TicketSmarter WAC Tennis Women’s and Men’s Athletes of the Week Announced
Arlington, Texas – Seattle U’s women’s singles player Elena Kraleva and UTRGV’s women’s doubles team Lea Karren and Barbara Martinez have been named the TicketSmarter Western Athletic Conference Women’s Tennis Players of the Week. UT Arlington’s men’s singles player Lachlan Robertson and men’s doubles team Santiago Giamichelle and Dante Teramo have been named the TicketSmarter Western Athletic Conference Men’s Tennis Players of the Week, for the competition week ending on Mar. 28.
Kravela, a sophomore from Burgas, Bulgaria, had two great performances during the Seattle U vs Utah Tech dual match this week that were critical to Seattle U’s 4-3 win over the Trailblazers. In doubles, Kraleva and her partner Liliya Dimova defeated Utah Tech's doubles pairing of Rachel Mellor and Annemiek Sterk, 7-6. Kraleva kept the positive momentum going as she gained a dominant 6-2, 6-1 win over Ya-Chi Hsu.
Karren, a junior from Pont I’Abbé, France, and Martinez, a sophomore from Durango, Mexico, went 2-0 playing in the No. 1 doubles flight to aid UTRGV clinching the doubles point in route to big victories over GCU and NM State last week. Karren and Martinez defeated GCU’s Natasha Puehse and Santa Strombacha 6-4 on Friday, then they dominated their Sunday match against New Mexico State’s Anna Pinaieva and Lisa Zhu, 6-1. Karren and Martinez play with a ton of energy and rolled past their opponents last week to improve to 8-2 as a duo this spring season.
Robertson, a freshman from Vancouver, Canada, holds a 9-3 record and is on a four-match winning streak, with wins over Lamar, Furman, Wichita State and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Robertson earned an impressive deciding-set win over the Islanders, coming back after losing the first set to win the match 1-6, 6-2, 6-2. Robertson also earned a 6-2, 7-6 win over No. 37 ranked UT San Antonio in February.
Giamichelle, a freshman from Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Teramo, a freshman from Rio Cuarto, Argentina, holds a 7-3 record as a doubles pair. The duo has contributed heavily to the Mavericks’ success, tallying wins over Furman, Lamar and Wichita State. They are coming off a strong 6-1 win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, their second win over the Islanders this season.
2023 TicketSmarter WAC Tennis Weekly Awards
WAC Women's Tennis Singles Player of the Week
Elena Kraleva, Seattle U (Mar. 29)
Emma Persson, Tarleton (Mar. 22)
Ksenia Mamontova, Stephen F. Austin (Mar. 15)
Madeline Lamoreaux, Grand Canyon (Mar. 10)
Santa Strombacha, Grand Canyon (Feb. 22)
Emma Persson, Tarleton (Feb. 15)
Martha Makantasi, Tarleton (Feb. 7)
Martha Makantasi, Tarleton (Jan. 31)
Isabelle Bahr, UTRGV (Jan. 24)
WAC Women's Tennis Doubles Players of the Week
Lea Karren and Barbara Martinez, UTRGV (Mar. 29)
Tara Gorinsek and Paula Jimenez, UT Arlington (Mar. 22)
Martha Makantasi and Clara Sobius, Tarleton (Mar. 15)
Natasha Puehse and Santa Strombacha, Grand Canyon (Mar. 10)
Natasha Puehse and Santa Strombacha, Grand Canyon (Feb. 22)
Natasha Puehse and Santa Strombacha, Grand Canyon (Feb. 15)
Ximena Morales and Laure Razet, Tarleton (Feb. 7)
Natasha Puehse and Santa Strombacha, Grand Canyon (Jan. 31)
Isabelle Bahr and Yaiza Vazquez, UTRGV (Jan. 24)
WAC Men's Tennis Singles Player of the Week
Lachlan Robertson, UT Arlington (Mar. 29)
Anton Shepp, UT Arlington (Mar. 22)
Daniel Morozov, Abilene Christian (Mar. 15)
Emilien Burnel, UTRGV (Mar. 10)
Emilien Burnel, UTRGV (Feb. 22)
Jonathan Da Silva, Grand Canyon (Feb. 15)
Emilien Burnel, UTRGV (Feb. 7)
Chris Lawrance, UTRGV (Jan. 31)
Martim Marujo, Grand Canyon (Jan. 24)
WAC Men's Tennis Doubles Players of the Week
Santiago Giamichelle and Dante Teramo, UT Arlington (Mar. 29)
Emilien Burnel and Borna Devald, UTRGV (Mar. 22)
Emilien Burnel and Borna Devald, UTRGV (Mar. 15)
Veselin Kiselkov and Clement Hamel, Seattle U (Mar. 10)
Dario Kmet and Daniel Morozov, Abilene Christian (Feb. 22)
William Alsterback and Alfred Almasi, Grand Canyon (Feb. 15)
Emilien Burnel and Borna Devald, UTRGV (Jan. 24)