Women's Tennis Has Solid Rankings in Latest ITA Poll
Feb. 19, 2010
Skillman, N.J. – Four University of Miami women’s tennis players sit in the Top 125 of the latest Campbell’s/ITA singles poll – with a doubles team also earning a spot in the rankings – in the latest rankings released Thurs., Feb. 18, by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) headquarters in Skillman, N.J.
Laura Vallverdu (Sr., Valencia, Venezuela), a three-time All-American and Miami’s all-time leader in singles victories, is ranked No. 7 in the latest poll after collecting a 5-2 record thus far on the spring (17-8 overall). Vallverdu recently went 2-1 at the ITA National Team Indoor Championships, defeating Chelsey Gullickson (No. 14) of fourth-ranked Georgia on the final day of competition for the `Canes.
Vallverdu’s two losses in the spring came at the hands of a pair of Top 20 opponents, including a tough three-set affair with Lenka Broosova (No. 17) of fifth-ranked Baylor. Vallverdu debuted in the spring at No. 6 in the singles poll.
All-American Bianca Eichkorn (Jr., Tengen, Germany) made the biggest leap in this week’s poll for UM, leaping 44 spots to No. 55. Eichkorn currently has a record of 12-4 overall on the campaign, and sits as the only undefeated Hurricane in the spring with a mark of 7-0. She has won eight consecutive matches dating back to the Michigan Invitational in January, and is a winner in nine of her last 10 matches.
Transfer Anna Bartenstein (So., Graz, Austria) made an appearance in the polls for the first time this year, debuting at No. 89. Bartenstein holds the second-best record on the team with a 16-8 mark, and sits 6-1 in the spring. Her lone loss of the spring came at the hands of Nina Secerbegovic (No. 24) of Baylor.
The final player ranked for UM in singles action this week is Gabriela Mejia (So., Cali, Colombia), coming in at No. 118. Mejia is 12-3 on the year, and holds a record of 6-1 in the spring. The only loss for Mejia on the spring came to Mimi Nguyen of Michigan in a three-set decision at the ITA National Team Indoor Championships in Madison, Wis.
In doubles play, the team of Mejia and Vallverdu fell two spots to No. 5 this week, after going 3-3 to start the spring slate. The team entered the spring at No. 3, but has since suffered three losses in their last four matches – two coming against Top 15 duos, including a 9-7 setback to No. 12 UCLA’s combo of Yasmin Schnack and Andrea Remynse, ranked No. 10 at the time.
Together on the year, the Mejia/Vallverdu duo is 14-5 overall, and they have defeated three Top 25 pairs. During the ITA National Team Indoor Championships, the Hurricanes’ duo combined for a win against Michigan’s Denise Muresan and Tania Mahtani, 8-6.
As a team, the `Canes are ranked No. 16 in this week’s poll, going 4-3 to begin the spring. All three of Miami’s losses have occurred via a 4-3 decision, and all have come against Top 20 teams.
The Hurricanes next match will come against No. 13 Clemson in the ACC opener for both teams on Sat., Feb. 27, at the Neil Schiff Tennis Center in Coral Gables, Fla. The match is scheduled for a noon start, and admission is free.
For a complete list of the ITA rankings, please visit www.itatennis.com.
For more information on University of Miami Women’s Tennis, please log on to www.hurricanesports.com. After browsing to the women’s tennis home page, you will find the latest news, stats and match notes pertaining to the Hurricanes Women’s Tennis program.
