Liberty University
ITA All-American Championships
Parra Romero Earns Momentous 1st Round Win at ITA All-American Championships
10/1/2022 9:09:00 PM | Women's Tennis
Liberty sophomore Maria Juliana Parra Romero earned a momentous first round win over Texas' Vivian Ovtrootsky, Saturday on day one of the ITA Women's All-American Championships at Cary Tennis Park.
Parra Romero trailed 5-2 in the third set to Ovrootsky of the two-time defending national champion Longhorns before a furious rally in which she won the final five games and the match, 4-6, 6-2, 7-5. Ovrootsky, who entered pre-qualifying as the No. 13 seed, was the No. 3-ranked junior tennis player in the country entering college. She was also ranked as high as No. 1 in the nation and was a five-star recruit.
Thoughts From Head Coach Jeff Maren
"We are so proud of the grit that Juli showed today, coming back from a large deficit in the third set to beat a very good player. This just shows what Juli is capable of accomplishing on court! We can't wait for her next match."
Key Stats & Notes
• Parra Romero continues her unbeaten fall in singles at 4-0 after her round of 128 victory over Ovrootsky.
• The Bucaramanga, Colombia native will face Arizona State's Patricija Spaka in the round of 64, Sunday. Match time is 11 a.m. from Cary Tennis Park.
• Last year's ASUN Freshman of the Year, Parra Romero sports a 33-5 career singles record for a .868 winning percentage so far in her Liberty career.
• Parra Romero is the first Lady Flame to win a singles match at the ITA All-American Championships since Kalani Soli did so on Oct. 5, 2019. Soli bested Katherine Cao of Memphis in two sets, 6-3, 6-2.
Up Next
Parra Romero will meet the ASU Sun Devils' Patricija Spaka tomorrow in the round of 64 at 11 a.m.
Tournament Website: https://bit.ly/3roQYQ8
Live Video: https://bit.ly/3CpXCfl
Remaining Schedule
Sunday – Prequalifying
Monday and Tuesday – Qualifying
Wednesday Through Sunday – Main Draw
