Perez-Somarriba Finishes Fifth in Oracle/ITA Rankings
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – For the eighth time in the past 15 years, a member of the University of Miami women’s tennis team concluded the season in the top five of the Oracle/ITA singles rankings, as announced Wednesday.
Sophomore Estela Perez-Somarriba checked in at fifth nationally in the year-end rankings, becoming the first Hurricane to finish top-five since Bianca Eichkorn in 2011. The highest-ranked player in the state is one of 11 ACC players in the top 35, including seven in the top 25 and four in the top eight.
Perez-Somarriba is the sixth player in head coach Paige Yaroshuk-Tews’ 17-year tenure to earn a final top-five ranking. The Madrid native joins Megan Bradley (2004 & 2005), Audra Cohen (2006 & 2007), Julia Cohen (2009), current associate head coach Laura Vallverdu (2010) and Eichkorn.
After finishing No. 26 last year, Perez-Somarriba is now the seventh player in Yaroshuk-Tews’ tenure with multiple top-30 finishes. The list also includes Bradley (2004 & 2005), Audra Cohen (2006 & 2007), Vallverdu (2007-10), Eichkorn (2010 & 2011), Stephanie Wagner (2014-16) and Sinead Lohan (2015-17). Fewer than 10 others in Miami’s rich history have also logged multiple top-30 finishes.
This is the fifth consecutive year a Hurricane has ended the year in the top 30 and it is the third time in the past four seasons a Miami players has been in the top 10. In each of Yaroshuk-Tews’ seasons as head coach, a Hurricane has finished top-70, including 14 with a top-30 player, 12 with a top-20 player and 10 with a top-10 player.
Along with Perez-Somarriba, Lohan also earned a spot on the year’s closing list, checking in at No. 70. The senior concluded her illustrious career at 130-35 in singles play, tallying the fourth-most wins in program history.
Lohan, who placed No. 21, sixth and No. 20 the last three years, is either the sixth or seventh Hurricane to close all four of her seasons nationally ranked. The others are Lise Gregory (1984-87), Ronni Reis (1985-88), Vallverdu (2007-10), Lina Lilekite (2012-15), Wagner (2013-16). Additionally, Ros Riach was ranked from 1984-86, but the final ITA rankings from her freshman year, 1983, are unavailable.
In doubles, Perez-Somarriba and junior Ana Madcur placed No. 61 in the final rankings. It is the first year-end national ranking for Madcur and the first closing spot for a Miami doubles pair since 2016, which is also the last time a player concluded the year ranked in both singles and doubles.
The final team rankings were announced May 23 and Miami (18-8, 11-3 ACC) came in at No. 17, earning a 16th consecutive top-25 finish after reaching the NCAA Sweet 16 for the 12th time in 13 years.
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