FIRST ROUND: No. 10 seed Fresno State vs. No. 7 seed Nevada (April 26, 2023 – 10 a.m. PT)
LIVE VIDEO:Mountain West Network (via PlaySight)
LOCATION: Las Vegas, Nev. (Darling Tennis Center)
OPENING SERVE:
The No. 10-seeded Fresno State women's tennis team will open the 2023 Mountain West Women's Tennis Championships in the first round on Wednesday at 10 a.m. PT when the Bulldogs face the No. 7-seeded Nevada Wolf Pack in Las Vegas at Darling Tennis Center.
Fresno State (9-13, 3-7 Mountain West) faced 10 nationally ranked opponents this season (5-5 record in those contests).
Fresno State's Pang Jittakoat and Matilde Magrini, who earned All-MW doubles honors in 2022, rose to No. 50 in the national doubles rankings this week in the ITA's Top 90 duos (up seven positions from last week).
In late March, 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 head coach Denise Dy is now in her third season back home in the Golden State.
The Bulldogs are 44-22 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.
SPOTLIGHT ON THE 'DOGS
Fresno State's Pang Jittakoat enters the week with a 17-1 record (8-0 in MW play) in No. 1 singles matches this season and owns a 17-match singles winning streak, which includes 10 of the last 11 in straight sets.
No. 50-ranked Pang Jittakoat and Matilde Magrini enter the week with a 8-2 record when playing together at No. 1 doubles this season for the Bulldogs.
Fresno State's Cristina Flaquer enters the week with a 7-5 record in No. 3 singles matches this season.
Fresno State's Carolina Piferi enters the week with a 10-4 singles record when playing at No. 4 singles this season.
Fresno State's Carolina Piferi and Carlotta Nonnis Marzano enter the weekend with an 11-5 record when playing together in doubles this season.
Fresno State freshman Mariya Vyshkina enters the week with five wins when playing at No. 4 or No. 5 singles this season.
In singles, Fresno State's rotation is a combined 55-60 (.478) overall (25-26 in MW play).
In doubles, Fresno State's rotation is a combined 27-29 (.482 overall), which includes a 9-7 record at No. 1 doubles.
Fresno State enters the week having won the doubles point in 12 of its 22 matches.
JITTAKOAT SHINES AT TOP OF THE BULLDOGS' ROTATION
Fresno State's Pang Jittakoat – the 2022 Mountain West Women's Tennis Player of the Year – WAS named the Mountain West Women's Tennis Player of the Week four times this season, including three consecutive weeks (Feb. 8, Feb. 15 and Feb. 22), and on 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 17-1 overall at No. 1 singles this season and 8-2 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.
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.
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
April 4, 2023: No. 63
April 11, 2023: No. 67
April 18, 2023: No. 72
April 25, 2023: NR