Biography
2015-16: 20-14 in singles overall, 13-9 in dual matches… 1-2 at No. 1, 12-7 at No. 2… First Team All-Sun Belt Conference… Opened spring with five straight victories, including wins over Carolina Dailey of No. 28 South Carolina – 7-5, 3-6, (10-7) – and Julia Courter of Minnesota – 6-4, 6-3… Won five out of seven matches in March and early April – all in straight sets – and took back-to-back outings by the same 6-1, 6-1 score over Carita Moolman of Samford, and Hannah Shteyn of Miami (Ohio)… Started streak with consecutive three-set victories, outlasting Louisiana Tech’s Jazmin Britos 7-6 (7-5), 4-6, (10-7) and Virginia Commonwealth’s Olga Barschcheuskaya 6-4, 3-6, (10-7)… Reached finals of UNLV Fall Invitational, defeating No. 105 Mai El Kamash of Ole Miss in the first round 6-4, 6-1, before falling to teammate Alexandria Stiteler 6-3, 6-3… Swept all three matches on the No. 2 court – rallying from a first-set loss to UAB’s Amy Lowther – at the Samford Fall Round Robin… 15-11 in doubles overall, 9-7 in dual matches… 7-7 at No. 1, 2-0 at No. 3… Second Team All-Sun Belt Conference with Michaela Meszarosova… Took first two matches at the Sun Belt Championships, blanking team from Texas State in quarterfinals before winning 6-4 in semifinals vs. No. 64 Texas-Arlington… Lost four games total in back-to-back victories vs. Miami (Ohio) (6-3) and at Troy (6-1).
2014-15: 22-11 singles record overall, 13-7 in dual matches… 11-7 at No. 1, 2-0 at No. 2… First Team All-Sun Belt Conference… Won eight of nine in March and April, including five in a row, rallying from first-set losses to defeat Masa Grgan of Georgia State (5-7, 6-4, 6-2) and Gabrielle Wreder of Appalachian State (6-7, 6-1, [10-1])… Downed Birol Ipek of No. 47 Tulane 6-0, 7-5… Went 2-1 at Sun Belt Conference Championships, winning in straight sets in the quarterfinals and coming back from a deficit in semifinals to defeat Amy Olivier of Louisiana-Monroe 2-6, 6-1, 6-3… Started fall season with six-match win streak, winning flight at Mercer Bear Gridiron Classic without dropping a set… 23-7 doubles record overall, 14-2 in dual matches… 14-2 at No. 1… First Team All-Sun Belt Conference with Emily Newton… Finished No. 88 in final doubles rankings with Newton… Dropped first two matches of spring season before closing out year with 14 straight wins, the final 12 partnering with Newton… Helped earn critical doubles point in finals of SBC Championships, defeating team from Texas-Arlington 8-3 in team’s 4-3 win… Reached quarterfinals of USTA/ITA Southern Regional Championships with Newton, and went 2-1 at both Samford Fall Round Robin and Blue & Red Challenge.
2013-14: 20-4 record overall, 16-0 in dual matches… 3-0 at No. 1, 11-0 at No. 2, 2-0 at No. 3… First Team All-Sun Belt Conference… All but two wins in the spring came in straight sets… Went 2-0 at Sun Belt Championships, grinding out a 6-4, 2-6, 6-1 win over Giada D’Ortona of Texas-Arlington, and defeated Masa Grgan of No. 66 Georgia State 6-4, 6-3 in the finals… Became the first Jaguar to win back-to-back Sun Belt Player of the Week awards on March 5 and 12… Picked up first honor after a 2-0 week in singles—getting a win at No. 1—and doubles, and went 5-0 combined in singles and doubles to earn second award… Posted a 2-1 record in Flight 1 of the Samford Fall Invitational, picking up straight-sets wins over Rachel Daniell of UAB (6-3, 6-4) and Tiffany William of Middle Tennessee (7-5, 6-4), that sandwiched a 6-2, 7-5 loss to Samford’s Kristen Lewis… Avenged loss to Lewis in the spring, 6-4, 6-2… Rallied from a first-set loss to Monica Pieratt of Texas State to win 6-7 (4-7), 6-3, (11-9)… Dropped no more than three games in any set in first five matches of spring season… 23-2 doubles record overall, 18-0 in dual matches… 15-0 at No. 2, 3-0 at No. 3… Second Team All-Sun Belt with Monica Mitta… Compiled 14-0 record at No. 2 with Mitta… Pair lost more than three games in a match just twice… Defeated team from No. 67 North Texas 8-5… Reached finals of Flight One of UNLV Invitational with Michaela Meszarosova… Claimed Flight 3 title at Samford Fall Invitational with Mary Angela Martin, defeating teams from Samford (8-2), Middle Tennessee (8-5) and UAB (8-2)… Went 3-0 at Sun Belt Championships with Paula Sanchez at No. 3, including an 8-5 victory over pair from No. 66 Georgia State.
High School: Attended Hotel Academy… Played for club team TK Kupele Piestany.
Personal: Full name is Laura Valkova… Born Sept. 4, 1993 in Piestany, Slovakia... Daughter of Dusan Valko and Marcela Valkova... Has a younger sister, Livia... Chose South Alabama because it was a good opportunity to study abroad… Goals for the upcoming season are to get better in tennis and improve her English… Favorites – movie: “Mr. and Mrs. Smith”; athlete: Roger Federer; musical artist: Justin Timberlake; foods: pasta and chicken salad; class: economics… Likes chocolate ice cream but dislikes fake people… Listens to music before a match… Best part of playing sports is “the feeling when I win the match”… Thankful for her family and the opportunity to study here… Three wishes would be to graduate from South Alabama, good health for herself and family and find a good job.
