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WC women’s tennis finishes 12th at nationals

WC women’s tennis finishes 12th at nationals

The Weatherford College women's tennis team finished tied for 12th place in the National Junior College Athletic Association Division I Tournament held May 4-8 in Tyler. The Coyotes tied with Mississippi Gulf Coast College and edged out rival Collin College by half a point.  

This is the third consecutive year of national top 15 finishes for WC women's tennis (8th in 2022, 15th in 2023).  

Two WC athletes advanced to the singles quarterfinals: Hoziane Kitambala and Sanja Djurdjevic. 

Kitambala, from the African nation of Burundi, defeated Serena Alvarado of the University of South Carolina-Sumter 6-0, 6-2 in the Round of 32 and beat Nana Kusumoto of Jacksonville College in the Round of 16 by a score of 6-3, 6-4. She lost to Yari Bello of Copiah-Lincoln Community College (MS) 8-4 on Monday. 

Djurdjevic, from Serbia, opened with a 6-0, 6-0 win over Katy Lawler of Paradise Valley Community College (AZ). In the Round of 16, she beat Andrea Pulido of Barton Community College (KS) 6-2, 6-4. Djurdjevic had to retire in the quarterfinals, losing 3-2 to Rocio Martinez of Hillsborough Community College (FL). 

WC's Tsitsi Claire Mahere opened the Round of 32 with a win over Sophia Davidson of McHenry County College (IL), 6-1, 6-0. She lost to Akari Tomoyose of Cowley College (KS) 6-2, 6-2 in the Round of 16. 

Carmine Becoude opened with a 6-1, 6-1 loss to Isabela Mercante of St. Petersburg College (FL). But she came back with an 8-0 win over Anne Oshana of Elgin Community College (IL) on Sunday and an 8-4 win over Yari Bello of Copiah-Lincoln Monday. Ekaterina Orlova of Collin defeated Becoude in the consolation semifinals, 8-4. 

In doubles, Djurdjevic and Mahere advanced to the quarterfinals. The pair started with a 6-0, 6-0 win in the Round of 32 over Ally Everett and Sophie Sisson of Copiah-Lincoln In the Round of 16, they won again, 6-3, 6-2 against Kendall Burn and Niyah Strickland of Mississippi Gulf Coast.  

Carmine Becoude and Kitambala won their first round match 6-3, 6-1 over Munahse Bera and Kasey Blagg of Lewis & Clark Community College (IL). They lost to a team from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (GA), Victoria Conde Vendrell and Kitti Nemeth, 6-1, 6-2.