Texas Tech University Athletics
Sayfetdinova wins first career Big 12 Player of the Week honor
March 07, 2023 | Women's Tennis
LUBBOCK, Texas – Behind an undefeated weekend in doubles and singles, sophomore Avelina Sayfetdinova earned her first career Big 12 Player of the Week honor on Tuesday afternoon as announced by the conference office.
This marks the first Big 12 weekly award for the Lady Raiders this season and the first since Jan. 18, 2022. The Moscow, Russia native recorded a 4-0 week without dropping a set to help Texas Tech post wins over the UT Arlington Mavericks and the No. 48 SMU Mustangs.
Against the Mavericks, Sayfetdinova and teammate Metka Komac, who are now ranked 77th in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association doubles rankings, would take on the UTA duo of Tara Gorinsek and Ana Paula Jimenez at court one.
The Lady Raiders ended up clinching the doubles point when they collected a decisive, 6-2 victory against the Mavericks. Heading into singles, Sayfetdinova would pick up her second win of the afternoon with a straight-set victory over Sarina Reinertsen at court two, 6-2, 6-2.
In the Sunday match against No. 48-ranked SMU, Sayfetdinova aided the Lady Raiders to their seventh sweep of the season with a 4-0 win against the Mustangs. SMU would take the first doubles match of the afternoon for a slight advantage, but Sayfetdinova and Komac kept Tech in it, ultimately helping give the Lady Raiders their ninth doubles point this year with a 6-4 win at court one against Maja Makoric and Jackie Nylander.
Sayfetdinova, the No. 117-ranked player in singles, would then clinch her team-leading fourth match of the season after she beat Taylor Johnson at court two by a 6-2, 6-3 score. She now ranks second on the team with seven dual singles wins and six dual doubles wins.
The Lady Raiders begin Big 12 play with a contest against Oklahoma on Friday, March 17 in Norman, Okla.
Players Mentioned
