St. John's University-New York Women's Tennis

Lauren Leo, a St. John’s alumna, will enter her 11th season as the head coach of the women’s tennis team after being named the 15th head coach in program history in August 2015. Last season, Leo guided the Johnnies to 14 wins, including a 5-1 mark in BIG EAST play and another appearance in the conference semifinals. The Red Storm opened the spring on a four-match winning streak, dropping only one game across those duals. From February 28 through April 10, St. John’s posted an impressive 8-2 stretch to secure the No. 3 seed in the BIG EAST Tournament. After sweeping sixth-seeded Butler in a 5-0 victory, the Johnnies fell to No. 2 seed Xavier in the semifinals. Under Leo’s leadership, Victoria Papadopoulou and Noemi Babikova earned spots on the All-BIG EAST Second Team. The 2024 campaign saw Leo lead the Johnnies to 13 wins and the BIG EAST Tournament Semifinals, marking the ninth-straight time she has led the Red Storm to the final four. St. John's began the campaign 3-0 and won five consecutive matches from Apr. 10 through Apr. 20. The Johnnies picked up wins over Stony Brook, Hofstra and BIG EAST foe Villanova to end the regular season before downing 11-seeded Providence and third-seeded Georgetown in the conference tournaments. Under Leo’s watch, Mouna Bouzgarrou was named to the All-BIG EAST Second Team. In 2023, the Red Storm made it to the BIG EAST Championship Match after going 13-9 overall and 5-2 in BIG EAST play. The Johnnies went on a five-game winning streak during

Sachs, who started at St. John's in August of 2018, oversees student-athlete development programming at St. John's including the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), the #StormChat speaker series, Student Development 101/102 (SD101/102) peer leader program, NIL education, community service efforts, and is an active member of the Athletics Council on Community, Culture, and Social Justice. Sachs is the athletic academic advisor for volleyball and lacrosse, and sport administrator for women's tennis. Prior to joining St. John's, Sachs served as the Special Assistant to the Athletic Director/Student-Athlete Development Coordinator at the College of the Holy Cross, in Worcester, Massachusetts. At Holy Cross, Sachs oversaw all student-athlete community engagement efforts, supported the Director of Athletics, and organized and created programming to emphasize and improve the development and welfare of Holy Cross student-athletes. Sachs completed an undergraduate degree in English at Holy Cross in 2015, while competing as a four-year member of the Women's Track and Field team—specializing in the pole vault. She earned her Master's Degree in Sport Management from St. John's University in 2023.

Connor Sapin is in his first year as a graduate assistant in the St. John's Athletic Communications office, serving as the primary contact for the Red Storm's men's lacrosse and men's and women's tennis programs, as well as the tertiary contact for the men's basketball team. He is pursuing a master's degree while continuing to expand his experience in athletic communications and digital media. Prior to joining St. John's, Sapin completed his undergraduate studies at Indiana University, earning a Bachelor's of Science degree in Sports Marketing and Management. He built a strong background in sports communications through roles with the Big East Conference, Georgetown University Athletics, and Indiana University Athletics. He also gained event operations experience as a Ticket Sales Intern with the Savannah Bananas during their 2024 tour at Nationals Park. In these positions, Sapin developed skills in media relations, live game coverage, statistical research, and social media strategy, working across Division I athletics. A native of Bethesda, MD., Sapin is passionate about telling the stories of student-athletes and programs, with career interests in athletic communications, strategic media, and digital content creation.

Robert J. Basile was named director of strength and conditioning in May 2001 and has been a vital part of the St. John's athletic department since August 1996. His primary responsibility is to supervise the Strength & Conditioning Department. Rob oversees 14 St. John's NCAA Division I varsity sports. This department is responsible for providing the student-athlete with comprehensive sport specific year-round programs that are designed to improve athletic performance and reduce the occurrence of injuries. Rob has played a key role in the development of teams that have won many BIG EAST championships and made numerous NCAA tournaments. He has worked with a variety of student-athletes who have gone on to professional sport careers, the Olympics, and international competitions. In 2013, Rob received the prestigious title of Master Strength & Conditioning Coach at the annual conference for the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches association in Kansas City, Missouri. This is the highest honor given in the strength and conditioning coaching profession. Rob earned a MA in Exercise Physiology from Adelphi University (2006), a BS in accounting from St. John's University (1987), is a master strength and conditioning coach (MSCC), collegiate strength and conditioning coach (CSCCa), and a certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS).

Fratta arrived at St. John's in August 2019 and was elevated associate athletic trainer in October 2021. She currently serves as the lead athletic trainer for the lacrosse, women's soccer and women's tennis programs. Additionally during her time in Queens, she provided treatment for the women's soccer program as their lead athletic trainer for two seasons. She also played a major role in the health and wellness of the over 300 student-athletes throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, administering surveillance and symptomatic testing. Before coming to St. John's, Fratta spent seven years at Long Island University's Brooklyn campus. She served as an assistant athletic trainer for the baseball, women's lacrosse and women's volleyball programs. Prior to this role, she worked in the department as a graduate assistant for two years, mainly providing treatment for the men's soccer and women's tennis teams. An alumna of LIU-Brooklyn, she earned her master's degree in exercise science in 2014. Two years earlier, Fratta received her bachelor's in athletic training from SUNY Cortland.