Women's Tennis

Trio of Wins Gives Mavericks Team of the Week

Azusa Pacific wins two and Vini Bautista wins four to claim Player of the Week

Colorado Mesa went to Arizona to go 3-0 on the weekend to earn Team of the Week. Azusa Pacific's Vini Bautista was 4-0 to help the Cougars win a pair.

2024 Results/Schedule
2024 Standings
ITA National Poll

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Azusa Pacific's Vini Bautista, Soph., Baldwin Park, Calif.                                                                
Vini Bautista won two doubles and two singles matches (4-0) to help her Azusa Pacific team to wins over CS Los Angeles and Westcliff last week. The sophomore plays in the No. 3 singles position and rolled to a straight sets victory against CSULA, and then went three sets against Westcliff to hold on for a 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 victory. Bautista, who went 9-0 at No. 2 doubles last year as a freshman, teamed with Julia Jordan for easy 6-1 and 6-2 victories at No. 2 last week. 

TEAM OF THE WEEK: Colorado Mesa Mavericks                                                                                                                        
Colorado Mesa traveled to Arizona for three victories last week to improve to 7-5 on the 2023-24 season. The Mavericks defeated Division II Western New Mexico (5-2) and then also topped NAIA schools Arizona Christian (6-1) and Ottawa (4-0). CMU's Makena Livingston won both of her singles matches on Friday, claiming a 6-3, 6-3 win over Arizona Christian’s Deondra Bacchus, ranked 39th nationally in the ITA’s NAIA ranking. Earlier in the day, Livingston recorded a 6-3, 6-4 win over Western New Mexico’s Mann-Ning Li on court two of that dual, which the Mavs won, 5-2.

PACWEST NEWS AND NOTES: Azusa Pacific's win over Westcliff came against the No. 17 ranked team in the NAIA...In addition to Vini Bautista (see above), Shannele Lopez also won two doubles and two singles matches for APU...Biola defeated Hope International (4-0) in their lone match of the week...In a match-up of two PacWest teams, Academy of Art topped Stanislaus State, 7-0. All the matches concluded in straight sets, except on court five where Erica Hellbe eventually edged Emma Yu, 6-0, 3-6, 7-6 (7-3)...Point Loma lost to Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, 5-2. But there is no shame to falling to the defending Division III national champs and currently No. 1 ranked squad. The Sea Lions won the doubles points and Amanda Letzring topped Audrey Yoon on court one (6-4, 6-4) but the Stags won the rest of the matches...Concordia beat CS Los Angeles 7-0 and Fresno Pacific topped Jessup by the same score.

ITA RANKINGS: The first college rankings of 2024 came out last Wednesday (Feb. 14) with Hawai`i Pacific representing the PacWest at No. 15. In the last singles and doubles listings (Nov. '23), the PacWest had four players ranked--No. 8 Emily Hafner (MSUD), No. 16 Miruna Tudor (APU), No. 21 Madison Kane (APU) and No. 39 Amanda Letzring (PLNU). In doubles, the November ranking had Concordia's Tiffany Carrillo and Sophie Ranchor at No. 10, Biola's Alex Mann and Brooke Fager at No. 11 and APU's Madison Kane and Julia Jordan at No. 24. 

THIS WEEK IN THE PACWEST: Matches this week, weather permitting, include some PacWest square offs. On Thursday, Concordia travels to Biola. On Friday, Fresno Pacific visits Dominican and Saturday features a full slate that includes Azusa Pacific at Concordia, Hawai`i Hilo at Dominican, Fresno Pacific at Westmont, Point Loma at Biola and Fresno Pacific at Academy of Art. Non-conference matches feature Westmont at Whittier (Fri.) and MSU-Denver traveling to Texas for matches against Lubbock Christian and Harding.