Published Saturday, May 26, 2012 in Sports
Special
Newnan native Natalie Pluskota, left, and teammate Kata Szekely advanced to today?s NCAA quarterfinals after earning a 7-6(3), 7-6(2) win on Friday.
By CHRIS GOLTERMANN
cgoltermann@newnan.com
ATHENS ? Before she even stepped foot in a tennis court at the University of Tennessee, Natalie Pluskota set a BHAG for herself as a college tennis player.
Otherwise known as a big, hairy, audacious goal.
?Going into my freshman year, I remember telling my parents I wanted to be a four-time All-American,? she said.
Mission accomplished.
The Newnan native and former Northgate High?s impressive week at this year?s NCAA Tennis Championships continued on yet another busy day at the University of Georgia?s Dan Magill Tennis Center.
A day after picking up her third career All-American honor and first as a singles player, Pluskota became the first Lady Volunteer player in history to reach the NCAA Elite 8 in doubles for the third time in her career.
The three doubles honors, along with Thursday?s first ever, All-American nod among singles, make Pluskota just the fourth four-time recipient in Tennessee women?s history.
The Tennessee senior joined teammate Kata Szekely to pull out a 7-6(3), 7-6(2) victory over Virginia?s 18th-ranked tandem of Emily Fraser and Lindsey Hardenberger to advance to today?s national quarterfinals in Athens.
The effort followed Pluskota?s quarterfinal match in the NCAA singles tournament where she also took her opponent, third-ranked Stanford sophomore Nicole Gibbs to a pair of tiebreakers before falling 7-6(1), 7-6(6).
?I?m thrilled about it,? said Pluskota. ?This is the biggest tournament of the year and to get a chance to come back to my home state and play, it?s been exciting. We?re definitely going to celebrate, but I know we have to get ready for (Saturday).?
Pluskota and Szekely, ranked No. 10 nationally with a 17-1 record, now advance to today?s NCAA quarterfinal match at 2 p.m., against Southeastern Conference rivals Lauren Embree and Joanne Mather from the University of Florida.
Both tandems have posted upsets along the way. Pluskota and Szekely opened the tournament by bouncing North Carolina?s third-seeded Shinann Featherstone and Lauren McHale on Thursday. Embree and Mather, a Duluth native, outlasted Cal?s No. 5 seeded tandem of Annie Goranson and Annett Schutting on Friday in three sets after dropping the first.
The victory by the Lady Vols duo, their 10th straight, ended another long, yet successful outing for Pluskota, who found herself in four tiebreakers while playing double duty for the second consecutive day.
?It was a quick turnaround. But we went out there and executed our game plan,? she said. ?I felt a little tired (Friday). Part of that was the heat. The most important thing was going forward and getting a win in doubles.?
On Friday morning, she found herself battling third-seeded Stanford sophomore Nicole Gibbs trying to advance in the national quarterfinals among singles.
It ended in a 7-6, 7-6 loss that had Pluskota putting the pressure on in both sets, taking a 4-2 lead in the first and a 6-5 advantage in the second.
?It was a battle,? she said. ?I left it all out there.?
Regardless, Pluskota and Szekely now have a chance to reach Sunday?s Final Four, with the national championship scheduled for Memorial Day.
?We?re just have to go after it and leave it all out there,? Pluskota said.
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