Marrit Boonstra Named SEC W-Tennis Player of the Week
Tuesday, February 17, 2009 | Women's Tennis
University of Florida junior Marrit Boonstra (The Netherlands) upset three higher-ranked opponents on the singles court and was recognized for her effort as she was named the Southeastern Conference Women's Tennis Player of the Week, the league announced on Tuesday.
Entering the season, the highest-ranked opponent Boonstra had ever defeated was ranked No. 46; she went 3-0 last week playing the No. 1 position against three opponents ranked higher than that, as she took down the nation's No. 31, No. 38 and No. 17-ranked players.
Florida played its matches against Southern Cal and Fresno State at the ITA National Team Indoor Championships with just five players, having to default the No. 6 singles and the No. 3 doubles positions. Boonstra's straight-set win against Fresno State's No. 17 Melanie Gloria helped spark Florida's remarkable comeback, as the Gators trailed 3-0 before Boostra's victory provided hope and led to the 4-3 Florida win with only five players in the lineup.
In doubles, she was instrumental in keeping UF's fighting spirit high, as the Gators needed to win both the No. 1 and No. 2 position after defaulting the No. 3 spot; unexpectedly forced to play with a new partner for the first time (a freshman), and nearly pulled an amazing upset over FSU's 13th-ranked team, but fell 9-8 (3); that tight loss helped give UF momentum into singles play, where the team won four of the five matches on-court to earn the 4-3 win.
| Boonstra's Individual Results from last week | ||
| Singles | ||
| Feb. 13 | Andrea Remynse, UCLA (31) | W/5-7, 6-3, 6-0 |
| Feb. 14 | Sarah Fansler, USC (38) | W/6-2, 6-4 |
| Feb. 15 | Melanie Gloria, Fresno State (17) | W/6-2, 7-5 |
| Doubles (with Megan Alexander / Joanna Mather) | ||
| Feb. 13 | Remynse/Schnack, UCLA | L/7-9 |
| Feb. 14 | Fink/Niculescu, USC (31) | L/1-8 |
| Feb. 15 | Rowe/Gloria, Fresno State (23) | L/8-9 (3) |
-UF-
