FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - Sharks Women's Tennis Alumni Natalie Espinal recently made history by becoming the first player ever to win a gold medal for Honduras at the Central American Games. During her time at Nova Southeastern, she helped lead the Sharks to the program's first NCAA National Championship and captured the ITA Cup Doubles National Championship three times, cementing her legacy as one of the most decorated players in NSU Women's tennis history.

During her tenure as a Shark, Espinal established herself as one of the most accomplished players in program history and a defining figure in NCAA Division II women's tennis. Competing from 2019 through 2024, she guided the Sharks to their first-ever NCAA Division II National Championship and helped set a program record for single-season wins. A five-time First-Team All-Sunshine State Conference honoree in singles and a four-time First-Team selection in doubles, Espinal's consistency and dominance earned her national recognition as the ITA Senior National Player of the Year, ITA South Region Senior of the Year, and multiple ITA All-American honors in both singles and doubles. She became the first NSU player to surpass 100 career wins in both singles and doubles, finishing with an outstanding 113-24 singles record and 127-22 doubles record. Ranked as high as No. 2 nationally in singles and No. 1 in doubles alongside Freya Davies, Espinal captured the 2023 ITA Doubles National Championship and continually elevated NSU's national profile.
 

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