Elza Tomase and Sofia Cabezas ended their 2024 campaign for Lady Vols tennis as the backbone of the team’s doubles lineup, leading a path to the NCAA Tournament Semifinals this season.
Following the tournament, the doubles tandem of Cabezas and Tomase entered the NCAA Doubles bracket. Pushing their way to the Final Four, the No. 11 nationally ranked duo faltered to Pepperdine’s Janice Tjen and Savannah Broadus in two sets, the final score reading 6-2, 6-1 in favor of Pepperdine on Friday night.
Their run ends in the NCAA Doubles Championship semifinals.
Cabezas and Tomase were in for a tough challenge in Broadus and Tjen, who sported a regular season record of 20-3 in dual play.
READ MORE: Lady Vols tennis eliminated in Final Four by Texas A&M
Tomase and Cabezas’ first and only season together proved to be an effective managerial decision by head coach Alison Ojeda. The two compiled a 13-7 record in their doubles season play, five of the losses dropping at the hands of ranked opponents. Compared to dropping five, the two earned six ranked wins in the midst of their breakout season.
The NCAA Elite Eight saw the rematch of the Lady Vols and Texas A&M’s top duo teams. Tomase and Cabezas dropped the previous match to Texas A&M’s Mary Stoiana and Mia Kupres in the midst of a Final Four loss in the tournament.
The Lady Vols defeated the No. 7 ranked duo in two sets, the scores reading 6-3 and 6-2 both in favor of the Lady Vols.
The two also earned their second win on the season against the No. 12 NC State duo of AmeiliaRajecki and Maddy Zampardo, as well as a big win against the No. 8 duo of Melodie Collard and Elaine Chervinsky out of the University of Virginia.
Despite the tough finish, which saw the Lady Vols season come to an end in a quick two sets, Cabezas and Tomase led a Lady Vol doubles’ charge that became a force to be reckoned with all season long.
