Five Greyhounds Selected to 2025 Landmark Women’s Tennis All-Conference Teams; Zolotareva & Freitas Receive Major Awards
TOWSON, Md. --- Moravian University junior Izzy Szmodis, sophomores Sydney Shifman and Leah Zolotareva and freshmen Nicole Kalorin and Ali Willis have been selected to the 2025 Landmark Women’s Tennis All-Conference Teams with Zolotareva honored as the 2025 Player of the Year and Director of Tennis Mariana Freitas and her assistants were named the Landmark Conference Women’s Tennis Coaching Staff of the Year.
TOWSON, Md. --- Moravian University junior Izzy Szmodis, sophomores Sydney Shifman and Leah Zolotareva and freshmen Nicole Kalorin and Ali Willis have been selected to the 2025 Landmark Women's Tennis All-Conference Teams with Zolotareva honored as the 2025 Player of the Year and Director of Tennis Mariana Freitas and her assistants were named the Landmark Conference Women's Tennis Coaching Staff of the Year.
Freitas and assistant coaches Peter Demyan, Nicholas Espinoza, Eiman Nazif and Lauren Steinert led the Greyhounds to a 17-4 overall record and an undefeated 9-0 slate in the Landmark Conference regular season that earned the Blue & Grey the top seed in the Landmark Conference Tournament. Moravian defeated fourth seed The Catholic University of America, 4-2, in the Semifinals to advance to the championship contest for the six straight tournament before falling to third seed The University of Scranton, 4-2, to finish out the year. Freitas earns her third Landmark Conference Coaching Staff of the Year honor and first as Director of Tennis. She was an assistant on the 2019 and 2021 staffs that earned the honor. In four seasons leading Moravian, Freitas has a 67-18 record.
"It is with great pride to recognize and congratulate Mariana and her staff on this tremendous accomplishment," commented Director of Athletics Mary Beth Spirk. "Certainly, her hard work is evident in garnering both Men's and Women's Coach of the Year awards. Moravian's tennis program will continue to be a force in the Landmark and beyond with Mariana leading it. Congratulations!"
Zolotareva repeated on the All-Conference First Team in singles, and she becomes the program's seventh Landmark Conference Player of the Year and first since 2021. Zolotareva registered a 16-5 record while playing first singles, and she had an 8-1 mark in the Landmark Conference regular season. In just two years, Zolotareva is 27-12 in singles action.
"I'm incredibly proud of Leah for being named Landmark Conference Player of the Year," stated Freitas. "She had an outstanding season going undefeated in doubles with Izzy and just one singles loss in conference play. Her growth from last year has been remarkable, especially in how she understands and approaches the game. Leah's work ethic, resilience, and love for tennis make her a standout player, and I feel lucky to have her on our team."
Szmodis and Zolotareva were selected to the All-Conference First Team, and the pair combined for a 17-4 mark this season. The duo was 17-4 in the first doubles position including 9-0 in the Landmark regular season.
Szmodis made the First Team in singles and doubles after being on the Landmark All-Conference First Team in singles last year and the Landmark All-Conference Second Team in doubles in both 2023 and 2024. Szmodis had a 15-6 mark in singles action while playing in the second spot in the Moravian line-up, and she is 39-18 in singles action through the three seasons.
"Earning First Team All-Conference honors in both singles and doubles highlights the outstanding season Izzy's had and the high level of play she's maintained throughout," commented Freitas. "She has been a key contributor on the court, and also a strong leader for our young team. It's been great to watch her game evolve this season."
Shifman earned her first postseason honor by making the All-Conference Second Team in singles. She had a 16-4 mark in 2024-25 while playing third singles, and Shifman has a 30-5 career mark with the Hounds.
"I'm so thrilled to see Sydney receive All-Conference Second Team honors after going undefeated in conference play," Freitas said. "She's the steadiest player we have, always staying calm and collected throughout every match. Her consistency and mental toughness make her a standout, and this recognition is truly well-deserved."
Willis made the All-Conference Honorable Mention team in singles after a 15-6 debut season. She was 11-6 at fifth singles and 4-0 at fourth singles during the year to go with an 8-1 in the Landmark Conference regular season.
"I'm really proud of Ali for earning honorable mention in both singles and doubles," noted Freitas. "She only dropped one singles match and two doubles matches in conference play. Her heart and drive on the court have been impressive to watch, and I'm excited to see her continue to grow."
Kalorin and Willis earned a spot on the Landmark All-Conference Honorable Mention squad after a 12-9 season at second doubles.
"This is a great recognition for Nicole, earning honorable mention in doubles during her first year playing alongside another freshman," stated Freitas. "With only two losses as a duo in conference play, I'm excited to see them build on the strong performances they had this season."
To view the full 2025 Landmark Women's Tennis All-Conference Teams, visit ttps://landmarkconference.org/news/2025/4/4/05072025-wten-all-conference.aspx.
