CONWAY, S.C. — Coastal Carolina women's tennis student-athlete Paula Cabrer is no stranger to success. Her junior career began in her hometown of Palma de Mallorca, Spain, where she won a multitude of tournament titles and earned a top-100 ranking in Spain's U18 national rankings. As accolades flooded in and Cabrer's junior career came to a close, the opportunity to play tennis internationally arose.

"I always dreamed of studying and playing tennis in the U.S.," Cabrer said. "The idea of combining academics and high-level competition really appealed to me."

With the help of her agent, coaches, and family, the recruiting process ultimately led Cabrer to begin her collegiate career at Hillsborough Community College, a program she felt would help her achieve both her tennis and academic goals. In her freshman year at Hillsborough, she immediately made a name for herself, earning NJCAA Division I All-America first-team singles honors while leading the team to the NJCAA Division I National Championship title.

"It took a lot of dedication, early mornings, and effort on and off the court," Cabrer said. "Our team worked incredibly hard and supported each other every day, which made that championship so special."

Entering her sophomore season, Cabrer continued to keep her foot on the gas, placing a major focus on fitness, mental strength, and match preparation. That work resulted in her climbing from No. 35 to No. 16 in the ITA NJCAA women's national rankings.

"The experience I gained during my freshman year helped me play with more confidence and consistency," Cabrer said.

She was able to emulate her previous success once again, reaching the NJCAA Division I National Championship match and achieving a career-high No. 5 ranking in doubles. Cabrer attributes her success to staying focused on each match rather than the outcome.

"My mindset was all about working hard and trusting the process," she said.

Even after amassing significant success in her first two seasons of collegiate tennis, Cabrer still had more dreams to chase.

"My goal was always to compete at the Division I level, and Hillsborough was the perfect first step toward that," she said.

That goal led her to become a Chanticleer and join the Teal Nation family.

The jump to Division I athletics is always an adjustment. Learning to handle a more demanding schedule while navigating a new campus, team, and coaching staff is a challenge, but one Cabrer embraced.

"The level of competition is higher," Cabrer said. "Every match challenges me to be sharper and more consistent."

While there has certainly been a transition period, Cabrer said her experience at Hillsborough taught her many valuable lessons.

"Hillsborough taught me discipline, teamwork, and how to handle pressure in big moments," she said. "I brought those lessons with me to Coastal, and they continue to help me both on and off the court."

Entering her senior season, Cabrer is focused on achieving both her individual and team goals.
"I want to keep improving my game, especially in singles consistency and doubles communication," Cabrer said. "As a team, I hope we can compete for the conference title."

By staying consistent in her hard work and applying lessons learned along the way, Cabrer has set her sights high for her final season of collegiate tennis.

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