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Perez-Somarriba Wins ITA Regional Arthur Ashe Award

Perez-Somarriba Wins ITA Regional Arthur Ashe Award

CORAL GABLES, Fla. Estela Perez-Somarriba of the University of Miami women’s tennis team is the ITA Southeast Region Arthur Ashe Leadership & Sportsmanship Award honoree, as announced Saturday morning.

The Ashe Award, which dates back to 1982, goes to a junior or senior who has exhibited outstanding sportsmanship and leadership, as well as scholastic, extracurricular and tennis achievements.

“Estela’s impact on the University of Miami women’s tennis program is truly close to impossible to put into words. Her leadership comes in many forms, although the most apparent is in her work ethic,” Miami head coach Paige Yaroshuk-Tews said. “What this student-athlete has accomplished is nothing short of amazing.  Estela has consistently reached these heights with an incredible amount of sportsmanship and class.”

The top-ranked singles player in the country, Perez-Somarriba sports a 37-5 record and finished 24-1 in dual match play. Her ledger includes a 22-4 mark against ranked players, including a 9-1 tally versus top-25 opponents.

Perez-Somarriba is a two-time reigning ACC Player of the Year and she has already clinched ITA All-America status for the third season in a row.

Along with her success on the court, Perez-Somarriba owns a 3.936 GPA while majoring in economics and minoring in sport administration. The Omicron Delta Kappa Honor Society member made the Provost’s Honor Roll (3.75+ GPA) in each of her first five collegiate semesters, garnering President’s Honor Roll (4.0) plaudits in two of them.

In addition, Perez-Somarriba serves on Miami’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and has taken part in a number of community outreach events. She has spent time at multiple tennis clinics and helped serve lunch at the Miami Rescue Mission.

The junior from Madrid is the third Hurricane to win the regional Ashe Award, including the second in as many years. Sinead Lohan did so in 2018, while Audrey Bañada did so in the South Region in 2006.

After winning Player to Watch both regionally and nationally last year, Perez-Somarriba is now the third Hurricane with multiple ITA regional awards since Miami joined the Southeast Region in 2010, alongside Bianca Eichkorn and Stephanie Wagner.

To keep up with the University of Miami women’s tennis team on social media, follow @CanesWTennis on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.