ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – Less than two months after guiding the UCF women’s tennis team to historic heights, Monica Matias won the bronze medal for women’s doubles at the 2018 Central American and Caribbean Games in Barranquilla, Columbia, this week.
Paired with Monica Puig, the 66th ranked player in the world by the WTA, the duo became the first tandem from Puerto Rico to win a medal in the doubles tournament since 2006.
Matias and Puig opened up with an upset of No. 2 ranked Melissa Morales and Kirsten-Andrea Weedon form Guatemala in three sets, 7-5, 6-7(4), 10-8. The pairing dropped their semifinals matchup against Mexico’s Fernanda Contreras and Giuliana Olmos in straight sets.
In the Bronze Medal Match, the doubles team downed Simone Pratt and Danielle Thompson from The Bahamas in straight sets, 6-2, 6-0, to finish on the podium.
Puig also won her third straight gold medal in singles play at the Central American and Caribbean Games.
Matias closed her career at UCF as the winningest player in program history, as well as a two-time American Athletic Conference Women’s Tennis Scholar-Athlete of the Year. She played an important role as the Knights earned their first at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament in program history in 2018.
Matias was also named one of five Fed Cup MVPs in the world last year after guiding Puerto Rico to promotion to Group I Americas.
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