TicketSmarter WAC Tennis Athletes of the Week Announced
DENVER – NM State's Nicolas Buitrago, Tarleton's Mihaela Codreanu, Grand Canyon men's doubles team Valentin Lang and Jiri Novak and Tarleton doubles team Codreanu and Faustine Palatte have been named the TicketSmarter Western Athletic Conference Tennis Athletes of the Week for March 9 through March 15.
Buitrago, a senior from Bogota, Colombia, managed a 2-0 record last week as he earned a pair of wins during NM State's stint in California. On Friday, Buitrago took down Nevada's Isaac Nortey in second-flight action, winning 6-3, 6-1. He then battled back from a first-set loss against UC Davis' Andrei Volgin to earn the win by a score of 2-6, 7-6, 6-2.
Lang, a senior from Mulhouse, France, and Novak, a junior from Prostejov, Czech Republic, finished the week with a perfect 3-0 record. The duo opened the week with a 6-2 victory over Utah State's Felipe Acosta and Javier Ruiz. Additionally, Lang and Novak earned decisions over Cal Poly's Joe Leather and Roman Shenkiryk (6-2) and Gonzaga's Matthew Hollingworth and Leon Roider (7-5).
Codreanu, a junior from Norristown, Pa., earned her first win over a Division I opponent as she helped the Texans take down South Dakota 4-0. In the No. 1 flight, Codreanu topped the Coyotes' Habiba Aly 6-2, 6-2. Prior to her loss to Codreanu, Aly entered the week with a perfect 4-0 record.
Codreanu and Palatte, a sophomore from Lyon, France, secured their third straight doubles win as they helped the Texans pick up the win over South Dakota. The tandem defeated the Coyotes' Anna Bukina and Berta Girbau by a score of 6-2, helping the Texans take the doubles point.
Other men's singles nominees: Chicago State's Pedro Alverez went 3-1 last week, including a singles victory against Lewis University that led the Cougars to a 4-3 win… Grand Canyon's Freddie Grant turned in a pair of wins on the week as the Lopes battled with Utah State, Cal Poly and Gonzaga… Seattle U's Lucas Cerbelli secured his second straight singles victory as he prevailed over Montana State's Joaquin Espinoza.
Other men's doubles nominees: NM State's Nicolas Buitrago and Jordy Visser took hold of their match with Nevada's Isaac Nortey and Juan Batalla to earn one of two Aggies' wins on the weekend… Seattle U's Lucas Cerbelli and Eli Ogilvy earned a 6-3 win over Montana State's Brad Buckland and Joaquin Espinoza in the Redhawks' meeting with Montana State on Friday.
Other women's singles nominees: Chicago State's Katarina Drazic earned a singles win last week, helping the Cougars to a 6-1 win over North Central College… Grand Canyon's Natasha Puehse picked up her fourth win of the season behind a 7-6, 6-0 defeat of New Mexico's Yue Lin Chen… UT Rio Grande Valley's Lea Karren recorded the lone point for the Vaqueros against Sam Houston with a 4-6, 6-4, 10-4 win over Petra Kaszas.
Other women's doubles nominees: Chicago State's Sofiya Sedovich and Susana Andres earned a 6-0 win in doubles play against North Central College… Grand Canyon's Taylor Andersen and Joely Lomas clinched the doubles point for the Lopes against New Mexico… UT Rio Grande Valley's Isabelle Bahr and Katarina Sasaroga tallied the lone doubles win for the Vaqueros as they won in flight No. 2.