ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) - UCF head women's tennis coach Bryan Koniecko announced the hiring of Cristina Sanchez-Quintanar as the new assistant coach for the women's tennis program.
"We are thrilled to have Cristina join our staff here at UCF," said first-year head coach Bryan Koniecko. "Not only was Cristina a Top 5 college tennis player, but she was the only female in Texas A&M history to compete in the NCAA Tournament in three different sports. Cristina brings a tremendous work ethic that will have an immediate impact on our tennis program. She has a stellar resume as a player, and we are excited to have her start working with our current team."
Sanchez-Quintanar joins the Knights after playing professionally on the WTA from 2014-16, ranking as high as No. 365 in singles competition and No. 343 in double action. She was a doubles champion at five Future Tournaments and played in the finals of seven single events, winning one in Madrid, Spain.
Prior to her professional career, Sanchez-Quintanar attended Texas A&M where she was a three-sport athlete, competing in tennis, basketball and soccer from 2011-14. She is the only female in Aggies history to qualify for the NCAA Tournament in three sports.
On the tennis court, the Spaniard was a two-time All-American, ranking as high as fifth in singles and No. 18 in doubles. Individually, she qualified for the NCAA Singles Championships three times with her top finishing coming in 2012 when she reached the quarterfinals. After winning the SEC singles and doubles championships in 2013, Sanchez-Quintanar went on to lead the Aggies to a runner-up finish in the NCAA Team Championships.
Sanchez-Quintanar capped off a championship senior year with additional postseason appearances in basketball and soccer, winning the SEC Championship and reaching the Sweet Sixteen on the pitch in the fall of 2013 and then going to the Elite Eight on the hardwood in the winter of 2014.