Audra Cohen Captures Her Second Consecutive ACC Player of the Year Honor
April 19, 2007
Coral Gables, Fla. – Top ranked junior Audra Cohen was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Women’s Tennis Player of the Year for the second straight season. The Hurricanes placed three players on the All-ACC team as announced Thursday by a vote of conference coaches.
Cohen’s honor has marked the third consecutive season that a Miami Hurricane player was awarded player of the year in the ACC. Former tennis star Megan Bradley also earned the honor during Miami’s inaugural season in the league in 2005. This season also tabs the Cohen’s second consecutive All-ACC team honor.
“This season Audra went up against some talented players in the ACC
The Hurricanes, who finished with an 8-3 mark in league play and an 17-5 overall record, placed three student-athletes on this year’s All-ACC team as did Georgia Tech. Joining Cohen on the list are teammates No. 50 senior Audrey Banada, and No. 20 freshman Laura Vallverdu.
Overall this season, Cohen marked a 21-0 undefeated record in dual-match play, a perfect 11-0 conference mark at the No. 1 singles position, and went 19-1 against ranked opponents, en route to a 32-1season record. Cohen’s only loss in singles came during the fall of 2006 when she fell to then-No. 3 Melanie Gloria of Fresno State, in the semi-finals of the Riviera/ITA Women’s All-American Championships. Since then, the Plantation, Fla. native went on to win 26-straight matches.
Two other singles players from the ACC have been ranked amongst the top-10 through-out the regular season. Cohen defeated both conference opponents including a 6-4, 6-2 win over then-No. 7 Kristi Miller of Georgia Tech, and a 6-4, 3-6, 10-8 defeat over North Carolina’s then-No. 6 ranked Jenna Long.
“The ACC is such a tough conference”, stated head coach Paige Yaroshuk-Tews.” Audra has a way of going out there and playing to the highest of her ability, especially at the high level of competition she has been up against.”
“It is another huge accomplishment for [Audra] to earn this award for the second year in a row.”
Cohen, who has been marked as the nation’s top-ranked women’s player since June 2006, earned two ACC Player of the Week honors beginning on March 13th, then two weeks later on the 26th.
In doubles action, Cohen and partner Vallverdu remain undefeated since opening the dual season in January. The doubles tandem is currently ranked No. 33 in the latest ITA rankings with an overall record of 8-0 primarily played at the No. 1 position. When paired with junior Caren Seenauth at the No. 2 spot, the duo is ranked 30th with a 13-1 mark overall and a 7-1 ACC record.
Banada, ranked No. 50 by the ITA, is now tabbed as a three-time All-ACC Team member after finishing 27-8 overall and 17-4 on the dual season. The North Miami Beach, Fla. native moved up to the No. 2 spot in the line-up for 14 matches during the regular season, capturing 10 wins there – including six versus ACC opponents. Banada went on to become Miami’s all-time leader in career singles and doubles victories – just the second player in program history to lead in both categories simultaneously. To date, the senior has an overall career record of 105 wins and 23 losses in singles play, while she has a career mark of 132-32 in doubles action.
No. 20 freshman Laura Vallverdu earned her first All-ACC honors after a season in which she has been continually ranked among the nation’s top 25. Ranked sixth in the nation entering the spring season, she was the NCAA’s highest-ranking freshman of 2007. With 29 wins and just two losses this season primarily in the No. 2 position, Vallverdu finished the regular season on an 18-match win streak and is currently undefeated in the dual matches with 10 singles victories, despite having to sit out eight-straight singles matches mid-season due to an injury.
“To have three players selected to the All-ACC team is a testament of how talented our program really is”, commented head coach Paige Yaroshuk-Tews.” These three players have come up big for our team all year long, and we’re only looking for great things from them for the duration of the season.”
The Hurricanes are set to compete in the 2007 ACC Women’s Tennis Championship which is slated to begin Thursday, April 19 thru Sunday, April 22 at the Cary Tennis Complex in Cary, N.C. No. 4 seeded Miami will play the winner of the Florida State/Boston College match, in the quarterfinals Friday at 12:00 p.m.
2007 WOMEN’S TENNIS ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
Lana Krasnopolsky……… Boston College
Ani Mijacika……………………… Clemson
Melissa Mang………………………… Duke
Lauren Macfarlene………… Florida State
Nicola Slater………………… Florida State
Amanda Craddock…………. Georgia Tech
Kristi Miller…………………. Georgia Tech
Alison Silverio……………… Georgia Tech
Marianne Baker………………… Maryland
Audrey Banada…………………….. Miami
Audra Cohen………………………… Miami
Laura Vallverdu……………………. Miami
Jenna Long……………….. North Carolina
Katrina Tsang……………. North Carolina
Daria Petrovic…………………….. NC State
Jennifer Stevens………………….. Virginia
Inga Beermann……………. Virginia Tech
Alex Hirsch………………….. Wake Forest
PLAYER OF THE YEARAudra Cohen, Miami
FRESHMAN OF THE YEARAni Mijacika, Clemson
COACH OF THE YEARBryan Shelton, Georgia Tech
