During her four year career on the West Florida women’s tennis team, Suzana Cavalcante has had a great impact on the university, the Gulf South Conference and the NCAA. Cavalcante has played No. 1 singles during all four years for the Argonauts, and played No. 1 doubles for three seasons, only playing No. 2 in her sophomore year. Cavalcante was consistently ranked nationally in the top-5 of Division II in singles, and was ranked as high as No. 2 in the nation and top-ranked in the region. She defeated Jing Liu from BYU-Hawaii when she was top-ranked in the nation. In doubles Cavalcante was also ranked as high as No. 2 in the nation with two different partners (Paola Arevalo and Paulina Ojeda). Cavalcante teamed with Arevalo and defeated two top ranked teams in the nation in two different seasons (Bula/Ustyuzhanina 2006, and Li/Deng 2008 – both from BYU-Hawaii).
In the four years spent at UWF, Suzana Cavalcante has led the Argonauts to four NCAA postseason appearances, including a NCAA Division II runner up finish (2007). Cavalcante also helped the Argonauts to reach three Gulf South Conference titles in four years spent at UWF (2006, 2007, and 2009). While at UWF Cavalcante won the regional title three times in singles and once in doubles, earning a spot at the ITA National Small College Championships. At the national tournament, she was able to reach the final match twice (fall of 2005, fall of 2008).
Cavalcante was named an ITA All-American in singles four times and three times in doubles. Cavalcante became only the second woman in history to be named three consecutive times GSC East Division Player of the Year (2006, 2007, and 2008). In 2006 Cavalcante received both GSC East Division Player of the Year and GSC East Division Freshman of the Year, becoming only the third woman to receive both awards in the same season. Suzana Cavalcante was named the ITA Division II South Region Rookie Player of the Year as well as National Rookie of the Year. The Brazilian native also received two GSC All-Academic honors (2008, 2009). In her last season at UWF Cavalcante was named ITA South Region Player of the Year and South Region Senior Player of the Year (2007).
Cavalcante was nominated a finalist of the 2009 NCAA Woman of the Year. Cavalcante also collected awards and honors, such as the Sargent Sportsmanship Award (2008), the GSC Commissioner’s Trophy (2008), and the Arthur Ashe Award for sportsmanship in the south region (2008).
2009: Earned All-American honors for the fourth time in singles and third time in doubles… Became only the ninth woman to earn a fourth All-GSC first team selection… Named the 2009 ITA South Region Player of the Year, and the 2009 ITA South Region Senior Player of the Year… Finalist for the NCAA Woman of the Year… Was named for the second time to the GSC All-Academic Team after graduating with a degree in Athletic Training with a 3.59 cumulative G.P.A… Helped West Florida women’s tennis to reach its 10th Gulf South Conference title… Helped the Argonauts to reach the last round of the south regional tournament… Helped the Argonauts to post 20 wins in dual matches… Singles: Played No. 1 throughout the whole season… Finished the season ranked No. 6 in the nation and No. 1 in the south region… Was ranked as high as No. 2 in the nation… Posted a 19-6 (.760) record, including a 9-0 record against GSC opponents… Defeated nine D-II ranked opponents, including No. 2 Helena Van Eysendeyk from California (Pa.), No. 7 Senka Softic from Florida Southern, and No. 11 Katerina Jiskrova from Lynn… Reached her 70th singles win to break the school record of most wins… Doubles: Played No. 1 with partner Paulina Ojeda… The pair finished the year ranked No. 7 in the nation and No. 2 in the south region… The duo was ranked as high as No. 3 in the nation… Posted a 22-7 (.759) mark, including a 9-3 record against GSC pairs… Teamed with Ojeda to defeat three D-II ranked pairs, including No. 4 Trautmann and Rothlaender from Valdosta State and No. 8 Jiskrova and Ionazzi from Lynn… Reached her 90th doubles win to also break the school record with most wins in doubles.
Fall 2008: Won the Sargent Sportsmanship Award… Singles: Advanced to the NCAA Division II/ITA National Small College Championships finals… After a set lead, lost in the third set to top ranked Sona Novakova from Armstrong-Atlantic… Ranked second in the nation after reaching the final of the tournament… Ranked first in the NCAA DII South Region… Doubles: Teamed with Paulina Ojeda to form the 24th ranked team in Division II... Also ranked ninth in the NCAA DII South Region… Won the UWF Fall Fling Tournament (w/ Ojeda).
2008: Won GSC Commissioner’s Trophy Honors… Included in the 11th annual Gulf South Conference “top ten” award winner… Received the Arthur Ashe award for Sportsmanship in the South Region… Earned a 3.63 GPA, and a spot on the GSC All-Academic team with the highest West Florida GPA for spring sports… For the third time in her career, earned All-American accolades in singles… For the second time in her career, earned All-American accolades in doubles… Became only the second player in history to claim three consecutive GSC East Division Player of the Year accolades, following three-time winner and UWF alum Andreea Petrisor (1999-2001)...Led the Argonauts to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division II Championships after posting a team overall record of 17-11 and 8-2 GSC record… Helped the Argonauts to qualify to the NCAA sweet 16 for the 11th consecutive time… Helped the Argonauts earn a runner-up trophy in the Gulf South Conference Championships… Singles: Played #1 singles... Nationally ranked third in the NCAA DII rankings… Posted a 19-8 singles record during the year… Defeated 14 ranked players, including a 6-2, 6-0 win over top ranked player Elwen Li from BYU-Hawaii… Recorded six straight wins throughout the season… Doubles: Teamed with Paola Arevalo to play #1 doubles… Finished the season ranked fourth in the nation (w/ Arevalo)…Posted a 24-3 record in the season... Ranked as high as second throughout the season… The duo defeated the top one and two ranked teams in the country during the season…The duo recorded twenty straight wins throughout the season.
Fall 2007: Singles: Won the ITA South Region Singles Championship... Advanced to the NCAA Division II/ITA National Small College Championships … Ranked No. 3 in the nation after reaching the semifinals of the tournament… Doubles: Won the ITA National Small College Championships with partner Paola Arevalo… Advanced to the NCAA Division II/ITA National Championships… Ranked No. 5 in the nation.
2007: Led West Florida to the NCAA Division II Championships final for the first time in the school history… Led the Argonauts to a No. 3 ranking in the Nation… Led the Argonauts to its ninth Gulf South Conference Championship in the program history… Earned All-American accolades in singles… Named GSC East Division Player of The Year… Singles: Ranked as high as No. 3 in the season…Posted a 17-4 record playing in the number 1 spot, including twelve wins over ranked players… Finished the season ranked No. 5 in the nation… Won 6 consecutive matches… Doubles: Finished the season ranked No. 15 with partner Paola Arevalo… Posted a 20-8 record, mostly playing in the second doubles spot… Recorded nine straight wins.
Fall 2006: Advanced to the finals of the NCAA Division II/ITA South Region Championships… Nationally ranked No. 6 in Division II.
2006: Named ITA Division II National and South Region Rookie Player of the Year... Earned All-American accolades in singles and doubles… Third women's tennis player in conference history to earn GSC East Divison Player of the Year, and Freshman of the Year honors in the same season... Second Argonaut in the last three years to earn Player of the Year honors... First Argonaut since 2001 to be named Freshman of the Year... Led the Argonauts to its eighth Gulf South Conference Championship in the program history… Started and ended the year as the third-ranked singles player after a 14-2 record... Posted a 7-2 record against ranked opponents... Defeated BYU-Hawaii's Jing Jing Liu when she was the top-ranked singles player in the nation... Her only two losses were to the number two and number four ranked singles players in the nation... Tallied a 23-4 doubles record... Won 15 consecutive doubles matches with Paola Arevalo...Along with Arevalo, she upset BYU-Hawaii's top-ranked doubles team of Tatyana Bula and Julia Ustyuzhanina.
2005 Fall: Won the ITA South Region Singles Championship... Advanced to the finals of the ITA National Small College Championships in October and finished second... Entered the spring season ranked third in singles in Division II.
Other Tennis Experience: The Brazilian national champion at age 10 and 12... Participated in numerous junior tournaments in Brazil, and was ranked number one several times between the ages of 10-14... Represented Brazil in several South American and international tennis events.
High School: Attended Horacio Bento High School.
Club: Played for soccer club teams in Brazil.
Personal: Daughter of Antonio Cavalcante and Maria Isabel Cavalcante... Has two siblings, Daniel and Natalia... Graduated in Athletic Training with a cumulative GPA of 3.59... Assisted at a 5K run for the West Florida Exercise Science Department... Volunteered at the 2006 NCAA Division II National Championships… Helped building houses for Habitat for Humanity during the 2008 NCAA Spring Festival in Houston, Tex… Former member of the UWF Athletic Training Student Association.
