If they win again this year, the U of A tennis Pandas will join women’s varsity rugby and volleyball as the only teams in the university’s history to win five straight national championships.
Pandas rugby won five straight from 1999 to 2003, and Pandas volleyball won six straight from 1995 to 2000. The Pandas will chase their fifth Canadian University Tennis Championships title this month in Toronto at the National Bank Open, rubbing shoulders with the world’s top professionals vying for the Rogers Cup.
Last year’s women’s final against the University of Western Ontario Mustangs was a nail-biter, says team captain Emma Rutherford. The team was down 3-1 but managed to come back and win the national final 4-3, clinching a tiebreaker in the final set. Rutherford was also named the tournament’s most valuable player.
Together, the Golden Bears and Pandas have won nine national championships since 2014.
Rutherford credits Edmonton’s supportive tennis community and top-notch training staff at the U of A’s Saville Community Sports Centre for the tennis Bears’ and Pandas’ success. According to program lead Russ Sluchinski, the Bears and Pandas are consistently in the top three and have been the most represented at the nationals for years.