Sophomore Valeria Ray got the ITA All-American Championships qualifying round today, Monday, September 23, 2024, projecting glory for the Vanderbilt University women's team.
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Ray earned her first win 6-2, 6-3 against Penn's Maya Urata last Saturday. In the next challenge on Sunday, she defeated North Texas' Gianna Pielet, 6-1, 6-2. Ray then faced Iowa State's Anna Supapitch Kuearum for her second singles match of the day, the pre-qualifyingfinal match, overcoming her opponent in a second-set tiebreaker to win the match and advance, 6-3, 7-6 (2), making it three straight singles matches.
Ray will resume play today at 9 a.m. ET against Florida States Maria Juliana Parra Romero. Ray and junior Bridget Stammel, ranked jointly at No. 64 in the ITA preseason rankings, will take to the court today in the doubles qualifying round, where they will face Floridas Alicia Dudeney and Bente Spee at 5 p.m. ET. No. 29-ranked Webster and senior Clia-Belle Mohr will also begin doubles qualifying, facing Virginia Techs Semra Aksu and Ozlem Uslu at 3 p.m. ET.
Of the other Commodores who played opening weekend, freshman Sophia Webster earned her first college win in a comeback over TCUs Yu-Chin Tsai, 6-7 (5), 7-5, 6-4. She fell to Colorados Mila Stanojevic, 6-0, 4-6, 6-1 in the next round. Senior Amy Stevens earned a 7-6 (0), 6-1 win over Illinois' Megan Heuser before falling to Texas' Ariana Anazagasty-Pursoo, 7-6 (3), 6-0. Junior Sonya Macavei suffered a 7-6 (1), 6-3 loss in the opening prequalifying round to Michigan State's Ellie Blackford.
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