Women's Tennis | 2/14/2024 3:30:00 PM

(St. George, Utah – Feb. 14, 2024) - The Trailblazer tennis team stays on the road this weekend for four matches in the Grand Canyon State facing Arizona Christian, a doubleheader against Mesa CC and Ottawa University on Saturday through Monday.

Who | Utah Tech (0-5, 0-0 WAC) vs. Arizona Christian (2-0, 0-0 GSAC)
When | Saturday, Feb. 17 / 2 p.m.
Where | Paseo Racquet Center – Glendale, Ariz.
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X)

Who | Utah Tech (0-5, 0-0 WAC) vs. Mesa Community College (0-0, 0-0 ACCAC)
When | Sunday, Feb. 18 / 10 a.m. & 1:30 p.m.
Where | MCC Tennis Courts – Mesa, Ariz.
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X)

Who | Utah Tech (0-5, 0-0 WAC) vs. Ottawa University (Ariz.) (0-3, 0-0 GSAC)
When | Monday, Feb. 19 / 8:30 a.m.
Where | Surprise Tennis & Racquet Complex – Surprise, Ariz.
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X)

A GLANCE AT ARIZONA CHRISTIAN FIRESTORM
The Firestorm are off to a 2-0 start to the season with a 7-0 win over College of Idaho along with a 5-2 victory over Ottawa University.

ACU hosts Western New Mexico on Thursday and Colorado Mesa on Friday before taking on the Trailblazers on Saturday.

Arizona Christian went 3-11 overall in 2023 and a 1-4 mark in the Golden State Athletic Conference. The Firestorm fell 4-1 to Westmont College (Calif.) in the GSAC Tournament.

Leading the way for the Firestorm at number one singles is senior Deondra Bacchus who ranks No. 39 nationally in the NAIA in singles.

ACU also brings back seven other returners from 2023, including junior VittoriaQuadri who teams with Bacchus for No. 24 nationally in the NAIA in doubles.

A GLANCE AT MESA CC THUNDERBIRDS
The Thunderbirds open the 2024 season with a doubleheader against the Trailblazers on Sunday.

Mesa CC is coming off a 5-7 overall record in 2023 with a 2-3 mark in the Arizona CC Athletic Conference.

The Thunderbirds closed out the season at the NJCAA Championships tying for 23rd out of 29 team and were second in Region I.

Mesa returns three student-athletes from a season in sophomores Kirsten Nielson, Avounay Rossi and Taylor Wasson.

A GLANCE AT OTTAWA SPIRIT
The Spirit are out to an 0-3 start to the season with losses to the College of Idaho, Arizona Christian and UC Riverside.

Joining Arizona Christian, Ottawa will also take on Western New Mexico and Colorado Mesa before facing Utah Tech.

The Spirit are led by the double teams of freshman Martina Antich and junior Katherine Frayre Busani who rank No. 22 nationally in the NAIA in doubles.

BLAZERS DROP PAIR OF MATCHES IN OGDEN
The Trailblazers are coming off a pair of losses on the road last weekend falling 6-1 at Weber State and 7-0 against Idaho State.

Kylie Kezos earned her second singles point of the season against the Wildcats winning 6-0, 6-3 at number six singles.

Against the Bengals, Utah Tech earned a win at number three doubles with Ya-Chi Hsu and Adithi Venkatakrishnan coming out on top, 7-5, but the Trailblazers fell at number one and two doubles to narrowly miss winning the doubles point.

TRAILBLAZERS FALL TO UTAH STATE IN HOME OPENER
Utah Tech took on Utah State in its home opener on Jan. 27 falling to the Aggies, 5-2.

The Trailblazers picked up a win at number two doubles with Ana Gutierrez Sampere and Kylie Kezos rallying from down 0-3 to win 7-5.

Splitting the first four singles positions against USU, the Trailblazers earned a point at number two singles with Adithi Venkatakrishnan dominating her way to a strong 6-4, 7-5 win.

Senior Ya-Chi Hsu picked up a win at number four singles with a 6-3, 7-6 (5) victory, but the Aggies earned wins at the final two single positions to clinch the win.

OPENING WEEKEND
The Trailblazers opened the season against Utah and Montana State in Salt Lake City on Jan. 19-20 falling in straight sets to the Utes and 6-1 to the Bobcats.

Utah Tech battled tough in doubles taking the Bobcats' top two double teams to the brink before falling late.

In singles action, Utah Tech earned a point at number six singles with freshman Kylie Kezos pulling out a third set tiebreaker over Hudson Hawkins winning 6-4, 1-6, 11-9.

2024 ROSTER
The 2023-24 roster consists of 11 student-athletes with four freshmen, three sophomores, one junior and three seniors.

The Trailblazers return six student-athletes from last year while welcoming four freshmen and one junior college transfer in Laura Coulome.

Seven Trailblazers are from outside of the United States while four Blazers hail from the United States.

HEAD COACH ERIC PELTON
Eric Pelton is in his 18th season as the head coach of the Utah Tech women's tennis program in 2024.

Utah Tech has racked up 98 wins over his 17 seasons leading the Trailblazers and helped lead then-Dixie State to a career-high 13 wins in 2018-19 and added six more in the COVID-19 shortened season of 2019-20.

UP NEXT
The Trailblazers open up March with a pair of matches in Las Vegas taking on Northern Arizona on March 1 and UNLV on March 2.