TEMPE, Ariz. – Heading into their February 3 spring opener at Flagler College, the national acclaim for the Nova Southeastern tennis team has grown as the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) announced the Sharks at No. 8 nationally in its 2019 Preseason Rankings. The association also selected singles players
Ana Navas and
Natalie Espinal, as well as doubles pair Navas and
Daniela Obando among the national top-15.
Entering the third spring under head coach
Doug Neagle, the Sharks have remained a steady fixture in the national rankings, receiving preseason nods of 14th and 15th in the previous two spring rankings.
"It's nice to be recognized in the rankings, but this year our goal is to get better every day on and off the court; to not focus on the results," Neagle said, "Just like in a match, truly competing an individual point at a time, we are not looking past our next opponent. All we are preparing for now is Flagler, our next match. If we continue to keep this mindset all year, the results will come. So many people in life want the awards, rankings, championships and the glory, but don't want to work for it. I feel this group wants to put in the work and welcomes the challenge. I'm excited to get started."
Navas comes into 2019 at ninth among national singles players. The senior from Valencia, Spain was 5-1 in singles in the fall, reaching the final at the ITA South Regional Championships in September. Paired with Tegucigalpa, Honduras junior Obando, the Sharks duo are ranked 12th in the January ITA doubles rankings after earning a 6-0 fall record together, including an ITA Regional semifinal appearance.
The rookie, also from Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Espinal was a prolific winner for the Sharks in the first fall of her career, knocking off ITA top-seeded Verena Schmid from defending national champion Barry in the third round at ITA. The association dubbed the freshman at No. 13 going into spring 2019 after she went 8-2 and logged an ITA semifinal appearance in her debut collegiate tournament.
After working out two more junior college exhibition tune-ups in the next week at home, the Sharks will hit the road for the Feb. 3 matchup at Flagler, ahead of back-to-back matches with Valdosta State and Georgia College in Valdosta, Ga. (Feb. 9-10). The Sharks' home opener is set for Feb. 17 at the NSU Tennis Complex, with Florida National coming up from Hialeah.
