Just before Trojans Kaitlyn Christian and Sabrina Santamaria combine forces in New York for their US Open debut, the USC doubles tandem will accept yet another national award. Christian and Santamaria -- winners of three national titles in the 2012-13 season, including the 2013 NCAA Doubles Championship -- have been named to the ITA Collegiate All-Star Team. The Trojans and their fellow honorees will take part in the ITA Awards Luncheon on August 24 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, N.Y.

 

Last season, the USC junior-sophomore combination paired up for their second season together as Trojan teammates. Christian and Santamaria, who are also childhood friends, went on to defend two titles -- the Pac-12 Doubles and ITA National Indoor Doubles championships -- while adding two more to their resumes in completing a triple crown of national titles with the ITA/Riviera All-American Doubles crown and finally the NCAA Doubles championship. Christian/Santamaria finished out the season with a near-perfect 37-1 overall record, and earned an invitation as a wildcard into the upcoming 2013 US Open main draw.

 

This year's ITA National Doubles Team of the Year, Christian and Santamaria also were named to the ITA Collegiate All-Star team last season.

 

Featuring 20 of the nation's top student-athletes from tennis programs across the nation, the ITA All Star Team was inaugurated in 1984. The All-Star Team features the nation's top-ranked men's and women's players from the year-end ITA College Tennis Rankings at the NCAA Divisions I, II and III, NAIA and JUCO levels, as well as winners of the 2012 USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships and 2013 NCAA Division I Championships.