PENSACOLA, Fla. – Nova Southeastern women's tennis sophomore Natalie Espinal reached the final stage of competition at the ITA South Regional Championships, finishing as the runner-up among the best players in the NCAA Division II South Region. Her performance marks the second straight year with a Sharks player in the Final (following Ana Navas, 2018).

After defeating the reigning No. 1 player in NCAA Division II, Berta Bonardi, in commanding fashion on Sunday, the now-sophomore Espinal returned to action on Monday at the "Skeeter" Carson Tennis Center at West Florida. She faced off with Barry's Jil Engelmann – who went 21-1 last year for the three-time defending NCAA Champion Bucs. In a high-level performance for both players, Engelmann bested Espinal 6-2, 6-3 in an outright battle.
 
Already ranked as the fourth seed in the South Region of this weekend's governing body event, Espinal looks to reap the rewards of her 5-1 performance when the fall rankings come out from the ITA in November. In addition, Espinal is a credible candidate for selection to the field of the ITA Cup in Rome, Ga., Oct. 17-19.
 
The Sharks return to their fall training on the courts at the NSU Tennis complex for the next month, heading back into action, Nov. 1-3 in DeLand, Fla. at the Stetson Invitational.
 
Direct From Coach Doug Neagle
"So proud of this kid. This tournament, with the heat and number of matches per day is so tough to get through. Natalie made it to the finals and beat the No. 1 player in the country along the way. It's a little easier to take losing in the finals, because in my eyes, she should get an at-large bid in to the ITA Cup."