Laura Vallverdu Headlines UM at Riviera/ITA Championships
Sept. 24, 2008
Coral Gables, Fla. – Laura Vallverdu, a two-time All-American, headlines a list of Hurricanes women’s tennis players participating in the upcoming Riviera/ITA Women’s All-American Championship in Pacific Palisades, Calif.
Vallverdu, a 5-foot-2 junior from Valencia, Venezuela, comes into the season ranked No. 14 in the preseason polls by the ITA (International Tennis Association). She completed the 2008 season with a record of 31-10 overall. That included an 18-4 record in dual play at the No. 1 position for the `Canes. She reached the Sweet 16 of last year’s NCAA Tournament before bowing out to Arkansas’ Aurelija Miseviciute, 7-5, 6-1. She is included in the main draw of this year’s championship in singles action.
Meanwhile, newcomer Julia Cohen (Philadelphia, Pa.) is on the Alternate List for the main draw. Cohen enters the season ranked No. 25 after finishing out last season at the University of Florida with a 14-8 overall mark.
Cohen will be in Qualifying Singles play along with Michaela Kissell (Hostetter, Pa.). Kissell finished out last season for the Hurricanes mostly at the No. 3 position, while collecting a record of 18-10 (overall) and 12-7 in the spring.
Atlantic Coast Conference members Clemson, Duke, Georgia Tech and North Carolina have student-athletes present in the main draw as well.
“The Riviera/ITA Women’s All-American Championships event is one of the most prestigious in college tennis,” expressed eighth-year UM women’s tennis head coach Paige Yaroshuk-Tews. “Our player’s are looking forward to the high level of competition that awaits them in this year’s field.”
In the doubles main draw, Vallverdu and Kissell team up for their first tournament of the year, but second time together in three months. The duo swept through the ITA Summer Championships in August for the tournament title. Vallverdu collected a 23-9 record last year, mostly with former Hurricane Romy Farah. Together, the two claimed a record of 18-7 (14-6 at No. 1 doubles).
Vallverdu and Kissell are ranked No. 15 in the preseason polls in doubles competition.
Bianca Eichkorn (Tengen, Germany) and freshman Gabriela Mejia (Cali, Valle, Colombia) will participate in Prequalifying Singles action. Eichkorn ended the 2008 campaign with a 29-8 overall mark, and a 17-4 record in the spring. Those records included a 14-4 record at the No. 4 position in singles play.
The Prequalifying for doubles play includes Cohen and Eichkorn.
For more information on participating Hurricanes and the ITA Championships, please locate your internet browser to www.ITAtennis.com.
Riviera ITA All-American Dates
Prequalifying (at Pepperdine)
Sat., Sept. 27 – 1st and 2nd Round Singles/1st Round Doubles
Sun., Sept. 28 – 3rd Round Singles/2nd and 3rd Round Doubles
Qualifying (at Riviera)
Tues., Sept. 30 – 1st and 2nd Round Singles/1st Round Doubles
Wed., Oct. 1 – 3rd Round Singles/2nd and 3rd Round Doubles
Main Draw (at Riviera)
Thurs., Oct. 2 – 1st Round Singles/1st Round Doubles
Fri., Oct. 3 – 2nd and QF Singles/QF Doubles
Sat., Oct. 4 – SF Singles and Doubles
Sun., Oct. 5 – Championship Matches
