To start the 2020-2021 season, women’s tennis has come out of the gates on fire. The fourth ranked Sharks are 6-0 and sit at the top of the Sunshine State Conference (SSC). Behind Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) All-Americans, sophomore Natalie Espinal and junior Karolina Snita, what have the Sharks done so far?
Through March 27, the team has had two victories over top-10 teams.
On March 7, NSU took down ninth-ranked Saint Leo 5-2, solidifying the team as a national contender. However, this isn’t their best win of the season. On March 24, NSU swept third-ranked Lynn University 7-0. This was NSU’s first series win over Lynn since 2016. Lynn’s tennis program is dominant and had only lost one match in their last 41 matches before NSU’s match.
In singles, the team dominated again with 34-2, a win-percentage of 94.4%. In tennis, there are six singles matches. This season, Coach Doug Neagle seems to have his ideal lineup set. Espinal (5-1) has started off every match, Snita (6-0) follows her, senior Daniela Obando (5-0) is the third to play, the four spot is for junior Chantal Nosievici (5-0), sophomore Diane Follin-Arbelet (4-1) is fifth and sophomore Celia Montero Estevan (5-0) is the closer. The reserves consist of sophomore Caitlyn Khan (1-0) and senior Isabella Lowrey (1-0), who have each contributed a win in their lone appearances. The lineup has dominance at every spot.
In doubles, the Sharks’ overall record is a commanding 16-2, with a win percentage of 88.9%. In fact, NSU’s three duos have been just as dominant together as they are in singles. Snita/Follin-Arbelet (5-1), Lowrey/Obando (5-0) and Espinal/Nosievici (4-1) have been excellent in almost all of their matches. Notably, Lowrey is one of NSU’s players that focuses on doubles, specifically. Lowrey has played in six doubles matches (6-0) compared to just one singles match.
The Sharks biggest test of the season comes on April 7 when NSU traveled to take on second-ranked Barry University. The matchup is a possible preview of the SSC Championship, with the Bucs (4-0) in second place in the SSC, right behind the Sharks (6-0). Like NSU, Barry has two ITA All-Americans in Engelmann and Razafindranaly. An even matchup awaits… or does it?
Since 2010, NSU has been dominated by Barry. Their record is 1-12, with the silver-lining being that the only win came somewhat recently in 2019 by a score of 4-2. In their 2020 meeting, the Bucs came out on top 4-2. The last two games have been split evenly and this match is anyone’s for the taking. It won’t be easy, but if NSU can take down Barry, the top spot in the Division-II rankings could be the Sharks. With three top-10 victories and an undefeated season, NSU’s resume would speak for itself, deserving of the top spot.
When the SSC Championships roll around on April 21, the Sharks should have a great chance of taking home the team’s first conference championship. Only time will tell how the red-hot Sharks will finish the season.
The NCAA Regional Championships are set for May 10 and the NCAA D-II National Championships are set for May 18. You can find out more about NSU’s Women’s Tennis team at https://nsusharks.com/sports/womens-tennis.
