This Week in WAC Women's Tennis - March 31
This Week in WAC Women's Tennis - March 31
KALAGA, PRUDHOMME AND OCCHIPINTI NAMED PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Grand Canyon's Natasha Puehse and Chicago State doubles team Katarina Drazic and Kristina Pukhaeva have been named the TicketSmarter Western Athletic Conference Tennis Athletes of the Week for March 23 through March 29.
Puehse, a sophomore from Scottsdale, Ariz., collected her third weekly award of the season as she went 2-0 against Idaho State last week to extend her win streak to six matches and tie Jana Weiss for the team lead in singles wins. On Tuesday, Puehse was victorious against ISU's Hristina Cvetkovic (6-2, 6-2). Puehse then turned in a second dominating win as she defeated the Bengals' Alexandra Arkhipov (6-0, 6-2) on Wednesday.
Drazic, a senior from Sarasota, Florida, and Pukhaeva, a junior from Vladikavkaz, Georgia, combined to help the Cougars earn their first win over a Division I program this season as they defeated Northern Iowa, 4-3. Against the Panthers, the tandem prevailed over Emma Carr and Olivia Fain by a score of 7-5. Drazic and Pukhaeva then earned the Cougars' only doubles win in a match with Eastern Illinois on Sunday.
Other women's singles nominees: Chicago State's Kristina Pukhaeva earned a win over Northern Iowa's Emma Carr to help Chicago State pick up its second win of the year… Dixie State's Kyra Harames paced the Trailblazers with a pair of singles wins as she led her team to back-to-back wins over Colorado Mesa… NM State's Harsha Challa picked up a win over a Power Five opponent last week, defeating Arizona's Kayla Wilkins (7-5, 7-6 (7-4))… Tarleton's Elsa Boisson turned in the Texans' lone singles victory against Texas State… UT Rio Grande Valley's Katarina Sasaroga tallied the Vaqueros' only point in a doubleheader against Houston last week.
Other women's doubles nominees: Dixie State' Juliana Honczaruk and Ya-Chi Hsu finished the week with a 2-0 record as they defeated a pair of Colorado Mesa doubles teams… Grand Canyon's Joely Lomas and Taylor Andersen pushed their win streak to six matches as they took down a pair of Idaho State doubles teams… Tarleton's Faustine Palatte and Mihaela Codreanu defeated Texas State's Nikita Pradepp and Chacadyah Lewis by a narrow 7-5 score.
UP NEXT
The second set of WAC matches is set for this week as teams head to Edinburg, Texas. Thurday's matches feature Grand Canyon taking on host UT Rio Grande Valley. Seattle U is set to do battle with Chicago State and Dixie State takes on NM State. Friday, NM State takes on Tarleton, Seattle U faces Grand Canyon and Dixie State sees Chicago State. UT Rio Grande Valley then hosts Tarleton on Sunday to conclude the pod. The Vaqueros also have a non-confernce match scheduled with Prairie View A&M on Sunday.
BY THE NUMBERS
Entering week two of WAC play, Grand Canyon holds the best team winning percentage. As a team, the Lopes also hoist the top wining percentage in singles (.513) and doubles (.500) play. Individually, UT Rio Grande Valley's Lea Karren has put together a singles record of 7-1 to lead the league in singles play. The Vaqueros also have the top doubles team as Isabelle Bahr and Katarina Sasaroga hold a doubles record of 7-0.
In WAC play, Grand Canyon and NM State are the only remaining undefeated teams as both carry 2-0 records. Individually, ten different players are unbeaten in conference singles matches. Tarleton's Celia Vaudiau leads the pack as she is the only player that sits at 3-0 in singles play. Several doubles teams sit at 2-0 to pace the WAC. Grand Canyon's Emilia Occhipinti and Autum Prudhomme and Taylor Andersen and Joely Lomas, UT Rio Grande Valley's Isabelle Bahr and Katarina Sasaroga and NM State's Miranda Bishard and Lucija Josipovic are each undefeated after a pair of matches.
IT'S BIGGER IN TEXAS (AND UTAH)
On Jan. 14, the WAC announced the addition of five new schools in the upcoming years. Abilene Christian, Lamar, Sam Houston, Stephen F. Austin and Southern Utah were all offered and accepted membership invitations. With the addition, the WAC will have six schools in Texas, more than any other conference in the country, and three schools in Utah, also a national best. The four Texas schools will join the league on July 1, 2021 and Southern Utah will follow 365 days later, officially joining the WAC on July 1, 2022.
WAC CHAMPIONSHIP HEADED TO NEW MEXICO
The 2021 WAC Tennis Championships will be headed to the campus of NM State with both the men and women competitng for a title in Las Cruces, N.M. Play is set to begin on April 30 with the final day of matches scheduled for May 2.