Vallverdu, Sundberg Selected for NCAA Championships
May 1, 2008
<?xml:namespace prefix=”st1″ ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags”?>NCAA Singles & Doubles Field
Coral Gables, Fla… All-American junior Daniel Vallverdu and freshman Carl Sundberg of the No. 19 University of Miami men’s tennis team have been selected to compete in the NCAA Men’s Tennis Championships from May 21-26 at the MichaelD.CaseTennisCenter in Tulsa, Okla. <?xml:namespace prefix=”o” ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office”?>
In addition to the team competition that begins on Sat., May 10, for the Hurricanes (16-7), Vallverdu will vie for an NCAA title in singles action for the second-straight season and will join Sundberg in doubles play. It marks the fourth-straight year under head coach Mario Rincon, who is in his fourth season at the helm, that Miami has had players advance to the NCAA Championships.
Vallverdu (27-8) is seeded fifth among the 64 singles competitors, while he and Sundberg are seeded third among the 32 duos slated to compete in doubles competition. Because of their seedings, they have already earned All-America recognition for this season – making Vallverdu a four-time All-American, while Sundberg earns his first All-America honors in his first collegiate season.
Vallverdu, who has gone 11-8 this season versus players in the NCAA singles field – accounting for all of his losses in 2007-08, has previously competed in both singles and doubles play at the NCAA Championship. He earned All-America honors in singles competition last season after advancing to the Round of 16, and picked up All-America honors in doubles play alongside former UM standout Luigi D’Agord as a freshman in 2005-06 after the tandem advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals.
Sundberg, who has put together a 23-7 record in top-flight doubles play this season with Vallverdu, will be making his NCAA Championship debut as a freshman. Vallverdu was the last UM freshman to advance to NCAAs in his first season with the Hurricanes. The duo has put together a 9-4 mark versus pairs in the NCAA field.
Vallverdu and Sundberg are among 17 ACC student-athletes to advance to NCAA Men’s Tennis Championships competition this season.
The Hurricanes open NCAAs on Sat., May 10, in the team competition. Miami was square off versus USF in Gainesville at 1 p.m., with the winner advancing to the NCAA’s second round to face the winner of the Florida/Navy match on Sun., May 11, at 1 p.m. Miami has won seven of its last eight matches, including upsetting three of the ACC’s top-four seeds in the conference tournament, before falling in the ACC Championship final to undefeated and top-ranked Virginia.
