Thomas-Smith, Lovato Named to 2024 CSC Academic All-District® Teams
5/14/2024 5:33:00 PM | Men's Tennis, Women's Tennis
LYNCHBURG, Va. – Liberty tennis' Deji Thomas-Smith and Esther Lovato were each selected to the CSC (College Sports Communicators) Academic All-District® Men's and Women's Tennis Teams, the organization announced on Tuesday.
The two student-athletes are each receiving their second honor on the CSC Academic All-District® team. Both Thomas-Smith and Lovato received the award last season in the first year that CSC awarded the recognition.
Thomas-Smith and Lovato each received selections to their 2024 Conference USA Academic All-Conference teams.
Both graduate seniors, Thomas-Smith and Lovato are each eligible for consideration for the 2024 CSC Academic All-America® ballot. Voting has now begun for the 2024 College Sports Communications Academic All-America® Men's and Women's Tennis Teams. The first, second and third team Academic All-America honorees will be announced on June 5.
To earn inclusion on the academic all-district team, a student-athlete must be at least a sophomore academically and athletically, have played in at least 70 percent of their team's games and have at least a 3.50 cumulative grade point average (GPA) as both an undergraduate and a graduate student (if applicable).
Deji Thomas-Smith, Graduate Senior
Esther Lovato, Graduate Senior
The two student-athletes are each receiving their second honor on the CSC Academic All-District® team. Both Thomas-Smith and Lovato received the award last season in the first year that CSC awarded the recognition.
Thomas-Smith and Lovato each received selections to their 2024 Conference USA Academic All-Conference teams.
Both graduate seniors, Thomas-Smith and Lovato are each eligible for consideration for the 2024 CSC Academic All-America® ballot. Voting has now begun for the 2024 College Sports Communications Academic All-America® Men's and Women's Tennis Teams. The first, second and third team Academic All-America honorees will be announced on June 5.
To earn inclusion on the academic all-district team, a student-athlete must be at least a sophomore academically and athletically, have played in at least 70 percent of their team's games and have at least a 3.50 cumulative grade point average (GPA) as both an undergraduate and a graduate student (if applicable).
Deji Thomas-Smith, Graduate Senior
- Named to the 2024 Conference USA All-Academic team with a 4.0 GPA in his M.B.A.
- Selected to the CSC Academic All-District® team in 2023, ITA Scholar Athlete in 2020
- Led Liberty with an 18-5 singles record and a 10-12 doubles mark
- Finished Liberty career with the second most singles wins in program history with an 87-59 singles record
- Owns a career 66-54 doubles record
- 2024 CUSA Outstanding Singles Player of the Championship, All-Conference singles second team
- Two-time Conference USA Player of the Week this season. Held an 11-match singles winning streak this spring.
- Four-time Atlantic Sun Honor Roll recipient
Esther Lovato, Graduate Senior
- Named to the 2024 CUSA All-Academic team with a 3.81 GPA in her M.B.A.
- 2024 CUSA All-Conference singles first team, doubles first team
- Selected to the 2023 CSC Academic All-District® team
- 121 Career singles wins is most in Liberty tennis history on the men's or women's teams, just 26 losses
- Four-time ITA Scholar Athlete
- Led Liberty with 14 singles wins this spring season with just six losses (13-5 singles record)
- Perfect 8-0 mark paired with Davtyan in the No. 3 slot after teaming up with the fellow senior late in the spring
- Held an eight-match singles winning streak from March 1-April 20
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
Wednesday, April 15
Thursday, April 09
Saturday, April 04
Saturday, January 24