As the 2014 school year comes to a close, with that so does the Women’s Tennis season. As the team prepares to say goodbye to their two seniors, Paola Garrido and Caitlin Kitchen, they will reflect back on their time playing at Georgia Southern University.

Garrido, a native of Vigo, Spain, came to GSU in the 2010-2011 season. Her freshman year kicked off her career to a great start. She played in the top spot the entire season and posted an impressive 9-8 record in singles play and 5-4 record in conference play. She defeated her opponent from Western Carolina to earn the Eagles a spot in the Quarterfinals at the 2011 SoCon Championships, this win marked their first victory in the tournament since 2008.

Her sophomore year, Garrido lead the team in singles play with an overall 13-7 record for the season, 6-4 in conference along with a 10-6 doubles record and 5-3 doubles conference. She was the first since 2002 to be selected to the SoCon Singles First Team All-Conference. That season she was also awarded with a SoCon Player of the Week title as well as the SoCon Student Athlete of the Week. She played in the Singles No. 1 position the entire season.

By her junior year she continued her Eagle career posting an impressive 12-8 singles record and 6-4 in the SoCon. She played in the No. 1 position and was able to earn Second Team All-SoCon honors. In last year’s 2013 SoCon Tournament she earned a crucial victory over her Wofford College opponent assisting the Eagles in a 4-2 win.

Kitchen, a four-year letterwinner from Kennesaw Mountain High School, earned the Captain’s Award both her junior and senior years of high school as well as First and Second Team All-County honors. She kicked off her freshman years to a great start when she posted an impressive 9-5 singles record and 6-4 record in conference play for the season.

Primarily at the No. 3 position throughout her sophomore year, Kitchen started 17 singles matches, she also posted a 7-7 record in 14 doubles contests throughout the season. She started doubles at the No. 1 position almost all season. Kitchen and Garrido were each other’s main doubles partners throughout their careers at GSU. In the Spring of her junior year, Kitchen started eight singles matches earning a 3-5 record and 1-4 in SoCon. She was out for a month and a half due to injury.

Garrido and Kitchen won the A Doubles Draw at the Augusta Challenge in the Fall of 2012. The Women’s Tennis Team concluded their season with an overall record of 10-11 and 4-5 in the SoCon.