Lohan and Perez-Somarriba Finish in Top 30
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami women’s tennis team is one of seven in the nation with multiple players in the top 30 of the ITA’s season-end rankings release.
Junior Sinead Lohan checks in at No. 21 on the list and is followed shortly thereafter by freshman Estela Perez-Somarriba, who holds the No. 26 position.
The other schools with at least two players in the top 30 are North Carolina, Pepperdine, Florida, Georgia, Michigan and Vanderbilt.
Lohan has now finished in the top 25 in all three of her years at Miami, as she placed No. 20 in 2015 and sixth in 2016. The Waterford, Ireland, native narrowly missed earning ITA All-America honors, as her 25.12 ranking points put her just 0.02 out of the top-20 range, which is one of the three selection criteria options.
With her No. 21 finish, Lohan becomes the fourth player in program history to finish in the top 25 three times, joining Ronni Reis (1985-88), Lise Gregory (1985-87) and current associate head coach Laura Vallverdu (2007-10). Additionally, Stephanie Wagner, the team’s student assistant coach this season, is the lone other Hurricane with three top-30 finishes (2014-16).
Perez-Somarriba is the sixth-highest-ranked freshman in the country, including second among ACC freshmen. The No. 26 ranking is the top mark of her career and is a 14-spot increase from her position on May 4 when the last list was released, tying for the seventh-largest jump of any player who was also ranked then.
The rise for Perez-Somarriba comes following her run as the first freshman in Miami history to reach to the NCAA Singles Championship semifinals. Entering the tournament at No. 40, she became the lowest-ranked player to reach the Final Four since Stanford Stacey Tan did so while ranked No. 43 in 2011. The No. 26 finish for Perez-Somarriba is the sixth-best by a Miami freshman.
This is the 13th time in the past 14 years, including the fourth in a row, Miami has ended the season with at least one player in the top 30. Additionally, it is the seventh time in the last 11 campaigns, including the third in a row, two Hurricanes have concluded the year in the top 30.
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