CAA Tennis Weekly Honors - Feb. 26
RICHMOND, Va. (February 26, 2013)
- The CAA has recognized six men's and women's tennis players for outstanding
performances last week.
UNCW junior Rafael Aita (Lima, Peru) and the Delaware tandem of junior Troy Beneck (Wilmington, Del.) and
junior Adam Lawton (Estepona, Spain)
earned CAA men's tennis honors for the week ending February 24. Receiving
honors on the women's side were Delaware freshman Carmen Lai (Sha Tin, Hong Kong) and the William & Mary duo of
junior Maria Belaya (Melbourne, Fla.)
and junior Jeltje Loomans (Houten,
The Netherlands).
Aita was selected as the CAA
men's tennis Player of the Week after going 2-0 at No. 1 singles in matches
against #48 South Carolina and #35 N.C. State. The junior defeated 94th-ranked
Tsvetan Mihov of South Carolina 7-6 (7), 7-6 (2) and pulled out a three-set win
over NCSU's Robbie Mudge, 6-1, 5-7, 6-4. Aita, who is ranked 17th
nationally in singles, has won six straight matches and is 8-1 in dual matches
this season.
Beneck and Lawton were honored
as the CAA men's Doubles Team of the Week after edging Thomas O'Brien and Kelly
Donaldson of Villanova 9-7 to clinch the double point in Delaware's 4-3 victory
over the Wildcats. The duo improved to 4-0 this season at No. 1 doubles. Along
with clinching the doubles point, Beneck and Lawton also won their matches in
singles against VU.
Lai was named the CAA women's
tennis Player of the Week after rallying past Devi Jadeja of Saint Joseph's
4-6, 6-4, 10-6 at No. 3 singles in Delaware's 4-3 triumph over the Hawks. The
Blue Hens trailed 3-0 in the match before Lai posted her victory to start the
comeback. She is 4-0 in dual matches this spring, including a 3-0 mark at No. 3
singles.
Belaya and Loomans were honored
as the CAA women's Doubles Team of the Week after compiling a 2-0 mark at the
No. 1 spot to help William & Mary earn the doubles point in wins over Penn
(6-1) and James Madison (5-2). The tandem defeated 22nd-ranked Sonya
Latycheva and Sol Eskenzai of Penn, 8-3, and posted an 8-0 victory over JMU's
Michelle Nguyen and Taylor Pinchoff. Belaya and Loomans, who are ranked 4th
in the nation in doubles, are 10-1 in dual match play with eight straight
victories.