The Valparaiso University women’s tennis team has announced two additions to the program for the 2019-2020 season. Current high school seniors Demetria Jhaveri (Westlake, Ohio / Westlake) and Amanda Tabanera (Valencia, Calif. / Valencia) signed their National Letters of Intent this week to join the program next season.

“I found Demetria when I was walking around a tournament and saw her playing,” Valpo head coach Tammy Cecchini said. “She wasn’t initially on my list to recruit, but when I saw her play I knew right away that I wanted to find out who she was. I went to the front desk, found out her name and the rest is history. She is a great player who is going to get a lot better in college. She has a great all-around game and is very aggressive at the net.”

Jhaveri helped her high school team win conference championships all four years of her prep career and was a first-team all-conference performer in each of her four seasons. She was a four-time district qualifier, two-time state qualifier and placed fourth in the state doubles tournament in 2017.

“I was always looking to play tennis in college, and when Tammy reached out to me about Valpo she really sold me on how much the team aspect was part of the program,” Jhaveri said. “That’s what has me excited for college tennis – I can see how much the team members at Valpo support each other. Tammy is always very positive and encouraging and I can tell that she loves her players. I think it’s really important that the coach loves the players and the players love the coach.”

Jhaveri’s high school accomplishments go beyond the tennis courts as she is a high honor roll student and a member of National Honor Society and Spanish Honor Society. She’s undecided upon her major but is considering digital media. The moment of signing her NLI this week was a special one for Jhaveri and her family.

“It feels amazing; I’ve looked forward to this day since I decided that I wanted to play college tennis,” she said. “It’s a huge relief to know I’m going to continue my career at the collegiate level at a school I wanted to attend. One of the biggest influences on my tennis career getting to this point is definitely my dad. He has coached me since I was little and he played for Ohio State. He’s the reason I pursued this sport. I’m thrilled to join Valpo’s program and can’t wait for next fall.”

Tabanera played No. 1 singles at Valencia High School in California, winning CIF prelims in doubles and singles every year. She advanced to the CIF semifinals last year in doubles.  

“I thought Valpo was the perfect fit for me,” Tabanera said. “I really like the coach and all of the girls on the team. I visited campus and loved it. I’m excited and relieved. I expect college tennis to be very different, but I’m excited for something challenging and new.”

Tabanera has played in several nationals including winter nationals, Easter bowl and hard courts. She was awarded the SoCal sportsmanship award. At Valpo, Tabanera plans to major in health management.

“I met Amanda at a tennis camp that I happened to be at with my kids in Irvine, Calif. because my mom lives there,” Cecchini said. “She’s a very smart player. She is a person who I’ve known for two years and every time I watch her play, she gets stronger and stronger. She’s aggressive and solid. She doesn’t make a lot of mistakes, but she’s not a grinder. She hits the ball hard without making mistakes and stays in the point for an extended period of time.”

Tabanera and Jhaveri join a program that has been on the upswing since Tammy Cecchini took over as head coach. Most recently, Valpo women’s tennis produced the individual Missouri Valley Conference champion at No. 1 singles this fall, Valpo’s first MVC title, individual or team, in any sport.

“We’re thrilled to have Amanda and Demetria coming in together because they will be great teammates,” Cecchini said. “They’re both different, but they’ll get along. They bring different strengths to the table and will complement each other as teammates. They are both sweet and kind and will be great fits within the culture of our program.”