Lion of the Week!

Als eerste tennisser van dit jaar! Helemaal vereerd en natuurlijk superleuk!

By Beth Renkoski

03/31/06

Donkervoort Battles to Lion of the Week

Costa Mesa, Calif – Sophomore women’s tennis player Damia Donkervoort (The Netherlands) has been named Vanguard University’s Lion of the Week after some extremely inspiring play recently on the tennis courts. The NAIA third-ranked Lions have won five matches straight, including a pair of 5-4 wins, and Donkervoort has been undefeated during that streak.

Dating back to Vanguard’s last loss, to NAIA second-ranked Fresno Pacific University, the Lions pulled out a 5-4 win over fourth-ranked Azusa Pacific University. Donkervoort, who also won in doubles play that day, earned a three-set victory at number three singles to break a 4-4 tie and hand the match victory to Vanguard, putting the Lions back into second place of the GSAC standings.

Vanguard easily defeated a couple of teams during the streak, but Donkervoort was instrumental again in VU’s 7-2 GSAC win over 10th-ranked Point Loma in their match down in San Diego. VU’s fifth consecutive win came yesterday when the Lions knocked off NCAA Division II University of Hawaii, Hilo at the Costa Mesa Tennis Center. Following an 8-5 combined effort win in doubles play, Donkervoort played in VU’s deciding match again. With the match tied 4-4 after another pair of Lions succeeded in come-backs to tie the score, Donkervoort was the last player on the court one more time, the fate of the team riding on her racket. Losing the second set for a 6-2, 4-6 tie, the competitive second-year Lion reached deep to charge back with a 6-2 win, pushing the 5-4 deciding score into Vanguard’s favor one more time.

Donkervoort is a first-time recipient of VU’s Lion of the Week award and hopes to help lead the Lions back to the NAIA National Tournament this spring. Vanguard is now 11-2 overall and 10-2 in GSAC.