elon picked up impressive regular victories over the likes of Richmond (4-2), UNCW (5-2) and ECU (4-1), before racking up postseason victories over UNCW (4-0) and College of Charleston (4-3). Additionally, three student-athletes earned all-conference honors and all eight players were named to the CAA Commissioners Honor Roll and received ITA Scholar-Athlete Honors.
The Phoenix rounded out the 2020-21 season with a 17-5 overall record and a berth to the CAA Tournament semifinals. Throughout the year, Elon earned impressive victories over the likes of Appalachian State (4-3), Towson (7-0), UNCW (6-1), UNCG (5-2), and Charleston (4-3), while also defeating Campbell (5-2) and William & Mary (4-3) respectively for the first time in program history. In her 17th season at the helm, Anderson led the Phoenix to a 12-2 record at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center and a 4-1 mark against CAA opponents. Elon continued to excel in the classroom under Anderson as well, finishing the 2020-21 academic year with a Spring semester team GPA of 3.637 - the seventh consecutive semester in which the program has a team GPA above a 3.5. Additionally, four student-athletes earned all-conference honors, eight were named to the CAA Commisioners Honor Roll and seven earned ITA Scholar-Athlete honors, while Olivia Archer was named the Carolina Region's Arthur Ashe Leadership and Sportsmanship award winner.
Elon finished the 2019-20 season with a 13-4 overall record, including a nine match winning streak to end the year. Throughout the year, Elon earned impressive victories over the likes of Davidson (5-2), #48 East Carolina (4-3) and the defending CAA Champions James Madison (4-3) respectively. In her 16th season at the helm, Anderson led the Phoenix to a 9-1 record at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center picking up some key victories over Longwood (7-0) and UNCW (5-2) along the way. Elon continued to excel in the classroom under Anderson as well, finishing the 2019-20 academic year with a cumulative team GPA of 3.9.
During her 15th season in 2018-19, Anderson earned the 200th victory of her career and at Elon on Jan. 16, 2019 with a 7-0 victory over North Carolina A&T at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center. The Phoenix finished the year with a 13-12 mark and earned the No. 4 seed for the second consecutive season in the CAA Championships. Five Elon players, including three freshmen, earned All-CAA postseason honors with Maria Paraja, Olivia Archer, Alex Koniaev, Uma Nayar and Nicole Shiau. The Phoenix nearly topped No. 1-seeded William & Mary in the 2019 CAA Championships hosted by Elon University, but the Tribe prevailed with a narrow 4-3 victory. Additionally, Suzanne Zenoni was named the Carolina region's Arthur Ashe Leadership and Sportsmanship award winner.
Elon finished the 2017-18 season with a 14-13 mark, which included an 8-4 record at home. The Phoenix earned the No. 4 seed in the 2018 CAA Championships after finishing 2-1 overall against CAA teams during the regular season. After beating No. 5-seeded Drexel, the Phoenix nearly pulled off an upset in the semifinals, narrowly falling to the top-seeded and nationally-ranked William & Mary Tribe, 4-2. Erica Braschi and Olivia Lucas claimed All-CAA honors for the third and fourth straight season, respectively. Maria Paraja and Alex Koniaev also earned Second Team All-CAA honors for doubles. Elon hosted the CAA Championships for the third consecutive season at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center during the season.
The Phoenix posted one of its best seasons under Anderson in 2016-17 as Elon posted an 18-8 record overall, claimed the No. 2 seed in the 2017 CAA Championships, and had an impressive 14-2 record at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center. The 18 victories were the second most by an Elon team since Anderson was hired in 2005 and the 14 home victories is the most in a single season for a Phoenix squad during the program's Division I era. The Phoenix also had a 5-2 record against teams from the CAA during the season. Erica Braschi and Olivia Lucas claimed All-CAA honors for the second and third straight season, respectively. Kirsten Ward also was selected to the CAA All-Academic team. Elon hosted the CAA Championships for the second consecutive season at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center. Braschi and Lucas also collected regional postseason honors from the ITA as Braschi won the Arthur Ashe Leadership and Sportsmanship award and Lucas was the winner of the Cissie Leary Award for Sportsmanship.
In Elon’s second season in the CAA, the Phoenix finished the 2015-16 campaign with a 14-10 mark and the No. 2 seed in the CAA Tournament after going 5-1 against members of the conference. Anderson earned her first-career conference Coach of the Year award and three players were selected for postseason honors, which included Olivia Lucas and Erica Braschi earning first-team selections. Elon also hosted its first-ever CAA Championships at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center in 2016. The maroon and gold also ended the campaign being ranked No. 9 in the Carolina Regional poll and the squad earned its 11
th consecutive team academic honor from the ITA.
The maroon and gold experienced a 15-8 record and 2-1 regular season mark in 2014-15 against league foes in Elon’s inaugural season in the Colonial Athletic Association. The Phoenix reached the semifinals of the 2015 CAA Tournament in Williamsburg, Va. Anderson had three players earn conference postseason honors in the program’s first year in the league. Barbora Lazarova was also the winner of the ITA/Arthur Ashe Sportsmanship & Leadership Award. The Phoenix earned its 10
th consecutive ITA academic team honor.
Anderson finished off the 2013-14 with a trip to the NCAA Tournament – a program first for the Phoenix. Elon won the Southern Conference Tournament title, finishing with a 15-9 overall record, including an impressive 9-1 home record. Elon entered the SoCon Tournament as the No. 3 seed, defeating fifth-seeded UNCG and top-seeded Furman before taking the tournament with a championship win over second-seeded Samford. In addition to the team’s success on the tennis courts, Elon also earned the ITA Team Academic Award and three student-athletes were named ITA Scholar Athletes.
Anderson led the Phoenix to new heights in 2013, helping the team to a program-best 21 victories and the No. 2 seed in the SoCon Women’s Tennis Championship. Elon earned its first ever victory over an Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) team in 2013, topping Wake Forest, 4-3, on Jan. 26. Elon ended the regular season on an eight-match winning streak and finished the season 8-2 against SoCon competition. Anderson had a total of five student-athletes earn all-league honors, including first-team accolades by Jordan Johnston and Frida Jansaker. Bryn Khoury, Briana Berne and Taylor Casey each earned All-SoCon honors as well.
Elon had an outstanding 2012 season under Anderson, finishing the year with a 16-9 mark in dual matches, including 10 wins at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center. Elon had three players earn All-Southern Conference honors, as Jordan Johnston and Frida Jansaker both picked up accolades in singles and doubles, while Barbora Lazarova was named the to the league’s all-freshman team. In singles, Elon had five players record 13 or more victories, as Jansaker led the team with 17, followed by Viviana Stavreva (16), Maria Camara Ruiz (14), Johnston (13) and Lazarova (12). Johnston and Jansaker earned a national doubles ranking of 43rd in 2012, the first time the program had a player/players earn a national ranking by the ITA.
In 2011, Anderson led the Phoenix to 12 victories, including six wins at home on the courts at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center. For the third time in her career, Anderson helped one of her athletes to Southern Conference Freshman of the Year honors, as Jordan Johnston picked up the accolade for the maroon and gold. Johnston finished the season with 13 victories, including 11 in the No. 1 position, and went on to earn first-team all-league honors. Anderson also helped the Phoenix to a win over Davidson in the SoCon Tournament.
In 2010, the Elon women’s tennis program saw one of its most successful seasons in program history. The team compiled a total of 16 wins, breaking the school record for victories during the Division I era. At the end of the season, Anna Milian was selected as the 2010 Southern Conference Women’s Tennis Player of the Year, marking the first time an Elon women’s tennis player had received the award. Anderson coached Milian to an 18-4 mark that season, including a 9-1 conference record. Milian was also selected to the All-SoCon first team in both singles and doubles. Two other of Anderson’s players, Elisa Simonetti and Paige Kensrue, also garnered all-conference honors. Simonetti earned first team honors in doubles, while Kensrue earned second team honors in singles.
Anderson has coached three Southern Conference Freshman of the Year, including Elisa Simonetti who earned the honor in 2009. Under Anderson’s tutelage, Simonetti posted an impressive 8-2 league record at the number three position in her rookie season. The 2009 season also saw Anna Milian be recognized on the All-SoCon first team for the second consecutive year. Milian and doubles teammate Paige Kensrue were selected second-team all-league. Elon also was victorious in the first round of the SoCon Tournament in back-to-back years, knocking off Western Carolina in 2009. The Phoenix posted 10 or more wins for the third straight season.
The 2008 season was one of the best under Anderson as the Phoenix posted a 15-10 overall mark. Kensrue was named a Southern Conference Player of the Week and Milian was tabbed a Southern Conference Player of the Month. The 2008 campaign also saw the selection of two Phoenix players and a doubles tandem to first-team All-Southern Conference status.
Anderson coached her first, and Elon’s first, conference freshman of the year in 2007. In addition to earning league rookie of the year honors, Deanna Bailey also became the first Elon women’s tennis player to ever earn first-team All-Southern Conference accolades. The Phoenix posted its best-ever SoCon record at 6-3.
Under Anderson in 2006, Elizabeth Kernodle was recognized as the ITA Southeast Region Cissie Leary Sportsmanship Award and Southern Conference Sportsmanship Award recipient.
Before coming to Elon, Anderson spent one season (2003-04) as the assistant coach at Auburn University. In 2002-03, she volunteered as an assistant women’s tennis coach for the top-10 program at the University of North Carolina. Anderson also served as the assistant women’s tennis coach at the University of Idaho in 2001-02 where she earned her master’s degree in physical education with an emphasis in sports psychology.
Anderson served as a tennis pro at the Duke Faculty Club, Hollow Rock Racquet Club and Chapel Hill Tennis Club in 2002-03. She coached Tennis Europe’s National 1 team in the summer of 2002, traveling to tournaments in Spain, Belgium, The Netherlands and France. She also worked with the Van der Meer World Class tennis program in Hilton Head, S.C. in the summer of 2001 where she received her PTR professional certification.
A 2001 graduate of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, Anderson played on the Seahawk tennis team for four years (1997-2001). She was named to the Colonial Athletic Association Honor Roll each year and received the Most Improved Player award in 1998 and 2001 as well as the Coach’s Award in 2001. In 2000 and 2001, she earned the team’s Seahawk Award. Before transferring to UNCW, Anderson played on the 1996-97 North Carolina State University tennis team. In 1997, she was named to the Atlantic Coast Conference Honor Roll and was a University Scholar.
In addition to her coaching duties, Anderson was an NCAA Regional Tournament Site Representative (2007, 2009, 2010). She also has served on the ITA Carolina Region Committee. Anderson has been involved with the Alamance Junior Tennis Foundation (AJTF) Advisory Board since 2004. Anderson is also a graduate of the NCAA Women's Coaching Academy (2009).
Anderson and her husband, Nathan, have two daughters, Caitlin and Caroline.
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Elizabeth Anderson Coaching Records
|
| All-Time Record |
308-189 (.620) |
|
| 2005 |
9-12 (3-7 SoCon) |
SoCon Quarterfinals |
| 2006 |
8-13 (2-7 SoCon) |
SoCon Quarterfinals |
| 2007 |
13-10 (6-3 SoCon) |
SoCon Quarterfinals |
| 2008 |
15-10 (5-4 SoCon) |
SoCon Semifinals |
| 2009 |
13-12 (5-5 SoCon) |
SoCon Quarterfinals |
| 2010 |
16-7 (6-4 SoCon) |
|
| 2011 |
12-11 (5-5 SoCon) |
SoCon Quarterfinals |
| 2012 |
16-9 (5-5 SoCon) |
SoCon Quarterfinals |
| 2013 |
21-4 (8-2 SoCon) |
SoCon Final |
| 2014 |
15-9 (6-3 SoCon) |
SoCon Champions • NCAA Tournament |
| 2015 |
15-8 |
First season in the CAA • CAA Semifinals |
| 2016 |
14-10 |
CAA Semifinals • CAA Coach of the Year |
| 2017 |
18-8 |
CAA Semifinals |
| 2018 |
14-13 |
CAA Semifinals |
| 2019 |
13-12 |
CAA Semifinals |
| 2020 |
13-4 |
N/A |
| 2021 |
17-5 |
CAA Semifinals |
| 2022 |
17-9 |
CAA Final |
| 2023 |
16-7 |
CAA Semifinals |
| 2024 |
14-10 |
CAA Quarterfinals |
| 2025 |
19-6 |
CAA Champions • NCAA Tournament • CAA Coach of the Year |
