SCHEDULE
Tuesday, Jan. 24
San Jose State at Cal State Bakersfield, 10:30 a.m.
Thursday, Jan. 26
Grambling at Louisiana Tech, 2:00 p.m. CT
Grambling at Louisiana Tech, 5:00 p.m. CT
Friday, Jan. 27
Fresno State vs. Florida International (Athens, Ga.), 12:00 p.m. ET
Santa Clara at San Jose State, 2:00 p.m. PT
Seattle University at Idaho, 7:00 p.m. PT
Saturday, Jan. 28
Fresno State vs. #7 Georgia/Missouri, 6:00 p.m. ET
Sunday, Jan. 29
Montana at Idaho, 8:30 a.m. PT
McNeese State at Louisiana Tech, 1:00 p.m. CT
Oregon at San Jose State, 12:00 p.m. PT
Portland State at Idaho, 1:00 p.m. PT
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK (Jan. 16-22)
New Mexico State’s Natalia Salum has been named Verizon Western Athletic Conference Women’s Tennis Athletes of the Week, for the week of Jan. 16-22.
Salum, a senior from Durango, Mexico (Colegio Americano Durango), opened the year with three straight-set victories to help NM State to a 1-2 record last week in Las Vegas. She never lost more than three games in any singles set and gave up just 15 games total in three singles matches. Along with partner Jodie Williams, she went 3-0 in doubles at the Nos. 1 and 2 positions. Salum and Williams were promoted to the No. 1 slot on Sunday after their pair of wins at the No. 2 slot on Friday. The tandem’s wins helped the Aggies claim the doubles point twice last week and earned the only doubles win over No. 36 UNLV on Friday.
Other women’s nominees included: Nevada sophomore Michelle Okhremchuk … Utah State freshman McKenzie Davis.
TEAM RECAPS
FRESNO STATE
Fresno State travels to Athens, Ga. for its first dual matches of the season. The Bulldogs face Florida International on Friday, and then face the winner of the No. 7 Georgia vs. Missouri dual on Saturday.
HAWAI’I
The Rainbow Wahine fell to No. 37 Mississippi, 6-1, last Friday. Sophomore Xenia Suworowa came out with the only win with a 6-3, 6-2, victory in No. 4 singles play.
Hawai’i is off this week. UH will next see action on a four-dual road trip that will beginning on Feb. 8 at Loyola Marymount.
IDAHO
Idaho its 2012 spring season the exact same way it started in 2011, with a 7-0 victory over Lewis-Clark State College in the season opener last Monday. The Vandals then fell on the road at Washington State, 7-0, on Thursday.
This week, the Vandals will have three duals, facing Seattle University on Friday in Lewiston, Idaho, before taking on both Montana and Portland State on Sunday, in Pullman, Wash.
LOUISIANA TECH
Louisiana Tech began the season with a 4-3 loss at Central Arkansas last Saturday.
Tech hosts its first home matches of 2012 this week, with a doubleheader vs. Grambling State on Tuesday, and one match against McNeese State on Sunday.
NEVADA
Nevada opened at the Beach Tennis Winter Invite, in Long Beach, Calif., competing in a round-robin tournament vs. Cal State Northridge, Loyola Marymount and Long Beach State. Sophomore Michelle Okhremchuk went 3-0 in singles to lead the team.
Nevada is off until Feb. 10, when the Wolf Pack travel to Utah.
NEW MEXICO STATE
The Aggies went 1-2 last week in Las Vegas, Nev., defeating Weber State, but falling to No. 36 UNLV and Pacific. Senior Natalia Salum went 3-0 in both singles and doubles competitions, earning WAC Women’s Tennis Athlete of the Week honors.
The Aggies are off this week and return to action, on Feb. 3, to host Air Force and Northern Arizona.
SAN JOSE STATE
San Jose State travels to Cal State Bakersfield, on Tuesday, to begin the 2012 dual season. Junior Chau Truong will be starting in the No. 1 position for the Spartans at the beginning of dual match play. She led the team with a 7-5 singles record over the four tournaments last fall.
The Spartans then host Santa Clara, on Friday, and Oregon, on Saturday.
UTAH STATE
Utah State dropped two duals in Boise, Idaho, falling to Boise State (5-2) and Denver (6-1). Freshman McKenzie Davis ended the week 2-0 in singles and 1-1 in doubles play, to lead the team.
This week, the Aggies are off. Utah State returns to action on Jan. 31, hosting Weber State.