Nova Southeastern University Athletics

AS A GRADUATE STUDENT (2023-24)
Guided the Sharks to the program's first NCAA Division II National Championship and helped set a program record for wins in a single season (27)... recognized as the ITA Senior National Player of the Year and ITA South Region Senior of the Year... became the first Sunshine State Conference women's tennis player to be recognized with first-team singles honors five times (2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024) and the fourth to be named to earn first-team doubles honors four times (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)... named an ITA All-American in both singles and doubles... became the first NSU women's tennis player to win 100 singles and 100 doubles matches in a career, accumulating a 113-24 singles record and 127-22 doubles record... Ranked second nationally in the ITA singles rankings... ranked alongside Freya Davies as the top doubles duo in NCAA Division II... teamed with Freya Davies to the ITA Doubles National Championship in October 2023.

AS A SENIOR (2022-23)
First-Team All-Sunshine State Conference in singles (fourth honor) and First-Team All-SSC in doubles (third honor)... guided the Sharks to the NCAA National Championship and a national finalist finish... helped NSU set a program record for single season wins.

AS A JUNIOR (2022)
First Team All-SSC in singles…First Team All-SSC in doubles…Played primarily as the No. 2 for the Sharks…Earned a record of 22-1, including a perfect 7-0 in SSC play…Ended the season on a 19-match win streak…Posted a 9-0 mark against nationally-ranked opponents…SSC Player of the Week (Feb. 14)…Concluded the season ranked No. 2 in the nation in singles and No. 3 in doubles along with Chantal Nosievici.

AS A SOPHOMORE* (2020)
Followed up her stellar inaugural season as a leader on the Sharks roster, and registered a series of first-ever honors for the NSU program as the Sharks finished No. 3 for their highest ranking ever … Was named an Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) All-American in both singles and doubles (with partner Sarah Warderburg), becoming the first Shark and Sunshine State Conference dual-honoree … The pair also earned the Sharks’ first top ranking as the ITA’s No. 1-ranked doubles tandem in NCAA Division II … Partnered with Wardenburg during NSU’s first invitation to the ITA Cup (Rome, Ga.) in the fall, the Sharks duo delivered a 7-6 (3), 6-4 victory over Tusculum’s Annie and Caitlyn McCullough to garner NSU’s first ITA Cup Division II Championship in doubles … Also in the fall, Espinal defeated the nation’s No. 1 singles player, Berta Bonardi from West Florida, to reach the final and earn Runner-Up at the ITA South Regional Championships in Pensacola … During the COVID-19 pandemic-shortened regular season, Espinal was listed at No. 4 in the ITA Division II rankings and went 7-2 (1-1 SSC) at No. 1 singles, going 2-1 against ranked opposition with victories over Flagler’s 14th-ranked Eden Schlagenhauf and Columbus State’s 10th-ranked Luise Sachs … Alongside Wardenburg at No. 1 doubles, Espinal earned an 8-1 (3-0 SSC) doubles record, grabbing victory in their lone ranked match against Flagler’s No. 21 pair, Alessandra Traub and Paloma Martinez … Received Tennis’ Ultimate Shark Award (MVP) during the annual Sharky’s Awards presentation in April.
 
AS A FRESHMAN (2019)
Played the entire regular season at just 17 years old, but produced one of the most prolific rookie years on record for Nova Southeastern tennis – Named the ITA South Region Rookie of the Year, Sunshine State Conference Freshman of the Year and garnered All-SSC singles first team honors and All-SSC second-team doubles honors with partner Sarah Wardenburg ... In singles, Espinal produced a 20-5 record in her rookie campaign, with a 10-2 record at No. 1 and 10-3 record at No. 2 singles – earning a 7-2 record against SSC foes ... She went 4-4 against nationally-ranked opponents and closed the season ranked No. 26 nationally by the ITA – Her initial ranking came at No. 13 in November and she reached as high as No. 8 ... Espinal won 15 consecutive singles matches from Feb. 10 to March 30 ... In doubles play, Espinal earned a record of 19-4, all parterned with Sarah Wardenburg – going 7-1 at No. 1 doubles and 12-3 at No. 2. – the duo delivered a 7-2 record against SSC opponents ... The tandem began the year unranked in the ITA standings but rose as high as No. 24 on the season ... Espinal was named the NSU Female Rookie Athlete of the Year at the season ending Sharky's award show, also receiving the tennis team's Ultimate Shark Award ... Named SSC Athlete of the Week on March 18 after winning all of her singles and doubles matches vs. No. 25 Wayne State University and NAIA No. 2 Keiser University, while playing up one level in first-flight singles.
 
HIGH SCHOOL
Attended Columbus American School in Tegucigalpa, Honduras and arrived at NSU with a career-best ITF ranking of 532 and a Universal Tennis Ranking (UTR) of 10.56 ... Prior to her arrival in Fort Lauderdale, Espinal won doubles in the Honduras Junior Bowl and was a semifinalist in singles and doubles at Copa Árabe 2014 ... She also appeared in the Fed Cup for Honduras, alongside teammate and current NSU player Daniela Obando ... In 2013, Espinal ranked No. 1 in the Central America Tennis Confederation & Caribbean (COTECC) ... Also earned bronze medal in doubles and silver in singles at the 2017 Copa de Naciones, XI Central American Sports Games in Managua, Nicaragua.
 
PERSONAL
Majoring in Sport Management…Parents are Gabriel Espinal and Flora Sanchez of Tegucigalpa, Honduras…Has two siblings, Jonathan and Sadrach.