KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Two members from the Tennessee women’s tennis team earned All-America status, the ITA announced Thursday. Senior Sofia Cabezas claimed the honor in singles, while Cabezas and junior Elza Tomase received doubles recognition.
Singles All-America plaudits are given to student-athletes who earn a top-16 seed in the NCAA Singles Championship, advance to the Round of 16 in the NCAA Singles Championship and/or finish top-20 in the ITA rankings. In doubles, All-American accolades are awarded to pairs that earn a top-eight seed into the NCAA Doubles Championship, reach the NCAA Doubles Championship Quarterfinals and/or finish top-10 in the ITA rankings.
Cabezas capped off her senior campaign with a 22-11 record, including three phenomenal victories over top-10 opponents. The Valencia, Venezuela, native, who owns a career singles record of 72-43, held a ranking in every ITA singles release during the 2024 spring season. The senior closed her career with the highest ranking of her career, garnering the No. 11 spot on May 29 in the year-end rankings.
“Anytime we recruit players, we do so with a particular vision,” head coach Alison Ojeda said. “Part of that vision with Sofia was playing her high in our lineup because of her willingness to extend points while competing. As the fall semester went on, it became evident that if she was able to simplify her game and focus on her strengths, she was going to be really good. I am so happy for her that she put together one of the best seasons any player ever at Tennessee and earned All-American honors. She had multiple top-10 wins and did so at a time when our team really benefited from her level of play! We are forever grateful for Sofia and all of the hard work and dedication she put in every day.”
Atop the doubles lineup, Cabezas and Tomase dominated opponents, posting a 16-8 season. Together, they cruised past 11 ranked pairs, en route to finishing the season with their highest ranking of the year by placing seventh in the May 29 release. Their highest-ranked victory came against No. 6 Mary Stoiana and Mia Kupres of the eventual NCAA champion, Texas A&M, on March 17, 7-6 (5).
“Elza and Sofia have grown tremendously this year as a doubles team,” Ojeda remarked. “They are obviously both very good tennis players, but they have a very different style of play. The key to this team was figuring out a way to complement one another. I’m so happy that Elza embraced the philosophy…
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