Jan. 19, 2011
LOS ANGELES, Calif. -
This year, the LMU women's tennis team welcomes five new faces to their roster. After graduating four seniors, they have recruited a deep team who has the potential to develop into one of the top programs in not only the West Coast Conference but also the region. This ambition would not be possible however without the talented and experienced coaching staff. In her second year with the LMU women's tennis team, assistant coach Cintia Tortorella is an invaluable asset to the team with a long history of experience playing at a highly competitive level and as a Division I coach.
Cintia Tortorella is in her second season with the Lion's as an assistant coach. She has over six years experience as an intercollegiate tennis coach. Previously she coached for Baylor University and helped their tennis team to their first Big 12 conference title in their 2002-2003 season. After her success at Baylor, Tortorella returned to coach at her alma matter, Pepperdine University. At Pepperdine Tortorella helped the waves to success winning the West Coast Conference title and making NCAA championship appearances in 2004, 2005 and 2006. Also at Pepperdine she coached two All-Americans athletes and helped the Women's team achieve a No. 14 national ranking in 2006. From 2004-2007 she helped coach the waves to a stellar 71-33 winning record over just three years.
Individually Tortorella played professionally for five years where she achieved a world ranking of 227 in singles and 197 in doubles. She also competed in the Junior French Open in Paris where she rose the ranks beating ranked players throughout the tournament. In her collegiate career, she played her freshman year at United States International University in San Diego where she was named Athlete of the Year. She then transferred to Pepperdine University, and still holds the record for most singles wins in a single season (26) during 1999. She also earned All-West Coast Conference Singles Honors in 2000 and 2001 and obtained a combined 64-19 in dual match play for three years as a student/athlete at Pepperdine.
Following her graduation from Pepperdine University, Tortorella went on to get a Masters of Science from Baylor University with an emphasis on Sports Management. In addition to coaching and playing, she has also been working for the LA Junior Chamber or Commerce as the Agassi Safe-Passage All-Stars Program Director. Cintia resides in Santa Monica with her fiancée Mike Sanyeh.
What are you goals for the program this year? I would really like to keep our student-athletes injury-free so I can maximize their performance during practices and competition to win the West Coast Conference.
Are there specific skills that you are planning on working on with the girls this season? I will be working with each individual on how to develop their own individual strengths and how to strategize these strengths on the court against their opponents and for LMU in team competition.
What is your favorite part of coaching at LMU? My favorite part of coaching at LMU is being a part of a talented and competitive women's tennis team and working along with the women's head coach Jamie Sanchez. I am proud to work next to a great person like Jamie because of his integrity, standards, and dedication to the team, coaching staff, athletics, and LMU.
How did you come to LMU as a coach? I have known Jamie Sanchez since 1999-2001 when I was a student athlete at Pepperdine University and as collegiate assistant coach at Baylor University and Pepperdine University. I proudly accepted his offer in 2009 when he asked me to join the Lions.
Do you have any personal experiences as a player that have influenced your coaching philosophies as a coach at LMU? By being a young competitive tennis player for many years and having experienced different cultures, languages, traditions, and opinions around the world, has taught me how to be open-minded and disciplined on the tennis court. It has also taught me to always give my best effort. My coaching philosophy is to reflect all my past experiences to players that I coach today.
