Sasnouskaya, Johnson Selected For NCAA Individual Championships

NORFOLK, Va. – The NCAA announced the qualifiers for the 2023 Singles and Doubles Championships on Tuesday afternoon and Old Dominion will have a pair participating.

Senior Tatsiana Sasnouskaya and sophomore Sofia Johnson earned bids to the championships running May 22-27 at the USTA National Complex in Orlando, Florida. Sasnouskaya will participate in the singles event, while she and Johnson will be in the doubles tournament.

"Qualifying for all three NCAA draws is fantastic. Tanya has had such a fantastic season fighting through some tough times and always finding a way to win," said ODU Head Coach Dominic Manilla. "I look forward to her continuing that success and making a strong impact in the draw. She is cementing herself as one of the best players to ever play at Old Dominion."

Sasnouskaya sports a 20-5 record in singles this year, going 13-3 in dual matches. She was named Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year and earned First Team All-Conference honors after winning all six matches against Sun Belt opposition. Sasnouskaya has been in the top 40 of the national rankings all season, peaking at 20th. She has out-of-conference wins over West Virginia, LSU, Princeton, Alabama, Maryland, Virginia Tech, Penn State, Columbia, Wake Forest, Iowa State and Florida State. Currently 5-2 against nationally-ranked opponents with wins over Wake Forest, Iowa State, Princeton, Kansas and Florida State.

In doubles, Johnson and Sasnouskaya are 18-6 overall, 13-2 in dual matches and a perfect 6-0 in Sun Belt play. They knocked off the second-ranked duo from Oklahoma in the ITA All-Americans in the fall and also have a win over 12th-ranked Wake Forest tandem in a February dual. The tandem has recorded wins over West Virginia, LSU, Rice, Oklahoma, Penn State, Ohio State, Wake Forest and Florida State. They've been ranked in the top 40 all year and are the only Sun Belt Conference doubles tandem ranked nationally.

"I'm so proud of Sofia and her growth the past two seasons. She and Tanya have teamed up to have a dominating season," Manilla said. "Tanya is no stranger to the national stage having been half the duo that made it to number one in the nation last season. Sofia and Tanya are a dynamic team that can do damage in the draw."