University of Tennessee Athletics
CASTELLVI REPEATS AS AOPi LADY VOL ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
June 27, 2003 | Women's Tennis
June 27, 2003
KNOXVILLE, Tenn.
University of Tennessee Women's Athletics Director Joan Cronan announced tennis' Vilmarie Castellvi as the 2003 recipient of the AOPi Lady Vol Athlete of the Year award on Friday. It marked the second consecutive year the Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, native took home the honor. Other nominees for the institution's prize included Kara Lawson (basketball), Sharon Dickie (cross country), Violeta Retamoza (golf), Kaitlin Bargreen (rowing), Keeley Dowling (soccer), Kristi Durant (softball), Jaime Sanger (swimming and diving), Nicole Cook (track and field) and Kelli Scott (volleyball).
Since the title's inception in 1977, Castellvi and former basketball standout Brigette Gordon are the only two-time award winners. Like Castellvi, Gordon was recognized in back-to-back years (1988 and 1989). Basketball has the most individual honorees with 12 and three of its six national championship squads have held the distinction collectively. Castellvi and sisters Peta and Paula Kelly are the only tennis players to earn the yearly accolade.
"Mike and I are extremely proud of Vilmarie," said Co-Head Coach Sonia Hahn-Patrick. "This is a very well deserved honor. It was a great achievement for everyone who was nominated. It's a wonderful final award for someone who has worked so hard."
Castellvi had the most memorable season of any Lady Vol netter in school history. After entering the preseason fall rankings at No. 1 on Sept. 9-becoming the first Lady Vol to hold the nation's top billing-she went on to finish the season exactly where she started. She came in at No. 4 in the spring and would never dip below that spot. Castellvi regained the No. 1 rating on April 9 and never relinquished it the remainder of the year. She also held a final ranking of sixth in doubles with freshman Melissa Schaub.
One of the most noteworthy achievements of Castellvi's senior year came when she won the Honda Sports Award for tennis at season's end. The awards recognize the top female athletes in the country in their respective sports. Castellvi was the first member of the UT tennis team to pocket the Honda Sports Award.
Castellvi finished as the runner-up in the NCAA Singles Championship in Gainesville, Fla., dropping a straight-set decision to Stanford's Amber Liu. Castellvi became the first player in Tennessee history to advance to the semifinal and final rounds of the tournament. It was the fourth meeting between Castellvi and Liu during the 2002-03 campaign. Castellvi had claimed two of their three matchups prior to the NCAA Championship.
In addition to earning All-America recognition in singles for the second-straight year, Castellvi picked up the honor in doubles as well with Schaub. She was also named the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's (ITA) National Senior Player of the Year, becoming the first Lady Vol to be honored as such. Castellvi was the first member of the Big Orange to be tabbed SEC Player of the Year this season as well. She also picked up a spot on the All-SEC first team for singles and the second team for doubles with Schaub. Castellvi also proved she was capable of taking care of business off the court, landing on the SEC Academic Honor Roll for the first time in her career.
Numerous other honors fell Castellvi's way this year as well. In January, she was chosen as one of three Female Amateur Athletes of the Year by the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame. Additionally, Castellvi was named ITA National Player of the Month for January and March. In March, she was also named one of Puerto Rico's Women of the 21st Century by the island's largest circulating newspaper El Nuevo D'a. The announcement came in conjunction with Women's Week, an annual nationwide celebration. Castellvi was the first athlete in the history of the award to be acknowledged by the paper. Tennessee's student newspaper, the UT Daily Beacon, named Castellvi its Female Athlete of the Year as well.
The athletics department at Tennessee was not bashful in awarding Castellvi other praise as well. She was named Lady Vol Athlete of the Week five times during the academic year and also grabbed edsouth Lady Vol Athlete of the Month recognition on three occasions. Castellvi was the only multiple winner of the monthly accolade and had more weekly kudos than any other UT athlete.
Castellvi was no stranger to international play during her senior year, making her first appearance at the Central American and Caribbean Games in December. The games, which were held in El Salvador, are considered one of the most important sports competitions in the region. Castellvi managed to bring home gold and silver medals from the event. After concluding play in the SEC Tournament, she returned home to represent Puerto Rico in Fed Cup action. She posted a 4-0 record in singles and doubles in helping to elevate Puerto Rico to Group I status for the 2004 Fed Cup.
The numbers Castellvi put up during her senior year were astounding. Overall, she went 45-5, including 25-1 at No. 1 singles. Against opponents ranked in the Top 125, Castellvi was 39-4. She was even more impressive when matching up with the Top 25 with a 20-2 mark. Castellvi had several incredible winning streaks during her senior year with stretches of eight, 10 and 24 triumphs in a row. During the spring, she won 34 of 36 matches to close out her tenure with Tennessee. Doubles was a successful venture for Castellvi as well, teaming almost exclusively with Schaub. The pair went 26-10 together and was 19-8 at one doubles. Castellvi and Schaub were also 11-8 versus the Top 25 and knocked off two different tandems during the season that were rated No. 2 at the time of the match.
Castellvi's career record of 140-51 in singles makes her the all-time winningest player in UT history. She surpassed Paula Kelly's 21-year-old standard of 133 with a victory against Julia Scaringe of Florida on April 19. Castellvi also had a superb run in doubles with a 97-63 mark, which stands at fifth on the school's list.
After finishing a couple of summer classes in June, Castellvi will earn her degree in marketing. Upon her graduation, she will head to Tampa, Fla., to begin training with retired tennis pro Gigi Fernandez. Fernandez was a top doubles player during her tenure on the tour, winning 17 Grand Slam titles and holding the world's No. 1 ranking eight times from 1991-95. Currently, Fernandez is the head coach for the University of South Florida's women's squad.
ALL-TIME AOPi LADY VOL ATHLETE OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS
1977 - Patricia Roberts, basketball
1978 - Brenda Webb, track and field
1979 - Cindy Brogdon, basketball
1980 - Holly Warlick, basketball
1981 - "The Ten That Made One," Track and Field AIAW Champions
1982 - Peta and Paula Kelly, tennis
1983 - Benita Fitzgerald, track and field
1984 - Mary Ostrowski, basketball
1985 - Shelia Collins, basketball
1986 - LaVonna Martin, track and field
1987 - Basketball Team - NCAA Champions
1988 - Bridgette Gordon - basketball
1989 - Bridgette Gordon - basketball
1990 - Patty Wiegand, track and field
1991 - Daedra Charles, basketball
1992 - Dena Head, basketball
1993 - Lisa Harrison, basketball
1994 - Tamala Brightman, volleyball, and Katharina Larsson, golf
1995 - Tracy Bonner, swimming and diving
1996 - Nicole deMan, swimming and diving
1997 - Basketball Team, NCAA Champions
1998 - Basketball Team, NCAA Champions, and Kathy Pesek, swimming and diving
1999 - Chamique Holdsclaw, basketball
2000 - Tamika Catchings, basketball
2001 - Young-A Yang, golf
2002 - Vilmarie Castellvi, tennis
2003 - Vilmarie Castellvi, tennis
