MATCH 15: No. 58 Fresno State vs. Air Force (April 1, 2023 – 10 a.m. PT)
MATCH 16: No. 58 Fresno State at New Mexico (April 2, 2023 – 10 a.m. PT)
LOCATION: Albuquerque, New Mexico
OPENING SERVE:
The No. 58-ranked Fresno State women's tennis team heads to "The Land of Enchantment" to take on Air Force on Saturday in a neutral site match and the New Mexico Lobos on Sunday in a road contest. Both events are projected to start at 10 a.m. PT on their respective days.
No. 58 Fresno State (7-7, 1-1 Mountain West) enters its third and fourth MW games having won 15 of its last 16 regular season conference matches.
Fresno State has faced nine nationally-ranked opponents this season and owns a 5-4 record in those matches against ITA Top 75 teams.
Last weekend, then-No. 67 Fresno State swept then-No. 42 Colorado State 4-0 in the Bulldogs' MW regular season opener on March 24.
Fresno State enters the weekend with a 1-2 record in neutral site contests and a 2-2 record in road matches.
Fresno State head coach Denise Dy is now in her third season back home in the Golden State.
The Bulldogs are 42-16 overall in head coach Denise Dy's tenure at Fresno State.
In 2022, Fresno State went 20-4 overall, which included a perfect 10-0 record in conference play to win the 2022 MW regular season championship.
STRONG PLAY THROUGHOUT THE BULLDOGS' ROTATION
Fresno State's Pang Jittakoat enters the weekend with an 11-1 record in No. 1 singles matches this season and owns an 11-match singles winning streak, which includes four of the last five in straight sets.
Fresno State's Pang Jittakoat and Matilde Magrini enter the weekend with a 6-1 record when playing together at No. 1 doubles this season.
Fresno State's Cristina Flaquer enters the weekend with a 3-2 record in No. 3 singles matches this season.
Fresno State's Carolina Piferi enters the weekend with a 5-5 singles record when playing at No. 3 or No. 4 singles this season.
Fresno State's Carolina Piferi and Carlotta Nonnis Marzano enter the weekend with an 8-3 record when playing together in doubles this season.
Fresno State freshman Mariya Vyshkina enters MW play with a 6-6 singles record this season, which includes a 5-3 record when playing at No. 4 or No. 5 singles.
In singles, Fresno State's rotation is a combined 35-38 (.479) overall.
In doubles, Fresno State's rotation is a combined 20-17 (.541) overall), which includes a 7-4 record at No. 1 doubles.
Fresno State enters MW play having won the doubles point in nine of its 14 matches, including six of its last seven matches and nine of its last 10 matches overall.
STRONG START FOR DEFENDING MOUNTAIN WEST PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Fresno State's Pang Jittakoat – the 2022 Mountain West Women's Tennis Player of the Year – has been named the Mountain West Women's Tennis Player of the Week four times this season, including consecutive weeks (Feb. 8, Feb. 15 and Feb. 22) and last week (March 30).
The four weekly awards are one more than Jittakoat earned in 2022 and she has now won seven weekly conference honors in her Bulldog career.
Jittakoat is 11-1 overall at No. 1 singles this season and 6-1 at the top doubles position with Matilde Magrini.
Jittakoat is listed as a senior on the Bulldogs' roster, but is expected to return for the 2024 season by utilizing her fifth year of eligibility.
VYSHKINA EARNS THIRD MW FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK AWARD
Fresno State freshman Mariya Vyshkina was named the Mountain West Freshman of the Week on March 22.
This was the third time this season that Vyshkina has earned the league's top weekly freshman honor.
Went 1-1 during the week while helping Fresno State to a 4-3 win over then-No. 54 BYU, providing the match-clinching point in a three-set rally.
In the No. 6 singles position took down BYU's Kara Wheatley, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2.
FIRST WIN OVER ITA TOP 40 PROGRAM SINCE 2016
The then-No. 65-ranked Fresno State women's tennis team earned a 4-3 road win over the No. 38-ranked Oregon Ducks on Feb. 18, 2023.
Fresno State built a 1-0 lead by securing the doubles point with 6-2 wins at the No. 1 and No. 3 positions.
The Bulldogs then needed a complete team effort, which was highlighted by singles victories by Fresno State veterans Pang Jittakoat (No. 1), Cristina Flaquer (No. 3) and Carlotta Nonnis Marzano (No. 6). Flaquer clinched the match with a three-set win at the No. 3 slot.
This was Fresno State's first win over an ITA Top 40 opponent since 2016.
BULLDOGS RALLY TO DEFEAT NO. 54 BYU, 4-3
The Fresno State women's tennis team rallied for a thrilling 4-3 win over the then-No. 54-ranked BYU Cougars on March 15 at the Spalding G. Wathen Tennis Center.
Fresno State earned four victories in singles at the No. 1, No. 2, No. 3 and No. 6 positions to defeat the Cougars.
This is the second straight season that Fresno State has defeated BYU, who the Bulldogs also beat 4-3 in a 2022 match played in Springville, Utah.
2023 NATIONAL RANKINGS: FRESNO STATE WOMEN'S TENNIS (ITA TOP 75)
Feb. 21, 2023: No. 68
Feb. 28, 2023: No. 75
March 7, 2023: NR
March 14, 2023: NR
March 21, 2023: No. 67
March 28, 2023: No. 58