McGiffin, Mertena, & Staines to Compete in ITA Fall National Championships

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Three Lady Vols are slated to compete in the 2019 ITA Fall National Championships beginning on Wednesday, Nov. 6, at the Newport Beach Tennis Club in Newport Beach, California.

Junior Tenika McGiffin, sophomore Rebeka Mertena, and junior Kaitlin Staines will represent the Lady Vols.

McGiffin & Staines will compete in doubles, having earned their bid following a second-place finish at the ITA All-American Championships. In Tulsa, Oklahoma, the duo defeated a pair of top-10 teams en route to a 4-1 finish in the tournament.

Staines will also compete in the singles draw after winning the ITA Ohio Valley Regional Singles Championship. Staines went a perfect 6-0 in Murfreesboro defeating her teammate, No. 120 Mertena, in the final. She heads to Newport Beach with a season-long eight match win streak.

Mertena, who will compete in singles play, earned her bid following a second-place finish at the ITA Ohio Valley Regional in October. She went 5-1 in Murfreesboro, with her five wins all coming in straight sets.

Singles play is set to begin at 11 a.m. ET and doubles will follow at 6 p.m. ET.

McGiffin, Mertena, & Staines to Compete in ITA Fall National Championships

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Players Mentioned

Tenika McGiffin

Rebeka Mertena

Kaitlin Staines

University of Tennessee Athletics