Yaroshuk-Tews Adds Trio for 2020 Season
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – University of Miami head women’s tennis coach Paige Yaroshuk-Tews announced Monday the signing of three players who will join the team next month.
Incoming freshmen Diana Khodan, Maya Tahan and Florencia Urrutia will all begin competing with the Hurricanes in January for the 2020 campaign.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Diana, Maya and Florencia to the Miami tennis family,” Yaroshuk-Tews. “All three have not just the skills, but also the mindset we are looking for in a Hurricane. Each will be a welcome addition to our team and I look forward to their arrival in just a few short weeks.”
Hailing from Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine, Khodan is a former member of her nation’s junior national team. The 5-foot-5-inch right-hander ascended as high as No. 80 in the ITF Junior world rankings, doing so to close the 2018 calendar year.
A graduate of King Danylo College, Khodan has spent time training at the Kyiv International Tennis Academy. Earlier this year, at a tournament in Belgium, she defeated Leylah Annie Fernandez, a Canadian standout who went on to win the 2019 Junior French Open.
Khodan, set to be the first Ukrainian to play for Yaroshuk-Tews, selected the Hurricanes over offers from schools such as Kansas, NC State and Tulsa.
A native of Tel Mond, Israel, Tahan is a graduate of Rabin High School and took part in the Fed Cup each year in 2016, 2017 and 2019. She is a 5-foot-8-inch right-hander who is No. 767 in the WTA rankings right now and peaked at No. 578 on Sept. 16.
Tahan has reached the quarterfinals of eight $15K singles tournaments and one $25K event, making the semifinals five times and claiming two titles. She also owns 14 semifinal berths in $15K doubles events and two in $25K tournaments, winning 11 championships, including one at a $25K in August.
Currently No. 518 in the world in doubles after ascending as high as No. 456 on Oct. 7, Tahan committed to Miami over Baylor and Ohio State.
Urrutia comes to Coral Gables from Santa Fe, Argentina, where she attended Escuela Normal Superior y Superior de Comercio Nro 46 Domingo Guzmán Silva. The 5-foot-3-inch right-hander garnered an ITF Juniors ranking as high as No. 242 on March 25.
The two-time J3 Junior singles semifinalist also owns a J2 Junior doubles finals appearance. Urrutia logged her first WTA point last year and has been ranked as high as second in her nation’s age group, doing so at the U16 level.
Urrutia picked the Hurricanes from an offer list featuring programs such as Fresno State, Houston and Virginia Tech.
Khodan, Tahan and Urrutia will join a Miami team coming off a 19-8 (9-5 ACC) season in 2019 that featured a 24th straight NCAA Team Championship berth, an 18th consecutive appearance in the Round of 32 and a 17th straight top-25 finish.
To keep up with the University of Miami women’s tennis team on social media, follow @CanesWTennis on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
