COLLEGE STATION, Texas ? Furman senior Laura Gioia’s run in the 2009 NCAA Division I Women’s Tennis Championships came to an end on Friday afternoon as North Carolina’s Sanaz Marand posted a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Gioia in the round of 16 at Texas A&M’s George P. Mitchell Center. Gioia’s concluded her final season with a mark of 22-5.

Gioia will leave Furman as one of the most storied women’s tennis players in school history. By earning two victories in the NCAA Tournament and advancing to the round of 16, Gioia became the first-ever Lady Paladin to be recognized as an ITA All-American. Gioia’s national rank of ninth early this spring is the highest ranking ever achieved by a Furman women’s tennis player.

Recently honored as the ITA Southeast Region Senior Player of the Year, Gioia has accumulated numerous accolades during her four years. The two-time Southern Conference Player of the Year amassed a 33-3 career singles record against league opponents, competing at the top of the lineup since her freshman year. The four-time first-team all-conference honoree has earned a major conference award in each of her four seasons, while also leading the Lady Paladins to four SoCon regular-season titles. Gioia amassed 78 dual singles wins during her career, second all-time only to Megan Dunigan’s 79. Gioia holds the Furman record for career singles and doubles victories with 145.

Gioia received the SoCon’s Dorothy Hicks Graduate Scholarship and has been accepted to dental school at the University of Florida, where she will begin her post-graduate studies in the fall.