MATCH 2: No. 65 Fresno State (1-0) at No. 1 Texas (3-0)
Jan. 27, 2023 • 9 a.m. PT • Austin, Texas • Texas Tennis Center
WATCH: TexasSports.com
LIVE STATS: TexasSports.com
THE BREAKDOWN
Denise Dy is in her third season as the 11th head coach for the Fresno State women's tennis program.
The Bulldogs are 36-9 overall in head coach Denise Dy's tenure at Fresno State and finished its 2022 spring season with a 20-4 record to rise to No. 65 in the national rankings (sixth in the competitive ITA northwest region).
Fresno State won the 2022 Mountain West regular season championship with a perfect 10-0 record in conference play.
Fresno State enters the spring with five returners and four newcomers.
FRESNO STATE TO PLAY IN 2023 ITA KICKOFF
The No. 65-ranked Fresno State women's tennis team will compete in the 2023 ITA Kickoff Weekend in the Austin Regional.
No. 4 seed Fresno State will open with the back-to-back defending national champion and No. 1-seeded Texas Longhorns on Jan. 27. No. 2 seed Baylor and No. 3 seed LMU round out the four-team regional, which will take place from Jan. 27-28.
The winner of the regional will advance to face the Washington Huskies in the ITA National Indoor Championships in Seattle – hosted by the University of Washington.
This will be Fresno State's first appearance in the nation's top nonconference tournament, which includes a 61-team field, since 2018.
'DOGS WIN 2023 OPENER
No. 65 Fresno State opened its spring season by rallying for a 4-3 home win over Sacramento State Hornets on Jan. 22 at Fig Garden Swim & Racquet Club.
Fresno State (1-0) earned singles victories at the No. 2, No. 3, No. 4 and No. 5 positions, which included win by freshmen Meshkatolzahra Safi and Mariya Vyshkina in their Bulldog debuts. Cristina Flaquer and Carolina Piferi each competed straight-set sweeps in their singles triumphs.
Safi and Vyshkina also partnered to pick up a quick 6-2 win in No. 2 doubles.
BULLDOGS EARN 10TH STRAIGHT ITA ACADEMIC AWARD
The Fresno State women's tennis team earned its tenth consecutive Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) All-Academic Team award in 2022. Fresno State also had five student-athletes – Jane Ellis, A.C. Hummel, Ella Husrefovic, Matilde Magrini and Pang Jittakoat – receive ITA Scholar-Athlete recognition for the 2021-22 academic year.
Within the sport of tennis, student-athletes continue to exceed expectations in the classroom and on the court across the country. In 2022, 1,517 Division I Women's student-athletes were named an ITA Scholar-Athlete and 250 women's tennis programs were awarded the All-Academic Team distinction.