Women's Tennis Team Finds Success At All Levels

Student-athletes head to college to continue playing the sport they love while getting an education. Some have the opportunity to go onto the next level following their collegiate career.

The same rings true for the Texas Tech women's tennis team. However, their professional career starts much earlier.

Not only do they maintain good standing in the classroom, the 2015-16 team posted 25 wins and advanced to the Sweet 16, the best performance in school history. As of Fall 2016, the women's tennis team earned a 3.6 GPA.

Over the last two seasons, the women's tennis team has had five players ranked in the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) rankings. As of Dec. 19, junior Gabriela Talaba was ranked 719 in the world. The talented team has also boasted six titles and three finals on the pro tour.

"I chose to play college tennis because I did not have the financial resources to be able to go pro when I finished high school in Romania. The costs for this sport are always very high and there are not too many people that can afford it," Talaba said.

"Another reason was related to the preparation we can get as college athletes in the four years of eligibility. We gain more experience as well as more confidence through these years and that can lead to success later on. Knowing that a college can offer you a full scholarship to do both, study and play tennis, I said why not."

Last summer, Talaba posted a 13-9 record in singles in WTA and ITA Pro Circuit main draws and qualified for three finals.

She advanced to the round of 16 in a $10,000 tournament in Galati, Romania, and won her first doubles title of the same tournament with Romanian teammate, Oana Georgeta Simon.

"I played many finals before college alongside Oana, but we never won a doubles title until last year. It was a great feeling because I finally passed that barrier," Talaba said. "We practiced equally in singles and doubles and had a full season with tough matches that built more confidence in some points."

In July, Talaba advanced to the final match of a $10,000 tournament in Targu Jui, Romania. She fell in two tough sets (6-7 (5), 3-6).

Not only was Talaba successful on the pro circuit, she posted a 23-10 record last season. She earned a spot of the All-Big 12 second team and clinched the Oklahoma Invitational Boomer Singles title during the Fall 2015.

Senior Lynn Kiro has been successful on the pro circuit all four years of her collegiate career, posting a 17-8 career doubles record. She has qualified for four doubles finals and won three doubles titles.

In 2012, Kiro qualified for back-to-back doubles finals and won her first doubles title in Dec. 2012 during a $10,000 tournament in South Africa.

In 2015, Kiro and teammate Sarah Dvorak won the doubles title at the $10,000 tournament in Austin.

Freshman Alba Cortina-Pou played in her first ITF Pro Circuit event before ever stepping foot on campus.

She advanced to the quarterfinals during a $10,000 tournament in Madrid, Spain, in May. She also earned a spot in the Team Luke Classic where she also advanced to the doubles quarterfinals with teammate Sabrina Federici.

Being a freshman, Cortina-Pou often leans on her teammates for guidance.

"We are all really close and help each other on and off the court. I am so happy to have Gabriela as a teammate because she is a great example and so experience in the pro circuit and I can learn a lot from her," Cortina-Pou said.

Sophomore Felicity Maltby recently played in a $25,000 tournament in Nashville, Tenn., where she advanced to the doubles finals alongside partner Melissa Kopinski.

Many have had great success beyond Lubbock, Texas. And they all can say they have had the backbone of support from the Texas Tech coaching staff.

"Coach (Todd) Petty (women's tennis head coach) encourages us to play in the pro circuit because he knows that we can only gain experience from those matches," Talaba said. "He knows that we are better than some of the girls out there and he wants us to challenge ourselves every time."

Women's Tennis Team Finds Success At All Levels

Players Mentioned

Alba Cortina-Pou

Sarah Dvorak

Sabrina Federici

Lynn Kiro

Felicity Maltby

Gabriela Talaba

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