May 23, 2018
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The last 24 hours have been a whirlwind for the Vanderbilt women’s tennis team. The ups and downs were no more apparent than they were Wednesday afternoon at the Wake Forest Tennis Center.
In the span of 24 hours the squad fell in the NCAA finals, made two NCAA singles tournament debuts, earned back-to-back NCAA singles victories, earned an ITA National Co-Senior Player of the Year Award and broke the school record for single-season singles victories.
Wednesday began with the ITA releasing their national end-of-the-year awards. Redshirt-senior Astra Sharma was voted as the country’s Co-Senior Player of the Year, further cementing her name as one of the most highly decorated players in Vanderbilt history. Last season Sharma was named the national ITA Player to Watch.
Sharma owns the award with a fellow SEC student-athlete in Ole Miss’ Arianne Hartono. The last time a student-athlete from the SEC won Senior Player of the Year was 2013 (Lauren Embree, University of Florida).
“I am honored to have been thought worthy of this award,” said Sharma. “I could not think of a better way to end my college career and I am so grateful for the support the college community has shown me. It is extremely cool to share this with Ari. She has always been a great sport and a fierce competitor on the court, while also being a very sweet and awesome person off the court. I could not think of a more deserving person.”
No. 11 Sharma followed up the award by making her third NCAA singles tournament appearance. The Perth, Australia native faced North Carolina’s No. 46 Sara Daavettila in the round of 64. The Commodore played with absolute intensity throughout both sets, limiting the Tar Heel to just one day. Sharma earned her 111th career win in a 6-1, 6-0 victory.
“Roo” will face Denver’s No. 62 Julia O’Loughlin tomorrow at 10 a.m. CT. O’Loughlin advanced over Cal’s 45th-ranked Anna Bright 7-6(1), 6-2.
Fernanda Contreras and Christina Rosca made their NCAA individual tournament debuts on Wednesday afternoon. While 44th-ranked Rosca battled hard, UCLA’s ninth-ranked Ena Shibahara defeated the Commodore 6-2, 6-1.
Eighth-seeded/No. 10 Contreras was locked into her singles debut against a familiar foe in Georgia Tech’s 60th-ranked Kenya Jones. Having faced Jones in the NCAA team semifinals, the Commodore knew what to expect from the gritty Yellow Jacket. Using her previous 6-4, 6-4 win, Contreras flew through her opening set, not giving up a single game.
Jones earned a heathy lead in the second set, but Contreras fought to level the score 4-all. The Commodore took the final two games to put the match away and clinch her place in the NCAA round of 32 and Vanderbilt record books.
The victory over Jones was the Commodore’s 40th this season, the most single-season wins of any Commodore. Contreras will face Texas Tech’s Felicity Maltby tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. CT.
Ranked 11th in the country, Contreras and Sharma take the court tomorrow at 3:30 pm CT against UNC’s second-seeded Aney/Graham in their NCAA doubles debut as a duo.