Bolender, Muresan Tabbed ITA All-Americans
6/17/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
June 17, 2011
SKILLMAN, N.J. -- Senior Denise Muresan (Lincolnshire, Ill./Adlai E. Stevenson) and freshman Brooke Bolender (Delray Beach, Fla./Kaplan) of the University of Michigan women's tennis team both earned All-America honors from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) on Thursday (June 16). It is the first time Michigan has had two honorees in the same season.
Muresan earned the distinction in both singles and doubles, with Bolender nabbing the honor in doubles. Muresan is the first Wolverine to earn back-to-back singles honors and the first to earn singles and doubles accolades in the same season. She is one of 11 players in the country this season to be an All-American in both singles and doubles.
To earn ITA All-America honors in singles, a player must be a top-16 seed in the NCAA Singles Championships, reach the round of 16 in the NCAA Singles Championships, or finish in the top 20 of the final ITA rankings. In doubles, a team must be a top-eight seed in the NCAA Doubles Championships, reach the quarterfinals of the NCAA Doubles Championships, or finish in the top 10 of the final ITA rankings.
Muresan, the 2011 Big Ten Player of the Year, finished the season as the No. 6-ranked singles player. It is the highest season-ending ranking ever for a Wolverine. She went 34-11 during the 2010-11 season, including a 20-6 mark at the No. 1 position during singles action. Muresan ended her career as the all-time leader in singles wins, winning 111 matches during her four-year tenure.
On the doubles court, Muresan and Bolender teamed up for a 25-7 overall record and a 23-4 dual-match record. The duo earned a No. 5-8 seed for the NCAA Doubles Championships and finished the season ranked No. 11. It is the first time Michigan has had anyone earn All-America in doubles.
The Wolverines won their second consecutive Big Ten championship in 2011, finishing the season with a 24-5 record and 10-0 mark in Big Ten action. U-M reached the round of 16 in the NCAA Championships before falling to No. 7 Miami (Fla.).
Contact: Sarah VanMetre (734) 763-4423
