UK Women’s Tennis Signs Molina to Class of 2019
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The University of Kentucky women’s tennis team signed Carlota Molina of Gran Canaria, Spain, to the 2019-20 recruiting class, announced by head coach Carlos Drada. The program will graduate one student-athlete at the end of the 2018-19 season, senior Justina Mikulskyte.
“We’re very happy with the addition of Carlota,” said assistant coach Federico Sabogal. “Not only do her results speak for herself, but she is also a great person. We had a great time with her during her visit. She is exactly the kind of player that you would want to represent Kentucky. She has high character, she is a committed person and very structured. Her game is perfect for our needs. She is an aggressive player, she controls the ball from the baseline, she likes to come forward and she is a great competitor.
“She has been one of the best players in Spain since she was young, and she has a lot of experience playing on the professional tour. She has some international experience, which helps us tremendously in our lineup and in terms of leadership. She is a great addition, we couldn’t be more excited to add her to our roster, and we can’t wait until she gets here in August. We will work with her and adjust her game accordingly, but she is the sort of player that will make an immediate impact in our lineup and we couldn’t be more excited to add her to our Wildcat family.”
Carlota Molina
Gran Canaria, Spain
- UTR High: 11.20
- WTA Ranking: 800
- Hand: Right
- Court Preference: Clay
- Made it to the quarterfinals at the $15,000 – L.P. De Gran Canaria in October, carding a 6-4, 6-1 win over Patricia Boentgen in the first round and a 6-1, 7-6 (4) victory over Meritxell Perera Ros in the second round.
- Achieved the second round of the qualifying draw at the $15,000 Brussels in July, defeating Elena De Santis in singles, 6-3, 6-1.
- Why she chose UK: “I contacted UK because I had very good references from the school on both an athletic and academic level. For me, it was very important to see the great interest the coaches had in integrating me into the team. Because of that, they invited me to make a visit so I could see the campus and the program they had. I especially liked the atmosphere of the team and the high level of sport, which fills my goals. I really liked the city because it is very similar to the size of the city where I live, and I think I will be able to adapt very well. What motivates me the most is to try to combine my academic goals with the possibility of continuing to play tennis at a high level.”
- Beyond tennis: “My hobbies are reading and watching movies, but most of the time I have I spend on my studies and playing tennis, which is my passion. My academic aspirations are to be able to get a degree that will allow me to develop formally in the future.”
- Team player: “My first objective is to be able to help the team get the maximum possible scholarships. I love playing in teams. I have participated many times with the Spanish tennis team. I’ve always liked sports, but I decided on tennis and today I can check that success because it allows me a great experience at UK.”
For more on Kentucky women’s tennis, follow @UKWomensTennis on Twitter and Instagram, Kentucky Women’s Tennis on Facebook, or on the web at UKathletics.com.
