Photo by: Brian Ray
Tulsa Duo Selected to NCAA Women’s Tennis Doubles Championship
4/30/2019 4:45:00 PM | Women's Tennis
ORLANDO, Fla. – Tulsa's No. 11-ranked doubles tandem of Martina Okalova and Vera Ploner was selected to compete in the NCAA Division I Women's Tennis Doubles Championship, set to take place May 20-25 at the USTA National Campus, it was announced today.
The Golden Hurricane duo, which earned one of nine automatic bids into the tournament, will open its tournament after the conclusion of the team championship, which runs from May 16-19.
Both juniors, Ploner and Okalova will be the first Tulsa doubles tandem to compete in the NCAA doubles draw since Samantha Vickers and Isaura Enrique reached a program-high round of 16 in 2013.
Tulsa's No. 1 tandem has had a standout 2018-19 campaign under head coach Dean Orford, picking up a 27-6 overall record and a 15-4 mark in dual matches.
This past fall, the doubles team followed in Vickers and Enrique's footsteps, nabbing an ITA Central Regional doubles title in October. The achievement marked the fourth duo to achieve the feat in program history and the first since Enrique and Vickers in 2012.
In the dual season, Okalova and Ploner earned four victories over ranked opponents in doubles matches, with their highest coming against UCF's No. 19 Valeryia Zeleva/Ksenia Kuznetsova in the American Athletic Conference tournament.
The draw will be released in the coming weeks, with times and opponents TBA.
For all Tulsa women's tennis news and information, visit TulsaHurricane.com. Be sure to follow the team on Twitter and Facebook.
The Golden Hurricane duo, which earned one of nine automatic bids into the tournament, will open its tournament after the conclusion of the team championship, which runs from May 16-19.
Both juniors, Ploner and Okalova will be the first Tulsa doubles tandem to compete in the NCAA doubles draw since Samantha Vickers and Isaura Enrique reached a program-high round of 16 in 2013.
Tulsa's No. 1 tandem has had a standout 2018-19 campaign under head coach Dean Orford, picking up a 27-6 overall record and a 15-4 mark in dual matches.
This past fall, the doubles team followed in Vickers and Enrique's footsteps, nabbing an ITA Central Regional doubles title in October. The achievement marked the fourth duo to achieve the feat in program history and the first since Enrique and Vickers in 2012.
In the dual season, Okalova and Ploner earned four victories over ranked opponents in doubles matches, with their highest coming against UCF's No. 19 Valeryia Zeleva/Ksenia Kuznetsova in the American Athletic Conference tournament.
The draw will be released in the coming weeks, with times and opponents TBA.
For all Tulsa women's tennis news and information, visit TulsaHurricane.com. Be sure to follow the team on Twitter and Facebook.
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