Riobueno Named ACC Player of the Week
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – University of Miami junior Clementina Riobueno was named the ACC Women’s Tennis Player of the Week, as announced by the league Tuesday afternoon.
Riobueno went 4-0 last week in Miami’s first two ACC matches of the season, leading the Hurricanes to 7-0 shutout wins against No. 53 Wake Forest and No. 14 Clemson.
“I am very excited about this,” Riobueno said of the honor. “Three weeks ago I started making some changes in practice and during matches. I’m very happy that the hard work we are putting in is paying off. Being named ACC Player of the Week motivates me to keep pushing forward and have a great season with my teammates.”
Riobueno began her week by teaming with senior Monique Albuquerque for a win against Wake Forest’s Andrea Reolaza and Xue Zhang Friday at the Neil Schiff Tennis Center. The No. 17 ranked doubles pair in the country, Riobueno and Albuquerque won 8-3 at the top position.
Playing at the No. 2 spot in singles action against the Demon Deacons, the 62nd-ranked Riobueno rolled to a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Zhang. After being the first to finish in doubles, she was the second to complete her win in singles.
There was more impressive play to come for Riobueno, who was also named the Lynx Grills Student-Athlete of the Game at the Hurricanes baseball game last Wednesday and then threw out the first pitch Saturday.
Facing the 14th-ranked Clemson Tigers Sunday in Coral Gables, Riobueno once again teamed with Albuquerque for a dominant doubles display. The pair took down Romy Koelzer and Tristen Dewar 8-1 at the No. 2 spot, dropping just four total games in their two matches on the week.
In singles competition, Riobueno matched up with Clemson’s Jessy Rompies in the fourth position and handled her for a 6-4, 6-2 victory. The Barquisimeto, Venezuela native was the first to finish in both doubles and singles action against the Tigers.
“Clementina is playing some great tennis right now,” Miami head coach Paige Yaroshuk-Tews said. “She will play an integral role in our overall team success this season. She is a special player and when she is as confident as she is now, nothing can stop her.”
In the 2015 season as a whole, Riobueno is 8-2 in doubles play, including 7-0 in dual matches. She has an 8-1 record in singles action and has posted a 5-1 record in Miami’s dual matches.
Riobueno and the 14th-ranked Hurricanes return to the court Friday, March 6 at 3:00 p.m. when they meet the No. 67 Syracuse Orange in Syracuse, N.Y.
For more information on University of Miami women’s tennis, follow @HurricaneTennis.
