TXST Women’s Tennis Wears Special Ribbon To Honor Victims In Ecuador

NEW ORLEANS – To say it has been a tough week for Texas State University freshman tennis player Ana Perez would be an understatement.

“Ana is from Ecuador and with the earthquake going on (there), she has a lot of family and friends that has been effected by it,” said Texas State head coach Tory Plunkett. “In honor of the victims back in Ecuador, we wore ribbons to represent Ecuador’s flag. It is our way to honor them and honor Ana and what she is going through too.”

A native of Quito, Ecuador, the nation’s capital city, Perez had to prepare for the Sun Belt Conference Women’s Tennis Championship knowing that her family and friends were feeling the effects of a 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck the country Saturday night. There have been at least  570 bodies recovered from the devastating rubble and it has caused “billions of dollars” in damage along the country’s Pacific coast.

In Thursday’s first round match against Arkansas State, Perez won both of her matches when she teamed with Yadira Rubio to win the No. 1 doubles match by a score of 6-3 and won her singles match in straight sets by the score of 6-2, 6-0.

“It was really good because I know they always support me,” said Perez. “But, this time it was special so I played my best for them.”

Perez and the Bobcats advanced to the quarterfinals of the Sun Belt Championship and will play against No. 2-seeded South Alabama on Friday morning,