Pittsburgh, Pa. – Four Dukes from the Duquesne University women's tennis team earned a spot on the 2026 Academic All-District® Team, selected by College Sports Communicators and announced by the organization Tuesday afternoon. Earning the honor for the Dukes were seniors Alexandra O'Brien, Jasa Roka, and Taisia Yakunina and sophomore Naomi Lalonde.

The Academic All-District® program recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom. To be eligible for the distinction, student-athletes must be at least a sophomore academically and athletically, maintain at least a 3.50 cumulative grade point average (GPA), and compete in at least 90 percent of the institution's games or start at least 66 percent of the games.

O'Brien, a native of Boca Raton, Florida, earned her degree in management while maintaining an outstanding 3.90 GPA. On the court, she led the team with a 14-10 doubles record and totaled 24 combined victories during the season. During the spring campaign, O'Brien posted a 10-7 mark in doubles play, including a team-best 10-4 record at the No. 2 position. She went 2-2 against conference opponents and closed the year with back-to-back victories, highlighted by a straight-set win over Dayton in the A-10 Tournament. In singles competition, the Florida native recorded 10 victories, winning four of her final five matches of the season, including another triumph over Dayton in the conference tournament. O'Brien also earned All-District honors for the second consecutive season.

A senior finance major from Lorton, Virginia, Roka maintained a 3.78 GPA while earning All-District honors for the third consecutive season. She recorded 21 total victories during the 2025 campaign, including 12 doubles wins and nine singles victories. In doubles play, Roka posted an 8-6 record in the spring, with the majority of her matches coming at the No. 3 position, where she compiled an impressive 7-2 mark. She also went undefeated against A-10 opponents at 2-0 and closed the season on a five-match doubles winning streak. In singles competition, the Virginia native finished 1-1 against conference opponents and won five of her final seven matches to cap the season.

For the second consecutive season, Yakunina earned All-District honors while completing her degree in finance and maintaining a 3.71 GPA. The Spain native totaled 19 victories during the season and tied for second on the team lead with 12 doubles wins. During the spring campaign, Yakunina posted a 10-7 doubles record, including an impressive 9-4 mark at the No. 2 position. She went 2-2 against conference opponents and closed the season with consecutive doubles victories, highlighted by a 6-3 win over Dayton in the A-10 Tournament. In singles play, the senior recorded seven victories while competing primarily at the No. 6 position. Yakunina finished the year strong, winning four of her final seven matches, including a conference victory over St. Bonaventure.

A native of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, Lalonde is pursuing her degree in biology while maintaining a 3.74 GPA. In her first season on the Bluff, she earned All-District honors after recording 13 total victories during the year. Lalonde collected seven doubles wins and six singles victories while competing primarily at the No. 1 and No. 2 singles positions. She posted an impressive 5-2 record at the No. 2 spot and went 2-2 against conference opponents. The sophomore also put together a three-match singles winning streak in February, earning victories over Saint Francis, Dayton, and Niagara. In doubles competition, Lalonde competed at the top two positions and registered a 5-5 record at No. 1 doubles. She closed the season strong, winning four of her final five doubles matches, including a victory over Dayton in the conference tournament.

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