Rutgers-Camden Athletics

Laurel DiStefano compiled a stellar 53-36 overall record and numerous academic honors during her career at Rutgers-Camden. Her 53 total victories rank fourth on the program’s career list. She also ranks fourth in both singles victories (27) and doubles wins (26), despite missing three semesters of competition during the pandemic.
 
Combining with Samantha Hoban as a doubles pair, the duo posted 10 victories, the eighth-highest career total of any combination in program history.
 
DeStefano and Hoban served as the Rutgers-Camden co-captains during the 2022-23 scholastic year.
 
Academics: New Jersey Athletic Conference Academic First Team for the 2022-23 scholastic year…NJAC Academic Honorable Mention for the 2021-22 scholastic year…Rutgers-Camden Athletic Director’s Honor Roll and Dean’s List student for the 2019 Fall, 2020 Spring, 2021 Fall, 2022 Spring and 2022 Fall semesters…One of only 16 athletes on the 148-member 2019 Fall AD Honor Roll to record a perfect 4.0 GPA…One of 47 athletes on the 171-member 2020 Spring AD Honor Roll to record a perfect 4.0 GPA…One of only 26 athletes on the 119-member 2022 Spring AD Honor Roll to earn a 4.0 GPA.
 
Tennis Spring 2023: Posted a spring record of 6-5 in singles (6-4 at fourth singles and 0-1 at second singles) and 7-5 at first doubles for a 13-10 overall record…For the scholastic year, went 9-7 in singles (9-6 at fourth singles, 0-1 at second singles) and 10-6 in doubles (7-5 at first doubles and 3-1 at second doubles) for an overall 19-13 record…Served as a team co-captain…Collected wins at fourth singles against Bryn Athyn (6-0, 6-0, March 31), Arcadia (8-1, April 10), Elizabethtown (6-2, 6-0) and King’s (6-1, 6-0) in a tri-match April 16, William Paterson (6-4, 6-0, April 19) and Ramapo (6-2, 6-1, April 21)…Lost a close match at fourth singles against Kean (April 22) by a 7-6 (7-5), 1-6, 7-10 score…In her only match at second singles, lost against Salisbury (1-6, 0-6, April 8)…Combined with Sarah Ahrens at first doubles in all of her spring matches…Notched doubles wins against Bryn Athyn (8-1, March 31), Arcadia (8-4, April 10), Elizabethtown (8-1) and King’s (8-2) in an April16 tri-match, William Paterson (8-0, April 19), Ramapo (8-4, April 21) and Kean (8-1, April 22)…Lost close doubles matches against Salisbury (5-8, April 8) and The College of New Jersey (4-8, March 26).
 
Tennis Fall 2022: Posted a 3-2 record at fourth singles and a 3-1 mark at second doubles (2-1 with Hoban and 1-0 with Katie Moore)…Posted singles wins against Bryn Mawr (6-3, 6-4, Sept. 17), Cabrini (6-1, 6-1, Oct. 7) and York (1-1, retired)…Lost a marathon match against Goucher (6-1, 4-6, 9-11, Sept. 10) and a match at Moravian (4-6, 1-6, Oct. 8)…Captured doubles victories against Goucher (8-2) and York (8-1) while teaming with Hoban and against Cabrini (8-3) with Moore…Dropped a doubles match with Hoban against Bryn Mawr (3-8).
 
Tennis Spring 2022: Completed the scholastic year with an overall record of 11-9 in singles play (9-7 at fourth singles, 1-0 at third singles and 1-2 in tournament play) and a 9-9 doubles mark (9-8 at second doubles, 0-1 at first doubles)...During the spring semester went 5-4 in singles play and 5-5 in doubles…Her singles victories included three straight 6-0, 6-0 sweeps to start the spring against Eastern (March 11), Bryn Athyn (March 19) and New Jersey Athletic Conference rival William Paterson (March 26), with the Bryn Athyn match being her lone competition at third singles during the year…Also earned NJAC wins over Ramapo (April 15, 6-2, 6-0) and Kean (April 23, 6-2, 6-1)…Her four singles losses came against the top three teams in the NJAC (The College of New Jersey, New Jersey City and Stockton) and strong non-conference foe Ursinus…In competition at second doubles, went 5-5 during the spring, including 4-5 when teamed with Samantha Hoban and 1-0 combining with Hannah Cohan (an 8-1 win at Bryn Athyn)…Notched 8-0 shutouts against Eastern and William Paterson and 8-2 victories over Ramapo and Kean…Dropped a pair of doubles matches against eventual NJAC champion TCNJ, including one in the conference semifinals…Also lost doubles decisions against NJAC foes NJCU and Stockton, as well as a close 8-7 defeat against Ursinus.
 
Tennis Fall 2021: Posted a 6-5 record in singles (5-3 at fourth singles and 1-2 in the Goucher College Invitational) and a  4-4 doubles mark teaming with Samantha Hoban (0-1 at first doubles, 4-3 at second doubles)…Opened the season with a 6-1, 6-0 singles victory and a 3-8 loss in her lone appearance at first doubles in a match at FDU-Florham (Sept. 4)…Posted a pair of wins against both Immaculata (Sept. 5, 8-6 in singles and 8-1 in doubles) and Goucher (Sept. 12, 6-4, 6-1 in singles and 8-4 in doubles)…Lost close doubles decisions against Moravian (7-8, Sept. 18), York (6-8, Sept. 19) and Bryn Mawr (5-8, Sept. 25), while also dropping a marathon singles match against Bryn Mawr (1-6, 6-2, 1-6) and singles matches against Moravian (1-6, 3-6) and York (2-6, 1-6)…Notched a pair of wins against Drew (Sept. 26) in singles (6-2, 6-3) and doubles (8-2)…Played in the D singles competition at the Goucher College Invitational Oct. 9-10, losing a pair of first-day matches (0-6, 3-6 against Gettysburg and 5-7, 5-7 against Lebanon Valley), before posting an 8-2 win the second day against St. Mary’s…Capped the fall semester with wins in singles (6-0, 6-2) and doubles (8-3) against Cedar Crest (Oct. 16).

Tennis Fall 2019: Notched an overall mark of 14-5, including a 7-3 mark in singles play (6-3 at third singles and 1-0 at second singles)…Went 7-2 while playing third doubles, including 6-2 matched with Morgan Dempsey and 1-0 teaming with Julia Harrington…Named the New Jersey Athletic Conference Women’s Tennis Rookie of the Week on Sept. 30…Made her collegiate debut against Stockton (Aug. 31), dropping a marathon 3-6, 7-5, 7-10 decision in singles and a narrow 7-8 (4-7) match in doubles…Playing against perennial conference champion TCNJ (Sept. 1), lost in singles (1-6, 0-6) and doubles (0-8)…Posted her first wins at Goucher College (Sept. 9), winning at both singles (6-3, 6-4) and doubles (8-7 (7-3))…Earned wins at Cairn (Sept. 14) in singles (6-2, 6-1) and doubles (8-0)…Notched her first NJAC victories at Kean (Sept. 14) in singles (6-3, 6-0) and doubles (8-3)…Posted a 6-3, 6-3 singles victory at Juniata (Sept. 15) and had her lone pairing with Harrington in doubles to post an 8-1 victory…Lost a 4-6, 1-6 decision in singles and posted an 8-4 win in doubles against Ramapo (Sept. 21)…Collected wins at Gwynedd Mercy (Sept. 27) in singles (8-5) and doubles (8-0)…Played only singles against William Paterson (Sept. 28), winning by a 6-0, 6-1 score…Closed the season with an impressive sweep against Rutgers-Newark (Sept. 30), winning in singles (6-0, 6-0) and in doubles (8-0).
 
High School: Three-year tennis letterwinner for Coach Michael Schuenemann at Washington Township High School…USTA #1 Player of the Year and team MVP as a senior…Gloucester County Tournament of Champions as a senior…Most Improved Player honors as a junior…National Honor Society…Graduated in 2019.
 
Personal: Born April 24, 2001…Enjoys fitness, health, sports and music…Psychology major at Rutgers-Camden with a minor in Childhood Studies…Plans to attend graduate school to earn a Master of Occupational Therapy…Laurel is the daughter of Christine and David DiStefano of Sewell.