Former Lady Vol Rebeka Mertena joins LSU’s coaching staff.
LSU announced former Lady Vol Rebeka Mertena has joined the Tigers’ women’s tennis coaching staff as a graduate assistant.
“Chris (Simpson) and I are thrilled to add Rebeka to our coaching staff for this 2023-24 campaign,” LSU head coach Taylor Fogleman said in a press release. “She has demonstrated throughout her outstanding career at Tennessee to be one of the best competitors in this conference and across the country. She’s won at every level and done it with the character and class we would love our student-athletes to embody.”
Mertana played at Tennessee from 2019-23. She earned First-Team All-SEC honors in 2022 and 2023.
Mertana compiled a 99-60 career singles record and a 70-55 career doubles record at Tennessee.
“The NCAA does a great job of hosting first-class event at the final site of competition, so it’s a fun feeling for three of our girls to walk around the USTA National Campus the last few days, knowing that they have performed well enough to earn them a spot amongst the best in college tennis,” Tennessee head coach Alison Ojeda said. “I look forward to getting out in the heat tomorrow and coaching the girls as they compete against some tough opponents.”
Monday, May 22 – Singles Round of 64 schedule
12:30 p.m. EDT – Elza Tomase versus Abbey Forbes, North Carolina
12:30 p.m. EDT – Rebeka Mertena versus Maddy Sieg, USC
1:30 p.m. EDT – Daria Kuczer versus Natasha Subhash, Virginia
Three Lady Vols Daria Kuczer, Rebeka Mertena and Elza Tomase to compete in NCAA tennis singles championship.
No. 2 seed Texas A&M defeated No. 15 Tennessee, 4-1, in a NCAA Tournament super regional at Mitchell Outdoor Tennis Center in College Station, Texas on Friday.
Team competition concluded for Tennessee’s 2023 season.
Three Lady Vols, Daria Kuczer, Rebeka Mertena and Elza Tomase, will compete in the NCAA Singles Championship, taking place in Orlando, Florida May 22-27.
Kuczer and Mertena are graduate students, while Tomase is a sophomore.
Following team competition at Texas A&M in the NCAA Tournament, Kuczer and Mertena discussed their time at Tennessee.
Texas A&M’s Jeanette Mireles and Gianna Pielet defeated Eleonora Molinaro and Kuczer, 7-6 (7-5), in doubles competition. In singles competition, Kuczer and Mia Kupres went unfinished, 6-3, 2-6, 5-6.
“The feeling right now is bittersweet,” Kuczer said. “Another chapter in my life came to a close which is my collegiate career with this team, though we have individuals ahead of us. This year was one of the most amazing years I have had and I could not envision a better finish to my career at Tennessee. Collectively, we have done something special for the program, and my hope is that the teams after this will keep breaking records. I could not be more proud of each and every individual on this team and I can never be thankful enough for all the people. I’m not just talking about the team, but the coaches, the staff, the athletic trainers, Izzy Minkin and Yosef Presburger, and our strength and conditioning coach Ryan Metzger. They each gave us something that we could use today and all season.”
Daria Kuczer, Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire
Mertena and Esther Adeshina defeated Jayci Goldsmith and Salma Ewing, 6-4, in doubles competition.
Salma Ewing and Mertena, 7-6 (7-2), 3-6, 3-5, went unfinished in singles-play.
“Obviously, today was extremely emotional as I played my last team match,” Mertena said. “I gave everything I had and I know everyone else did as well. I am so proud of this team and all we accomplished this year. I wouldn’t want to do this with anyone else by my side. It’s been one helluva ride and I can’t thank enough the people who have been by me through all of it.”
Esther Adeshina and Rebeka Mertena named to the 2023 Academic All-District Women’s Tennis Teams.
Esther Adeshina and Rebeka Mertena were named to the 2023 Academic All-District Women’s Tennis Teams by College Sports Communicators.
Adeshina and Mertena are the fourth and fifth Lady Vol women’s tennis student-athletes to earn CSC (formerly CoSIDA) Academic All-District honors, respectively. It is the first time in program history Tennessee has multiple honorees in the same season.
Lady Vols’ all-time CSC (CoSIDA) Academic All-District honorees:
Lady Vols’ Rebeka Mertena earns 102nd career singles victory.
No. 14 Tennessee defeated Ole Miss, 4-3, Friday at Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center in Oxford, Mississippi.
“I’m really proud of our team for digging deep to win the doubles point,” Tennessee women’s tennis head coach Alison Ojeda said. “It obviously helped us with the overall win, and just as importantly it helps us as we prepare for another SEC road match on Sunday.”
Rebeka Mertena earned her 102nd career singles victory for the Lady Vols. The win ties her for eighth on the all-time career singles wins list with Ojeda.
Lady Vols tennis player Rebeka Mertena named SEC Player of the Week.
Fifth-year senior Rebeka Mertena was named Southeastern Conference Player of the Week.
“We are thrilled for Rebeka to be named SEC Player of the Week,” Lady Vols’ tennis head coach Alison Ojeda said. “She is ready to perform at the level required each time she walks on the court. We know that as coaches, now the rest of the country is learning that too. It is really fun to watch.”
Mertana’s honor marks Tennessee’s second consecutive week claiming the SEC Player of the Week (Elza Tomase, March 15).
“For one of our players to receive this honor in back-to-back weeks is really impressive,” Ojeda said. “It really goes to show how everyone on our team is contributing at a very high level.”
Rebeka Mertena eliminated from NCAA women’s singles championships.
Lady Vols’ senior Rebeka Metena lost an opening-round match in the NCAA women’s singles championships. The championships were held at Khan Outdoor Tennis Center in Champaign, Illinois.
Mertena, a native of Latvia, lost in three sets to USC’s Erin Cayetano, 6-1, 6-7 (0), 6-3.
Mertena, who was ranked as high as No. 14 in the ITA rankings in 2021-22, finishes her senior season with a 23-17 record.
Cayetano, a junior and the tournament’s No. 7 seed, claimed a 6-1 victory in the first set. Mertena won the second set, 7-6, claiming a tiebreaker without surrendering a point.
Mertema was a 2022 All-Southeastern first-team standout in 2022 after being named a second-team all-conference performer last year.
