Oct. 14, 2008
C-USA Tennis Players of the Month 
IRVING, Texas – Reigning three-time Conference USA Men’s Tennis Player of the Year Arnau Brugues of Tulsa claims the first monthly Men’s tennis award of the 2008 fall season. Brugues, ranked No. 6 in the initial ITA singles rankings, has begun the season with a 7-2 singles record. He holds a 4-2 record against ranked opponents, including a win over No. 2 Denes Lukacs of Baylor at the HEB Baylor Intercollegiate. UCF freshman Andrea Yacaman has opened her collegiate career with a 6-1 record in singles play and a 4-2 mark in doubles to claim the women’s honor. Yacaman has claimed singles titles at the Florida Gator Fall Classic and the Rollins C.L. Varner Memorial Invite.
MEN’S TENNIS PLAYER OF THE MONTH (SEPT./OCT.)
ARNAU BRUGUES - Tulsa
Sr., Barcelona, Spain (University of Barcelona)
Brugues, ranked No. 6 in the initial ITA singles rankings, has begun the season with a 7-2 singles record. He holds a 4-2 record against ranked opponents, including a win over No. 2 Denes Lukacs of Baylor at the HEB Baylor Intercollegiate. In the finals of the Baylor Invite, the senior fell to No. 1 Oleksandr Nedovyesov of Oklahoma State. Brugues advanced to the Round of 16 in the Main Draw Singles at the D’Novo ITA All-American Championship, defeating two ranked players in the opening two rounds. In doubles action at the All-American, Brugues claimed second place with partner Philip Stephens. The duo went 4-1 in Main Draw Doubles, including a 3-1 record against ranked opponents.
WOMEN’S TENNIS PLAYER OF THE MONTH (SEPT./OCT.)
ANDREA YACAMAN - UCF
Fr., Catagena, Columbia (Boca Raton Prep)
Yacaman opened her UCF career by going 6-1 in singles play, 4-2 in doubles. The freshman won two singles titles at the the Florida Gator Fall Classic and the Rollins C.L. Varner Memorial Invite. In her first collegiate event, Yacaman won all four singles matches at the University of Florida Gator Fall Classic en route to claiming the “B” Flight title. She defeated top players from Kentucky and South Florida to claim the championship. At the Rollins C.L. Varner Memorial Invitational, Yacaman participated in the “A” Flight singles draw and won her first two matches, 6-0, 6-0, before being bounced in the quarterfinals. In doubles at the event, she teamed up with Elvira Serrot in the “A” Flight bracket and the duo muscled past teams from Nova Southeastern, Armstrong Atlantic (D-II national champs), Rollins and Florida Southern for the top doubles crown.
OTHER NOTABLE MEN’S TENNIS PERFORMANCES (SEPT.OCT.)
JORGE VAZQUEZ, Jr. - Memphis
Vazquez advanced to the qualifying round of the D’Novo ITA All-American Championship, winning four matches, the most any Tiger has won since Lee Taylor Walker in 2003. Vazquez defeated Rob West of Cleveland State in the first round, 6-4, 6-2. In the second round, Vazquez upended Mauricio Ballivian of Drake, 6-2, 6-1. In the third round of pre-qualifying, the senior defeated Texas A&M's Chris Chirico, 6-4, 7-5 and he took out Sebastian Gallego of Minnesota, 6-1, 2-6, 6-3 in the fourth round.
BRUNO ROSA, Jr. - Rice
Rosa won five of his seven singles decisions, including runs to the quarterfinals at the Baylor HEB Invite and the Round of 16 at the D’Novo ITA All-American Championship in his two fall appearances. Five of his six triumphs came in straight sets. No. 25 Rosa made his career doubles debut with Christoph Müller and the duo won a trio of decisions en route to qualifying for the main doubles draw at the ITA All-American.
ARTEM BORODACH, So. - SMU
Borodach has four singles wins after picking up three victories in the pre-qualifying rounds of the D’Novo ITA All-American Championship and also notching a win in the Racquet Club Collegiate Invitational. In doubles, he has a victory over the Texas A&M tandem of Karimi/Hoover with teammate Adham el-Effendi.
PATRICIO ALVARADO, Fr. – Southern Miss
Alvarado began his Southern Miss career in solid fashion, winning his first four matches in the Ragin’ Cajun Tennis Invitational. The freshman bowed out in the finals of the event in his first collegiate action and then went on to win six of his next eight matches at the Georgia Tech Fall Classic and the Southern Miss Fall Invitational.
OTHER NOTABLE WOMEN’S TENNIS PERFORMANCES (SEPT./OCT.)
Kellie Schmitt, Sr., - Marshall
Schmitt’s play in September and early October was impressive in both singles and doubles with appearances at the UVA Invitational, the Spartan Invitational and the Rivieria ITA All-American Championship. The reigning two-time C-USA Player of the Year went 6-3 in singles and 5-3 in doubles and also competed in a USTA tournament as an unattached doubles player in Pittsburgh, Pa.
ASHLEY MURDOCK, Jr. - Memphis
Murdock has a record of 4-5 in both singles and doubles this fall and has seen action against some of the top-ranked players in the country at the William & Mary Invitational and the Ole Miss Fall Classic.
JULIE CHAO, Jr. - Rice
Chao stormed into the Round of 16 at the Midland Invitational, dropping only seven games in a pair of straight set victories over Abilene Christian's Irene Squillaci and Texas Tech's Simone Templeton. She then fell to No. 6 seed Alex Liles of Pepperdine in the Round of 16.
SHARON SIEGEL, Fr. - Tulane
Siegel posted a 3-1 singles mark and a 3-0 record in doubles with teammate Jessica Lange at the Roberta Fall Classic in Tuscaloosa, Ala. The tandem’s 3-0 doubles record propelled them to victory in the Silver Draw doubles.
ANASTASIA EROFEEVA, Fr. - Tulsa
Erofeeva has a perfect 6-0 record this fall and won the “D” Flight singles at the Razorback Invitational and the “Blue” Flight singles at the U.S. Air Force Academy Invitational. The freshman is also 5-2 in doubles play with partner Alexandra Kickoutkin, claiming second place in the “Blue” Flight doubles at the Air Force Academy Invite.
EVELIEN STRIJKER, So. - UAB
Strijker advanced to the finals of the “A” Singles flight at last weekend’s UNF Fall Invite. Strijker defeated the Nos. 2 and 3 seeds in straight sets along the way before falling to the top seed in the championship match. She owns a 2-1 mark through two tournaments this fall, including wins in her first six matches this season. All of her wins have been in straight sets.
