UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO ATHLETICS
BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Intercollegiate Tennis Association released their final regional rankings for the 2018 season late last week and junior Chantal Martinez Blanco finished ranked 19th in singles amongst all players in the Northeast, while the 2018 MAC Champion Bulls finished 10th overall.
Widely considered one of the top regions in the country, the Northeast region features school from the ACC, Ivy Leagues, and the Big East. The Bulls finished in 10th place behind six schools from the Ivy League, two ACC program, and St. John’s, who UB lost narrowly to earlier this year. The Bulls and Red Storm, as well as the top two teams in the region, Syracuse and Princeton, all made the NCAA Tournament.
The Bulls had their best season in school history as Buffalo went 17-4 on the season, including a perfect 8-0 in the Mid-American Conference. UB won its first ever MAC Regular Season Title and won the Tournament crown for a second straight year, helping head coach Kristen Maines earn MAC Coach of the Year honors and ITA Regional Coach of the Year honors. The Bulls entered the NCAA Tournament with a 14-match winning streak, tied for second best in the nation. The Bulls finished the year with a 145-49 record in singles action, including four players with over 20 wins, and 60-26 in doubles.
The remarkable season was led by Martinez Blanco, who was named to the All-MAC First Team, while also twice being named to the Academic All-MAC squad. The San Juan, Puerto Rico native, went 23-8 this past season, including going 12-6 at first singles and was 7-1 in league play. She went 19-8 in doubles action with her partner Lolade Ogungbesan. Through three seasons, Martinez Blanco carries a career singles record of 64-29, just 19 wins shy of the school record for victories.
Martinez Blanco becomes the first UB singles player to earn a post-season regional ranking since Tanvi Shah was ranked 18th following the 2013 season.
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