In truth, Santamaria, Danielle Lao and Zoe Scandalis have all played well, especially during the current 12-match winning streak which has led to another Pac-12 title. But, Santamaria has been nearly perfect this season boasting a 16-0 singles record in dual matches (10-0 playing No. 1 singles), and a 25-0 overall mark teaming up with Kaitlyn Christian at No. 1 doubles.Gallien has continued his rotation policy as recently as last weekend's win over Oregon with Scandalis playing No. 1, but Santamaria's dominance was again on full display winning 6-0, 6-0 in the second position. The sophomore has made a strong case for Pac-12 Player of the Year by collecting three Conference Player of the Week honors throughout the season.
Her versatility truly sets her apart. Currently, she is ranked as the No. 2 singles player in the country, and Santamaria and Christian are the No. 2 NCAA doubles team having won back-to-back ITA National Indoor Championships.
Team tennis is an egalitarian pursuit with a win at No. 6 singles valued the same as No. 1, but with nothing but monster match-ups on the horizon for the No. 5 Women of Troy, starting this Thursday vs. UCLA at Marks Stadium (1:30 p.m. PT), Santamaria has proven to be a bankable point. If she keeps up her winning ways at the top, a championship lineup could fall into place behind her.
