PacWest Players of the Week (Mar. 22)

IRVINE, Calif. – A perfect 4-0 week for Academy of Art women's tennis sophomore Sofia Ragona, including a pair of wins against NCAA Division I opponent Nevada, has earned her the Pacific West Conference Player of the Week award for the first time this season. The award is for matches played from Mar. 15-21. 

The week for ART U started with clean sweep of No. 25 UH Hilo, with Ragona picking up victories from the No. 1 position in both doubles and singles. Along with partner Yun "Nicole" Shiau, the duo dropped the pair of Carolina Alfonsin and Hannah Highsmith with ease, 6-3. To follow that up, Ragona put away Sandra Dafincescu in straight sets during singles play, 6-2, 6-4. To close out the week, Ragona earned the only two wins of the day for the Urban Knights against the DI Wolf Pack, starting at No. 1 doubles along with Shiau by easily bouncing the pair of Carla Del Barrio and Anastasia Luneva, 6-1. Ragona's singles match would be the first to conclude, as she would win her No. 1 singles battle against Luneva by dominating in straight sets, 6-2, 6-1. 

"Sofia beat the number one player from a really tough Division I player so I think this is the best win Sofia has had," Baca said. "She made no mistakes so I think all the work that she has done in the last few years and during the Fall back home is paying off because that's the level at which she should be competing and winning." 

It is both the first time this season receiving a PacWest Weekly Award for both the Urban Knights and Ragona.