Wingate's Ciaccia and Sambyakugari Earn ITA All-American Honors

STORY COURTESY OF WINGATE ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

ITA All-Americans

Tempe, Ariz.----For the first time in Wingate women's tennis history, the Bulldogs had a doubles team earn All-American accolades from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA). Senior Camilla Ciaccia and freshman Suzuka Sambyakugari earn doubles All-American accolades for the Bulldogs.

"I am so proud of what Camilla and Suzuka accomplished this year as a doubles pair," Michael Cabana says. "They grew together and complemented each other so well. For Camilla to go out as an All-American as a senior, I couldn't be happier for her! For Suzuka to come in as a freshman and earn this honor, the sky is the limit for her!"

The duo finished the season as the fifth-ranked doubles team in the country, checking in at number two in the Southeast Region. Ciaccia and Sambyakugari earned first team All-SAC doubles honors earlier this season, while Ciaccia was also a first team All-SAC singles selection.

The duo went 13-4 in doubles play on the season, with all 17 matches coming at number one doubles. They went 8-2 in league play. Ciaccia and Sambyakugari finished the season with seven consecutive victories, with a 4-0 record in postseason play. That included a 7-6 win over the number one duo from Queens who finished the year ranked 16th nationally. They wrapped up the season with a 6-3 doubles victory over North Georgia's number duo in the NCAA Tournament, a duo that also earned All-American honors this year and is ranked sixth in the country. They also notched a victory over Newberry's duo, which ended the year ranked #25.

Ciaccia and Sambyakugari played key roles in another impressive season for the Bulldogs, who wrapped up the year ranked #16 in the final ITA poll. The 'Dogs went 16-8 overall and 11-1 in league play to capture the regular season SAC title for the 11th time in 12 seasons. Wingate earned its fourth straight NCAA Tournament bid, making its ninth appearance in the last 11 seasons and 17th in program history.

Ciaccia adds this All-American nod to a huge senior season that saw her earn first team All-SAC honors in singles and doubles play, while also earn the prestigious SAC Scholar-Athlete award. She finished the season as the nation's 41st-ranked singles player. Ciaccia went 48-14 in her singles career at Wingate, while posting a 42-14 doubles record.

Sambyakugari had a huge impact in her first season at Wingate, going 19-2 in singles play with a perfect 11-0 mark in league play. The freshman led the Bulldogs with her 19 singles wins while also leading the way with her 17 doubles victories.

ABOUT ITA

Originally founded in 1956 by the legendary UCLA men's tennis coach, J. D. Morgan, the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) is the governing body of college tennis, overseeing men's and women's varsity tennis at all levels – NCAA Divisions I, II and III, NAIA and Junior/Community College. Officially incorporated in 1978 as the Intercollegiate Tennis Coaches Association (ITCA), for over the past four decades the ITA has worked hard to achieve its charter goals: (1) "To foster and encourage the playing of intercollegiate tennis in accordance with the highest tradition of sportsmanship and consistent with the general objectives of higher education." (2) "To develop among the intercollegiate coaches a deeper sense of responsibility in teaching, promoting, maintaining, and conducting the game of tennis." And, (3) "To educate and serve those individuals and groups who are involved in collegiate tennis: junior and college players, their coaches and parents, and the at-large tennis public."