Third-Ranked Sharks Garner Three on ITA All-America Team

TEMPE, Ariz. – The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) announced its 2020 Women’s Division II All-America Teams on Tuesday following a shortened season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The No. 3 Nova Southeastern Sharks garnered the most selections among members of the powerhouse Sunshine State Conference – boasting three selections in Natalie Espinal, Sarah Wardenburg and Karolina Snita.

The Sharks last received an All-American nod in 2018. However, this is the first time in program history that Nova Southeastern produced three honorees.

“It shows how much our program is coming along, having three receive this prestigious honor,” fourth-year head coach Doug Neagle said. “You need depth to win in this tough conference and this proves we are getting there. The SSC has nine All-Americans, which tells you just how tough our league is, and for NSU to have three of them is amazing. I’m very happy for these three young ladies, especially after having this season end so abruptly. They deserve this. Congrats to all the players across the country earning these honors.”

Leading the charge, sophomore Espinal (Tegucigalpa, Honduras) is the lone 2020 SSC player to be selected to both the singles and doubles All-America rosters. Ranked as the No. 4 singles player nationally, Espinal finished the season with a 7-2 record, including a 2-1 mark against ranked opposition. Teamed with senior partner Wardenburg (Pauanui, New Zealand) in doubles, the Sharks tandem won the ITA Cup Division II Championship in the fall and earned the No. 1 national doubles ranking. The pair went 8-1 this spring to remain on top of the dominant NCAA South Region in the final rankings. These are the first All-American honors for both players.

Mid-year junior transfer Snita (Glogow, Poland) proved a valuable component for the Sharks at No. 2 and No. 1 singles, reeling off a team-high 11-0 record, including a 1-0 mark against nationally-ranked opponents and 2-0 versus regionally-ranked foes. Working with sophomore partner Diane Follin-Arbelet, Snita also produced a 9-2 doubles finish to the shortened season.

On top of the efforts of these All-Americans, the third-ranked Sharks produced their highest final ranking in program history, delivering a 13-1 record that included wins over five ranked teams and finished nine victories via sweep.

2020 ITA All-Americans in the Sunshine State Conference
S/D – Natalie Espinal, Nova Southeastern
S – Jil Engelmann, Barry
S – Julie Razafindranaly, Barry
S – Karolina Snita, Nova Southeastern
S – Marta Vicens Miquel, Saint Leo
S – Ekaterina Grib, Tampa
D – Ulyana Grib, Lynn
D – Valeriya Pogrebnyak, Lynn
D – Sarah Wardenburg, Nova Southeastern
S=singles; D=doubles

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