Sofia Ayala

Class:
Junior
Hometown:
Quito, Ecuador
Prev School:
Univ. of Alabama

Dominant Hand: Right

Outlook: Ayala won the Big 12 last year at the #6 position. She qualified at the ITA Central Regional in Norman, Okla. She won her way through the qualifying rounds and advanced to the round of 32 with a 6-1, 6-0 victory over Tulsa's Meredith Burns. Also advanced to the round of 32 in doubles with partner Kaitlyn Ritchie with wins over Wichita State, and then Saint Louis University.

"Sophia is a great athlete. Going into her senior year, Sophia's work ethic has been off the charts. She's ready for a great year. When our fans watch her play, the things they first notice are her fire, and that she never, ever backs down. Her serve can be overpowering, and she's a very gifted doubles player." Missouri Head Coach Blake Starkey said. "She's just a lot of fun to work with, and a lot of fun to watch play. I'm glad she's on our team, and we're not having to compete against her."

Sofia was born in Quito, Ecuador. Quito has one of the world's highest elevations, and according to Sofia is the most beautiful city in the world, and the weather is always unpredictable. She is the daughter of Raul and Catalina Mancheno. Prior to Mizzou, she was coached by Felipe Alarcone. In juniors, she played mostly International Tennis Federation (ITF) and Women's Tennis Association (WTA) events. She was ranked No. 1 in Ecuador. She anchored the Ecuador Federation Tennis Team that won the South American Tennis Championship. By winning, they qualified for the World ITF Team Championship. In Prague, Czech Republic, her team placed 10th in the world.

Her strangest tennis experience in juniors was in a very large and packed tennis stadium when one of her friends was not paying attention and fell over the railing and onto the court stopping play during a very important match. Her friend was fine, but Sofia could not stop laughing. Sofia's path to the University of Missouri is unique. She initially accepted a scholarship to Alabama. While with the Tide, her two favorite matches would be her clinching wins over South Carolina and Colorado. Strong academics, the solid team atmosphere, and the opportunities to play against some of the best in the Big 12 drew her to Mizzou. Off court, Sofia enjoys dancing, listening to music, watching movies, driving her car, spending time with family and friends playing board games and sitting down. She also does not like being beaten in anything. While there are many interesting things about Sofia, she considers the fact she was very, very good in soccer (and still is) to be an interesting thing about her. And her favorite soccer team is LDU (Quito's team). If you are interested, you can follow their matches at www.ldu.com.ec. Sofia thinks you will understand why she likes them.

Hero: Her mom and dad Favorite Food: Hornado Favorite Actor: Denzel Washington Favorite Athlete: Jefferson Perez Favorite Actress: Reese Witherspoon Favorite Movie: Stomp the Yard and Transformers Favorite Tennis Player: Pete Sampras and Gabriella Sabatini Favorite Book: Cien anos de soledad Favorite Web Site: www.nike.com What Sofia is listening to now: Salsa and Reggaeton Career Conference Wins Nebraska Iowa State Colorado