Photo by Jeremy EnlowLady Netters Gear Up for National Championships, Face Cal U in First Round
May 15, 2012LAWTON – The Cameron University women’s tennis team is gearing up for its second consecutive trip to the NCAA National Championships, which are set to begin tomorrow in Louisville, Ky. The bracket has been unveiled and the No. 15 Aggie squad will face No. 8 California University of Pennsylvania in its opening match.
The CU women have dished out six shutout victories this year and are 23-4 overall. Their fine form has allowed them to record the winningest season in the program’s storied history. The Black and Gold team booked its place in the National Championships by devastating Southwest Baptist 5-2 in regional play last month.
Each of the Aggie women has had remarkable seasons. Elvira Sholles, who plays at No. 4 for CU, has posted the most impressive record among the women. She has documented 24 wins and dropped just two matches. She was named Lone Star Conference Player of the Week for her efforts, in addition to receiving an All-Conference Honorable Mention.
Amanda Moberg and Julia Puckhaber have continued to show leadership at the No. 1 and No. 2 spots. They each have outstanding winning records and have been nationally-ranked for most of the season. Both women were named LSC All-Conference athletes and were made members of the LSC Academic Team.
Puckhaber has put together yet another impressive year. The CU junior is 25-5 overall and is 3-1 against nationally-ranked opponents. Amanda Moberg and partner Sara Londono are currently No. 20 in the country in doubles play and have given up only four matches all season. Londono has been excellent in singles action as well. The Colombia native is 21-4 on the year at the No. 3 slot.
Aggie sophomores Florencia Tornero and Antonia Moberg have been critical to the Black and Gold’s success. The two women have further improved their play from last year and have been consistently successful at the No. 5 and No. 6 positions. The sophomores have a combined winning percentage of .765.
Meanwhile, the Cal U women are 23-5 on the season and earned their way into the Round of 16 by defeating No. 45 Shaw University 5-0 in regional competition, marking the sixth-straight season the team has advanced to the National Championships. The Vulcans are led in singles by No. 10 Martina Rubesova who is 26-6 on the season. The squad has a talented doubles tandem in Rubesova and Franziska Steinhardt. The pair has surrendered just six matches this year and is ranked No. 4 in the nation.
First serve in tomorrow’s competition between the Aggies and the Vulcans at E.P. Sawyer State Park is slated for 11 a.m. The victor of the contest will face the winner of the match between the University of the District of Colombia and defending champions Barry University (No. 2). Live statistics will be available at the NCAA website as well as at www.cameronaggies.com.
