Gandini Named BIG EAST Player of the Year and Unanimous All-First Team Selection; Daijima Nabs Second Team Honors
5/1/2025 1:31:00 PM | Men's Tennis
Gandini is the first Bluejay in program history to earn conference Player of the Year honors
OMAHA, Neb. – Capping off a special year, Creighton men's tennis senior Alejandro Gandini has been named the 2025 BIG EAST Player of the Year and a unanimous All-BIG EAST First Team selection, while junior Yuma Daijima earned All-BIG EAST Second Team honors as voted on by the league coaches on Thursday afternoon.
A three-time All-BIG EAST selection, Gandini is the first player in Creighton history to be named BIG EAST Player of the Year and the first Bluejay to ever receive multiple all-conference honors.
"Alejandro is extremely deserving of the award this year," said head coach Gerhard Posch. "We hope it fuels his desire to reach for more in the near future. Congrats to him. What an incredible way to bring his chapter at Creighton to a fitting end."
The Dominican Republic native played at the No. 1 singles position during the entirety of the 2025 season, helping guide the Bluejays to a 16-11 overall record and the Bluejays first appearance in the BIG EAST Championship match in program history. The senior standout posted 11 singles wins throughout the season, recording a 5-1 record against BIG EAST competition, including a straight sets victory over Georgetown's Jake Fellows, the 2024 BIG EAST Player of the Year.
Gandini also combined for 16 wins at the No. 2 and No. 3 doubles positions to lead the Bluejays. He teamed up with Daijima for all 16 wins, earning BIG EAST Doubles Team of the Week three times. The dynamic duo combined for a 6-1 record against BIG EAST doubles teams, falling for the first time in the BIG EAST Championship match.
Daijima also claimed All-BIG EAST Second Team Honors for the first time in his career, boasting a team-high 32 combined wins, including a team-best 18 doubles victories mainly at the No. 2 doubles spot. In additional, the Tokyo, Japan native ranked third on the team with 14 singles wins, which included a 5-1 record in BIG EAST play.
Combined with the seven wins he had in the fall, Daijima recorded a combined 39 wins over the course of the year, ranking tied for fourth-most wins in a single season in program history.
"We are very happy for Yuma that he was voted an all-conference selection this year," Posch added. "He's made tremendous strides since his first year at Creighton. As he continues to grow as a team player, he will be able to achieve even more in the years to come."
DePaul's Andy Hadziabdic was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Year, while St. John's Dillon Pottish was named the BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year.
2025 BIG EAST Men's Tennis Awards
BIG EAST Player of the Year: Alejandro Gandini, Creighton
BIG EAST Freshman of the Year: Andy Hadziabdic, DePaul
BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year: St. John's
All-BIG EAST First Team
Patrick Joss, Butler*
Alejandro Gandini, Creighton*
Matteo Iaquinto, DePaul*
Jake Fellows, Georgetown*
Max Amling, St. John's*
Carl Gustavsson, St. John's*
*denotes unanimous selection
All-BIG EAST Second Team
Yuma Daijima, Creighton*
Andy Hadziabdic, DePaul
Arthur O'Sullivan, Georgetown*
Blake Roegner, Marquette
Ryota Kaneda, St. John's
Leonardo Mileikowsky, St. John's
*denotes unanimous selection
A three-time All-BIG EAST selection, Gandini is the first player in Creighton history to be named BIG EAST Player of the Year and the first Bluejay to ever receive multiple all-conference honors.
"Alejandro is extremely deserving of the award this year," said head coach Gerhard Posch. "We hope it fuels his desire to reach for more in the near future. Congrats to him. What an incredible way to bring his chapter at Creighton to a fitting end."
The Dominican Republic native played at the No. 1 singles position during the entirety of the 2025 season, helping guide the Bluejays to a 16-11 overall record and the Bluejays first appearance in the BIG EAST Championship match in program history. The senior standout posted 11 singles wins throughout the season, recording a 5-1 record against BIG EAST competition, including a straight sets victory over Georgetown's Jake Fellows, the 2024 BIG EAST Player of the Year.
Gandini also combined for 16 wins at the No. 2 and No. 3 doubles positions to lead the Bluejays. He teamed up with Daijima for all 16 wins, earning BIG EAST Doubles Team of the Week three times. The dynamic duo combined for a 6-1 record against BIG EAST doubles teams, falling for the first time in the BIG EAST Championship match.
Daijima also claimed All-BIG EAST Second Team Honors for the first time in his career, boasting a team-high 32 combined wins, including a team-best 18 doubles victories mainly at the No. 2 doubles spot. In additional, the Tokyo, Japan native ranked third on the team with 14 singles wins, which included a 5-1 record in BIG EAST play.
Combined with the seven wins he had in the fall, Daijima recorded a combined 39 wins over the course of the year, ranking tied for fourth-most wins in a single season in program history.
"We are very happy for Yuma that he was voted an all-conference selection this year," Posch added. "He's made tremendous strides since his first year at Creighton. As he continues to grow as a team player, he will be able to achieve even more in the years to come."
DePaul's Andy Hadziabdic was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Year, while St. John's Dillon Pottish was named the BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year.
2025 BIG EAST Men's Tennis Awards
BIG EAST Player of the Year: Alejandro Gandini, Creighton
BIG EAST Freshman of the Year: Andy Hadziabdic, DePaul
BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year: St. John's
All-BIG EAST First Team
Patrick Joss, Butler*
Alejandro Gandini, Creighton*
Matteo Iaquinto, DePaul*
Jake Fellows, Georgetown*
Max Amling, St. John's*
Carl Gustavsson, St. John's*
*denotes unanimous selection
All-BIG EAST Second Team
Yuma Daijima, Creighton*
Andy Hadziabdic, DePaul
Arthur O'Sullivan, Georgetown*
Blake Roegner, Marquette
Ryota Kaneda, St. John's
Leonardo Mileikowsky, St. John's
*denotes unanimous selection
Players Mentioned
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