LOUDONVILLE, NY – A pair of Siena upperclassmen received recognition as the third group of Leo Dufort Student Athletes selected during the 2018-19 school year, earning the award for the month of November. Men's tennis junior Alexandros Giannakitsidis and volleyball senior Antonija Ivanovic were honored in the latest installment of the prestigious award.

A native of Boksburg, South Africa, Giannakitsidis was instrumental as part of one of the Saints' top doubles teams throughout the Fall 2018 season, winning a pair of matches in the squad's final two contests. The junior exhibited a breakout performance at the Hofstra Invitational on Sept. 21-22, playing as part of the team's top doubles duo in the event and capturing the Draw D Consolation Championship in singles competition.

A member of the 2018 MAAC All-Academic Team, Giannakitsidis holds a 3.69 cumulative GPA while majoring in finance, earning a spot on the President's List for the Spring 2018 semester.

A starter in 21 of the 26 matches she played in as an outside hitter, Ivanovic recorded 109 kills and averaged 1.32 points per-set for the Saints this season, ranking third on the team in total attempts with 497. The Belgrade, Serbia native also finished third on the team in digs with 212, averaging 2.18 per-set.

Entering her final semester at Siena, Ivanovic is set to graduate with a degree in sociology and currently holds a 3.04 cumulate GPA.

The Leo Dufort Student Athlete of the Month Award is presented nine times annually (September-May) throughout the academic year. The award recognizes exemplary achievements in both academics and athletics. The late Leo Dufort received a B.S. in marketing and management from Siena in August of 1977. His entire academic career was completed on a part-time basis beginning in the spring of 1961, as a married adult while at the same time raising five children. He passed away suddenly of a heart attack while cross country skiing in February of 1993. His wife Jeanine wanted to do something to immortalize his memory. The original plaque was donated to athletics and the department began the Leo Dufort Student Athlete of the Month Award to help carry out his legacy. Dufort graduated from Catholic Central High School in 1954, and was a Navy Veteran (USS Bennington) who worked for JL Hammett Co. at the time of his death.