Feature photo: Sonia Skobkareva clinches the Pandas U SPORTS 2024 National Tennis Championship.
The University of Alberta Pandas Tennis Team are national champions—for the 5th straight year!
They join the Pandas Rugby (1999–2003) and Pandas Volleyball (1995–2000) as the only teams in U of A history to win five or more consecutive titles. During their current national title streak, the Pandas own a 35-1 win/loss record, converting 173 of 215 match points.
After an undefeated 2024 season, the squad travelled to Montreal to compete against the top teams in Canadian university tennis.
Photos courtesy of James Hajjar Photography.
Match Play
The Pandas took to the courts on August 9th for their semi-final match against Dalhousie University. They dominated play, earning a 7-0 victory and a berth into the championship match on Sunday.
The championship match saw the Pandas take on Université Laval. The Pandas jumped to an early lead, taking the doubles points thanks to strong play by pairings Emma Rutherford/Alexandra Jewitt and Emily Granson/Sandra Taskovic.
In singles play, Jewitt and Marena Diaz Nakagawa led the way with hard-fought victories, and Sonia Skobkareva delivered the championship-clinching win, knocking off her opponent 6-1, 6-3.
Individual Awards
While each and every Panda player, coach, and supporter played a crucial role in earning the National Championship, a few players and coaches were honoured with individual achievements:
- Coach of the Year: Ivan Quintero and Kyle Sluchinski
- U SPORTS All Star Team: Emily Granson and Emma Rutherford
- U SPORTS Rookie of the Year: Sonia Skobkareva
Coaching and Support Staff
Head Coach Ivan Quintero has been with the team in different roles for the past twelve years. Assistant Coach Kyle Sluchinski has been involved with the team for four years, and Assistant Coach Alek Salwierz joined the Pandas this past year.
On the fitness staff, Eric Golberg has dedicated ten years to the team, Hayley Basterash has been a part of it for three years, and Normand Boule has served for an impressive 20 years. Team Manager Andrea Jones has also been with the team for a decade. General Manager and Program Lead Russ Sluchinski has been a cornerstone of the team for 30 years.
“It’s an incredible feeling being able to win five consecutive National Championships. The Coaches and Staff are incredibly proud of how hard the Pandas have worked to achieve this goal. This success is only possible with the support from our amazing tennis community, the University, and everyone who is involved.”
-Kyle Sluchinski
What’s Next
The team will get together to celebrate when they return to school in September.
The Pandas Tennis Team trains for 8 hours on court and 2-3 hours off court per week during the school year. All players are eligible to return for the 2025 season. They’ll look to keep up their winning ways on and off the court.
