TLU's Vega Wins 2013 USTA/ITA Regional Championship, Qualifies for Nationals

TLU's Vega Wins 2013 USTA/ITA Regional Championship, Qualifies for Nationals

(Story courtesy of the Texas Lutheran website)

TYLER, Texas -- Texas Lutheran sophomore Sofia Vega rolled to the women's singles title at the 2013 USTA/ITA Southwest Regional Championship in Tyler, Texas and advanced to the National Small College Championships, to be held Oct. 10-13 in Fort Myers, Florida.

Vega (Corpus Christi/Flour Bluff) is the first Bulldog to win a USTA/ITA Southwest Regional and advance to the National Small College Championships.

Vega, the regional's top seed, won three matches on Saturday and two matches on Sunday. She defeated 10th-seed Caroline White of Trinity 6-0, 6-2 in the final.

"Couldn't be happier for Sofia," said Michael Hunt, TLU's head coach for women's and men's tennis. "Because of the rain, she played eight total singles and doubles matches in two days. She is an incredibly mentally tough player, and she just wore down the competition. She had a really tough match in the semifinals against (Jessica) Blundell. The score doesn't reflect how tough and close it was."

"We're looking forward to competing in Florida in October. It's another big step for TLU Tennis and fulfills a goal Sofia set last fall."

Vega did not drop a set in the tournament. She received a first-round bye before dispatching Hannah Smith of Hardin-Simmons (6-3, 6-2), Kristy Hamilton of Trinity (6-1, 6-2), seventh-seed Liza Southwick of Trinity (6-2, 6-3) and sixth-seed Jessica Blundell of University of Texas at Tyler (6-1, 6-2) to reach the final.

With the win and the advancement to the Small College Championships, Vega qualifies for ITA All-American honors, adding to her ITA All-America honor from the spring of 2013.

Vega, a sophomore, played in the NCAA Division III Women's Singles Round-of-16 in the spring of 2013 and was named an ITA All-American and ITA Scholar-Athlete. She was named the 2013 American Southwest Conference West Division Most Valuable Player, ASC West Division Freshman of the Year and ASC All-Conference.

Caitlin Zarr (La Grange/La Grange) and Vega played in the "A" Flight Doubles as the sixth seed. The TLU duo advanced to the flight quarterfinal with a win over Bendandi and Roe of Trinity and a win over Tiu and Tiu of University of Texas at Dallas. Zarr and Vega fell in the quarterfinal 8-3 to the second-seeded team of Blundell and Friesenhahn of UT Tyler.

TLU freshman Leah Howell (San Antonio/MacArthur) won a pair of matches in the "B" Flight Singles draw and advanced to the draw quarterfinals. She defeated Magan Green of Austin College (7-5, 7-5) and Mattie Cryer of Southwestern (6-2, 6-2). She lost 6-4, 6-3 to finalist Laura Grunden of Mary Hardin-Baylor in the quarterfinal match.

Howell and fellow freshman Brooke Taylor (Lake Jackson/Brazoswood) won two matches in the "B" Flight Doubles and played in the flight semifinals. Taylor and Howell defeated Guilliot and Simon of Schreiner 8-3 and Linde and Kheveli of Austin College 8-4.

"I'm really pleased with our full team effort," said Hunt. "Our newcomers have an intensity we have wanted of our whole team for a few years. There was great team support. Just a really positive start to the season."

The TLU Women's Tennis Team continues its fall schedule with the Fourth Annual Doc Skogman Invitational on Oct. 4-5 in Seguin.

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