Simona Petrutiu and Pamela Floro the best doubles team in SIU history have decided to transfer after their sophomore seasons to play tennis elsewhere.

Petrutiu and Floro topped the SIU women’s tennis record books by going 56-8 in doubles play during the past two seasons, the most wins in doubles play in SIU history. The duo was named to the All-Select team in the Missouri Valley Conference this season.

Petrutiu will transfer to Northwestern University for academic reasons. The Wildcats’ tennis program is consistently ranked in the top 10 in the nation. Floro will transfer to the University of Maryland to be closer to family members on the East Coast.

Monica Villarreal, the No. 5 player, also decided to leave the women’s tennis program after this season. Villarreal, who is also a sophomore, intends to transfer to the University of Maryland or the University of Texas.

Petrutiu will go down in SIU tennis history as one of the best singles player to come through the program. She had the most wins in singles history with her 55-14 record in singles competition, finishing the recently completed season winning her last 10 matches.

Making the decision wasn’t easy for any of them.

“We have a lot of friends here and it is going to be hard to start all over again,” Petrutiu said. “Hopefully it all will work out.”

While both will be playing tennis at their respective schools, SIU is a place they will remember.

“Maryland does have a good program and I’m lucky that I can go to another school, but I’m not saying that SIU is not good enough for me,” Floro said. “It just so happens that my family is over there.”

Initially, SIU women’s tennis coach Judy Auld was stunned with the news when her top two players said they would be departing at the conclusion of the season.

“They made a decision and it’s time for them to move on,” Auld said.

Petrutiu and Floro led the charge to SIU’s best record since the 1989-1990 season. The Salukis finished 16-6, 10-3 this season.

Despite losing her top guns, Auld is confident that next season, the squad will be even better with the recruits who have committed to joining the program in the fall.

“They all did some good things for the program and helped bring recognition in the last two years, but the program will move forward,” Auld said.

Auld has signed Tana Trapani, a two-sport standout athlete from Murphysboro High School and Sarah Krismanits from Moline. Krismanits will be a second-generation athlete to the SIU tennis program.

Krismanits’ mother, Sue Briggs, is in the SIU Hall of Fame after her 1975-78 tennis career at SIU.

Auld still has two scholarships available and is currently in the recruiting process.