(St. George - Jan. 28, 2026) – Utah Tech women's tennis ventures down to Sin City for three matches over three days this weekend at the Fertitta Tennis Complex in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Trailblazers are set to face Youngstown State, UNLV and Weber State in a pair of neutral-site contests split by an away match.

Who | Utah Tech (1-3, 0-0 WAC) vs. Youngstown State (1-2, 0-0 Horizon League)
When | Friday, Jan. 30 - 11 a.m. (MT)
Where | Fertitta Tennis Complex - Las Vegas, Nevada
Social Media | Instagram + X (Twitter)

Who | Utah Tech (1-3, 0-0 WAC) at UNLV (0-0, 0-0 Mountain West)
When | Saturday, Jan. 31 - 11 a.m. (MT)
Where | Fertitta Tennis Complex - Las Vegas, Nevada
Live Scoring | SideARM
Social Media | Instagram + X (Twitter)

Who | Utah Tech (1-3, 0-0 WAC) vs. Weber State (0-1, 0-0 Big Sky)
When | Sunday, Feb. 1 - 11 a.m. (MT)
Where | Fertitta Tennis Complex - Las Vegas, Nevada
Social Media | Instagram + X (Twitter)

WAC AWARDS SWEEP
Juniors Ana Gutierrez Sampere and Mariana Zurita Berdecio swept the Jersey Mike's A Sub Above WAC Tennis Players of the Week, the Western Athletic Conference announced on Tuesday. Both Trailblazers were integral in Utah Tech's first win of the season, a 5-2 victory at Weber State on Friday.

Gutierrez Sampere was named the WAC Singles Player of the Week. She took down Wildcat Naomi Johnson in straight sets, 6-4, 7-5, at No. 3 singles. It was Gutierrez Sampere's second singles win in a row, putting her at 2-2 on the season with a 2-1 mark at No. 3 singles.

Zurita Berdecio and Gutierrez Sampere teamed up to earn WAC Doubles Players of the Week honors. The pair earned a win at first doubles on Friday, overcoming Weber State's Jessica Hill and Johnson, 6-4. It was the UT duo's first win in doubles play this season, evening their 2026 mark at 1-1 at first doubles. With a Trailblazers win at second doubles and a WSU forfeit at third doubles, Utah Tech swept the doubles point at the Ogden Athletic Club.

The awards are Gutierrez Sampere's and Zurita Berdecio's first career WAC weekly honors. It's Utah Tech's second WAC Doubles Players of the Week in a row, capitalizing on sophomores Maya Inouye and Nutsa Tsintsadze's performance last week.

A GLANCE AT YOUNGSTOWN STATE
The Penguins take on Utah Tech after picking up their first win of the season against Indiana University of Pennsylvania, 5-2, on Saturday. YSU is fresh off a Horizon League Championship season, posting a 14-8 record and ending their season in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, 4-0, at No. 3 Michigan.

This will be the first-ever meeting between Utah Tech and Youngstown State.

Juniors Lorena Cedeno and Hanna Telzynska lead YSU with 2-1 marks in singles play. They are each 1-1 in doubles play, with senior Yoana Dudova and sophomore Lydia Foster also standing at 1-1 in doubles during the dual season.

Youngstown State will challenge Weber State on Saturday, Jan. 31, before wrapping up its weekend against host UNLV on Sunday, Feb. 1.

A GLANCE AT UNLV
The Rebels host Utah Tech after opening their season against Weber State on Friday. UNLV finished last season at 18-7, falling in the Mountain West Championship Final to Boise State, 4-2. 

UNLV leads the all-time series against Utah Tech, 5-0, with all five matches taking place in Las Vegas.

The Rebels will try to replace two All-MW singles and doubles honorees, Coco Zhao and Cindy Hu, who both graduated. MW All-Tournament honoree, Kaho Oyama, returns after an 18-6 freshman campaign. The Rebels bring back an additional six letterwinners, who combined for a 43-24 mark in singles play last year.

UNLV will finish its opening weekend against Youngstown State on Sunday, Feb. 1.

A GLANCE AT WEBER STATE
The Wildcats are set for a rematch with Utah Tech on Sunday, following matches against UNLV and Youngstown State. WSU fell to UT, 5-2, in Ogden, Utah, to open the Wildcats' season last Friday. Dating back to last season, Weber State is on a 20-game losing streak. 

Weber State leads the all-time series against Utah Tech, 10-2, but the Trailblazers have won the last two contests. This will be the first neutral-site match between UT and WSU in series history.

Weber State returns four Wildcats from its 2024-25 roster, combining for a singles record of 9-60 and a doubles mark of 19-47. Senior Jessica Hill led the Wildcats with six singles wins, while sophomore Alicia Celorio racked up seven doubles victories. Weber State added three freshmen this season, including two international student-athletes and one Utahn.

Weber State's next match will be at Utah State on Saturday, Feb. 7.

LAST TIME OUT
Utah Tech women's tennis picked up its first win of the season, dispatching Weber State, 5-2, last Friday inside the Ogden Athletic Club. The in-state victory was Utah Tech's first road-opener win at the Division I level. The Trailblazers swept doubles play to take an early 1-0 lead. Juniors Mariana Zurita Berdecio and Ana Gutierrez Sampere took down WSU's Jessica Hill and Naomi Johnson, 6-4, at first doubles. In another 6-4 decision, sophomores Maya Inouye and Nutsa Tsintsadze bested Wildcats Maggie Song and Savannah Johnson at second doubles. Weber State forfeited third doubles. After another WSU forfeit at No. 6 singles, Song picked up the Wildcats' first point, 6-3, 6-2, over junior Olivia Bustos at No. 2 singles. Gutierrez Sampere answered for the Trailblazers, taking down Johnson at No. 3 singles, 6-4, 7-5. It was Gutierrez Sampere's second singles win in a row. At No. 4 singles, Inouye tallied her first singles win of 2026. She rolled to a 6-2, 6-2 win in straight sets over Weber State's Aleks Bozinovska. Zurita Berdecio outlasted Hill at No. 1 singles, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3. Weber State claimed its last point, 6-4, 6-4, at No. 5 singles.

MEET THE TRAILBLAZERS
Utah Tech returns seven letter winners from last year's squad, including sophomore Maya Inouye, a 2024-25 Second Team All-WAC selection. She led the Trailblazers with 10 singles wins, logging a 10-6 record during the dual season and setting the UT Division I-era record for single-season wins. Inouye is the Trailblazers' first-ever All-WAC singles honoree and the first Trailblazer to reach 10 wins since Yolena Carlon went 10-7 in 2018. 

The Trailblazers' two newcomers are freshmen Cameron Hendrix and Ilse Fernanda Elechiguerra Ortega. Seeing action in two tournaments last fall, Hendrix won the Bengal draw with doubles partner senior Nicole Kells at the Idaho State Invitational, and went 2-1 in singles play at the UNLV Watanabe Classic. Out of La Ceiba, Mexico, Elechiguerra Ortega joined the team in time for this spring semester.

Head coach Eric Pelton is in his 20th season at the helm of Utah Tech women's tennis. He has totaled 111 wins at UT and winning seasons in 2014 (12-9), 2017 (9-8), 2019 (13-4) and 2020 (6-3). Pelton has mentored 10 all-conference selections, including Inouye.

2025 IN REVIEW
UT posted its best Division I-era record in 2025, going 7-13 with wins over Colorado Mesa, the College of Idaho, Mesa CC, Montana, UT Dallas and Weber State. Five of those victories were 7-0 sweeps. Utah Tech's season ended in the first round of the WAC Tennis Championships with a 4-0 loss to UT Arlington.

BIG SKY ON THE HORIZON
Utah Tech is in its last year of competition as a member of the Western Athletic Conference. The Trailblazers will join the Big Sky Conference on July 1, 2026. UT will keep the conference at nine women's tennis programs, joining Eastern Washington, Idaho, Idaho State, Montana, Montana State, Northern Arizona, Portland State and Weber State. Sacramento State departs for the Big West after this season.

UP NEXT
Utah Tech has a date with North Dakota State on Valentine's Day, Saturday, Feb. 14, at Trailblazer Tennis Courts in St. George. Doubles play is set for 11 a.m. UT will host a neutral-site match between the Bison and Idaho State on Sunday, Feb. 15, before the Trailblazers and Bengals face off on Monday, Feb. 16, to celebrate Presidents' Day.