MIKE PATRICK ON MAHARAJ: “Sabita is coming back after making the NCAA Tournament in individuals as a sophomore. She has worked hard rounding out her game, filling in some gaps and becoming a better overall competitor. She will play high in our lineup in both singles and doubles and possesses really heavy ground strokes and a big serve.”
JUNIOR (FALL 2004): Enters the spring season ranked 50th nationally...Teamed with Ashley Robards to win the flight one title at the St. Mary’s Fall Classic, defeating 48th-ranked Karin Coetzee and Ashlee Davis of Wake Forest to win the title...In singles play at the tournament, Maharaj won the quarterfinal over North Carolina State’s Barbara Orlay, 7-6, 6-1, and the semifinal, 6-3, 6-3, over No. 64 before falling in the final to Coetzee, 1-6, 6-2, 6-0...Advanced to the found of 16 at the Wilson ITA Regional Tournament before losing to Coetzee...Went 5-1 in doubles play, including 3-0 with Robards and 2-1 with Daron Moore...In singles action, Maharaj recorded a 7-3 mark.
SOPHOMORE (2003-04): Excelled in the Lady Vols’ singles lineup, compiling a dual match record of 19-8 and overall mark of 28-12 to rank second on the team in wins...Received first-team All-SEC honors at No. 2 singles, amassing a league mark of 8-0 at the position...Registered five victories over ranked opponents, including a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 win over No. 23 Shadisha Robinson of Georgia on April 10...Provided a team-best four match-clinching victories, including one in UT’s 4-3 win over No. 37 Ole Miss on March 19...With senior Tammy Encina out of the lineup early in the season, Maharaj stepped up to the No. 1 position to claim a 7-5, 7-6 (10-3) victory over No. 15 Coetzee on Feb. 14...Lost just seven games in UT’s first two NCAA Tournament matches, defeating Wisconsin’s Shana McElroy, 6-0, 6-1, and North Carolina’s Lee Bairos, 6-4, 6-2...Her match against Vanderbilt’s Kelly Schmandt in the round of 16 went unfinished...Owned a team-best record of 26-16 in doubles play, including a 14-11 mark with Ashley Robards and a 9-4 record with Blakeley Griffith...Along with Robards, Maharaj recorded two victories over ranked tandems: a 9-7 win over No. 41 Cline and Mojzis of North Carolina on Jan. 18 and an 8-6 win over No. 47 Jitka Schonfeldova and Evgenia Subbotina of Georgia on April 10...Named to the Lady Vol Honor Roll.
FRESHMAN (2002-03): Maharaj amassed a 10-9 dual-meet record during her initial year of collegiate competition at the No. 3, 4 and 5 singles spots...Clinched four matches for UT during the dual-meet season with wins against Auburn, Arkansas, Mississippi State and Murray State...Gained valuable playing experience in the fall by competing in four tournaments…After her first appearance at the adidas Invitational, she claimed the third flight of singles at the St. Mary’s Fall Classic, defeating teammate Melissa Schaub in the final, 6-3, 6-2…Won her second-straight title at the June Stewart by upending Mysti Morris of Georgia Tech, 6-4, 5-7, 6-2…Closed out the fall at the SEC Coaches Tournament with a 6-5 singles record…Compiled an astounding 15-2 doubles mark during the dual meet season, while paired with Crystal Cleveland...Duo garnered first-team All-SEC honors and earned a final ranking of 58th from the ITA...Posted a flawless 10-0 doubles record in conference play...Played doubles exclusively with Tammy Encina during the fall season, helping the tandem earn a ranking of 53rd to start out the spring…After the pair struggled to a 2-5 start, they racked up four straight wins at the SEC Coaches Tourney to take the crown…The unranked combo pulled off two upsets over ranked opponents…Maharaj and Encina finished with a 6-5 mark together.
HIGH SCHOOL: Achieved a career-high United States Tennis Association (USTA) ranking of 27th in the girls 18’s in 2001…Also earned an International Tennis Federation (ITF) ranking…Pulled double duty at the Texas Open in 1999 by winning both the singles and doubles crown…She also won the doubles at the Southern Open in 1997…Was a member of the 2000 Junior Fed Cup championship team…Maharaj captured the singles title at the National Open in 2001…She was a member of the Spanish Honor Society and Spanish Club at Buchholz High School.
PERSONAL: Maharaj’s major is sociology with a criminal justice concentration…She hopes to play tennis professionally some day…Is an accomplished pianist, receiving the National Federation of Music Award in 1998…Enjoys art, snorkeling and dancing in her spare time…Says she has modeled herself after Steffi Graf…Has one brother, Devan, 13…The daughter of Sais and Janet Maharaj, Sabita Lynn Maharaj was born on Sept. 27, 1984, in Brandon, Fla.
