July 22, 2003

NORFOLK, VA -- Old Dominion tennis members senior Julia Sotiriu (Wendelstein, Germany) and juniors Niklas Oskarrson (Halmstad, Sweden) and Nataly Cahana (Qiriat Bialik, Israel) were named Academic Scholar Athletes as announced by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. Additionally, the Lady Monarch women's tennis team was named an All-Academic Team.

The women's tennis team, led by Cahana and Sotiriu, compiled an 11-12 overall mark playing six nationally ranked opponents during the 2002-03 season and reaching the semifinals of the CAA Tournament in April. Cahana, who holds a 3.86 GPA in international business, played her way to her third CAA Player of the Year title after posting a 28-9 overall and 18-3 dual meet record. Ranked 32nd in the final ITA Poll, was she the highest ranked women's singles player all season long in the CAA and posted victories over five players who were ranked among the top 30 nationally. Cahana made her third appearance in the NCAA Women's Tennis Singles Tournament. Also among Cahana's highlights during the 2002-03 season included the finals of the ITA All-American Tournament and the William & Mary Fall Invitational. Veteran Sotiriu, who posted a 3.93GPA in international business, earned a 13-27 singles mark and teamed up with freshman Coralie Herrmann for several impressive doubles showings. Together, Sotiriu and Hermmann went 12-7 overall during both the fall and spring seasons and captured a doubles title at the East Coast Championships.

Oskarrson helped the Monarchs reach the semi-final of the CAA Tournament as Old Dominion concluded the 2002-03 campaign with a 15-7 overall mark. Earning a 3.71 GPA as an international business major, Oskarrson posted a 19-11 overall mark and 13-5 record in dual meet competition. Teaming with senior Salman Mohammed, Oskarrson took home a 15-5 overall doubles mark. Together the duo also captured the East Coast Championships doubles title.

The ITA All-Academic Team award is open to any ITA program that has a cumulative team grade point average of 3.20 or above (on a 4.00 scale). In order to earn ITA Scholar-Athlete status a player must meet the following criteria: 1.) be a varsity letter winner, 2.) have a grade point average of at least 3.50 (on a 4.00 scale) for the current academic year, and 3.) have been enrolled at their present school for at least 2 semesters.