This Week in WAC Women's Tennis - April 7
This Week in WAC Women's Tennis - April 7
WEISS, CODREANU AND PALATTE NAMED PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Grand Canyon's Jana Weiss and Tarleton doubles team Mihaela Codreanu and Faustine Palatte have been named the TicketSmarter Western Athletic Conference Tennis Athletes of the Week for March 30 through April 6.
Weiss, a junior from Klagenfurt, Austria, helped lead the Lopes to a perfect weekend as she improved to 4-0 in WAC play with her seventh consecutive victory. Weiss opened play with a win in flight No. 3 on Thursday over UT Rio Grande Valley's Kristyna Mamicova (6-3, 7-5). She then took down Seattle U's Hannah Grossman by a score of 6-1, 6-0 on Friday, collecting her 11th singles win of the season.
Codreanu, a junior from Norristown, Pa., and Palatte, a sophomore from Lyon, France, picked up a pair of thrilling wins in the No. 2 flight of both matches last week. The tandem earned tiebreak victories over NM State and UT Rio Grande Valley to collect its sixth win of the season and help the Texans complete a 2-0 weekend in WAC play.
Other women's singles nominees: Chicago State's Katarina Dukic was a perfect 2-0 in singles play last week, earning wins in the No. 4 spot against Seattle U and Dixie State… Dixie State's Julianna Honczaruk secured wins in singles play against both NM State and Chicago State… NM State's Chloe Gavino was the lone WAC player to earn three wins last week as she tallied wins in play against Arizona, Dixie State and Tarleton… Tarleton's Celia Vaudiau led the Texans to a pair of WAC wins as she collected wins over NM State's Bella Nguyen and UT Rio Grande Valley's Ana Platisa… UT Rio Grande Valley's Sandra Putz improved to 4-4 on the season as she picked up wins in matchups against Tarleton and Prairie View A&M.
Other women's doubles nominees: Chicago State's Kristina Pukhaeva and Katarina Drazic notched a pair of 6-2 wins last week as they helped the Cougars earn their first WAC victory of the season… Dixie State' Juliana Honczaruk and Rachel Mellor finished the week with an unbeaten record as they earned wins against NM State and Chicago State… Grand Canyon's Autumn Prudhomme and Emilia Occhipinti moved to 4-0 in league play as they earned wins against UTRGV and Seattle U… NM State's Harsha Challa and Gavi Kalaga went 2-0 last week, including helping the Aggies clinch the doubles point in their 4-3 win over Tarleton on Thursday.
UP NEXT
The women of Chicago State will kick off play this week as they take on the University of Chicago on Thursday. Dixie State plays host to Weber State while NM State is at home against Northern Arizona on Friday. Chicago State is back on the courts on Saturday with a matchup against Cardinal Stritch and NM State wraps up the week with a trip to El Paso, Texas, to take on rival UTEP.
BY THE NUMBERS
Entering week two of WAC play, Grand Canyon holds the best team winning percentage with a record o 8-7. As a team, the Lopes also hoist the top wining percentage in singles (.578) and doubles (.571) play. Individually, Tarleton's Martha Makantasi has put together a singles record of 12-2 to lead the league in singles play. UT Rio Grande Valley has the top doubles team as Lea Karren and Valeria Montero hold a doubles record of 5-1.
In WAC play, Grand Canyon is the only remaining undefeated team as the Lopes carry 4-0 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 5-0 in singles play. Meanwhile, Grand Canyon's Emilia Occhipinti and Autum Prudhomme and Taylor Andersen and Joely Lomas pace the conference in doubles play, each posting a 4-0 record.
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.