DENVER - Idaho’s Marius Cirstea and Fresno State’s Marianne Jodoin have been named Verizon Western Athletic Conference Men’s and Women’s Tennis Athletes of the Week, respectively, for the week of Jan. 23-29.
Cirstea, a junior from Bucharest, Romania (Texas Christian), went 2-1 at No. 1 singles and 1-1 at No. 1 doubles last week, as the Vandals went 1-2. Cirstea defeated Missouri-Kansas City’s Nino Hasandedic 6-2, 6-1, in his first match on Saturday, while adding a victory in doubles play during the first dual of a doubleheader. In the second dual of the day, he fell 7-5, 7-5, in a tight match vs. Oregon’s Alex Rovello in singles. Cirstea rebounded on Sunday, dropping Portland’s Michael HuKwo, 6-4, 6-7, 7-6, in No. 1 singles.
Jodoin, a sophomore from Varennes, Canada (Ecole Georges High School), earned a pair of singles victories and a pair of doubles wins at the ITA Kickoff Weekend in Athens, Ga., where the Bulldogs competed against Florida International and Missouri. Jodoin, along with partner Tanya Murtagh, opened the weekend with an 8-3 victory over FIU’s No. 2 doubles team of Karyn Guttormsen and Giulietta Boha. She then defeated FIU’s Sarah McLean in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4. On Sunday, Jodoin and Murtagh defeated Missouri’s No. 2 doubles team, Alex Clark and Jamie Mera, 8-3. She ended the tournament with a win against Missouri’s Nina Pantic, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3. She was the only Bulldog to have a perfect record on the weekend. This is the second time this season that Jodoin has earned WAC Player of the Week honors. Additionally, she was named WAC Player of the Month for October.
Other men’s nominees included: Fresno State sophomore Francis Alcantara … New Mexico State freshman Germain Degardin.
Other women’s nominees included: Idaho sophomore Victoria Lozano … Louisiana Tech junior Vivian ten Dolle.