Vanderbilt's very own Marina Alex has had herself quite a summer. First playing in the NCAA National Championships in May, now the rising sophomore has qualified as an amateur to play in the U.S. Open in Bethlehem, Penn.

Alex earned a spot after finishing fourth in a sectional qualifier near her hometown of Wayne, New Jersey, grinding out a 153 (75-78) in difficult conditions at the 36-hole tournament.

Before beginning play this morning, she had the privilege of meeting and playing with the world's No. 1 player, Lorena Ochoa, a former pupil of current Commodore head coach Greg Allen.

She has been blogging about her experiences at the Open, where she arrived on Tuesday. Alex's parents, grandparents and brother have joined here there, where she has felt like a mini-celebrity after signing autographs for some young fans and playing with some of the world's greatest players.

Both Allen and Vanderbilt assistant coach Nicki Cutler have also come to Pennsylvania to watch the rising star in action.

Click here to read about her experiences at the U.S. Open, click here to read a feature about her qualifying for nationals in May.

Click here to see the current scoreboard.