Utah Tech women’s tennis heads down to the Valley of the Sun for five games this week against four squads. This is the Trailblazers’ only trip to Arizona this season. UT heads into the week having won three of its last five games, including two sweeps.

The Trailblazers will face conference mates Seattle U and Grand Canyon during the trip. The two matches will feature the only WAC opponents UT will face until the WAC Tournament next month.

The Firestorm takes on UT after falling at Ottawa University (Arizona) 6-1. ACU holds wins over Western New Mexico (4-2) and Goshen College (Indiana) (6-1) this year. Arizona Christian is a member of the Great Southwest Athletic Conference (GSAC) in the NAIA.

Colorado Mesa is the previous common opponent between UT and ACU this season. The Trailblazers swept the Mavs 7-0 at home while the Firestorm fell 5-2 at home.

UT holds a 4-2 advantage over ACU all-time. The Trailblazers have won three straight, including two sweeps, dating back to 2019. In Phoenix, the series is tied at 2-2, but all six games have taken place in Arizona.

Senior Ella Lavender leads the Firestorm with a 3-2 record in singles play during the dual season. In doubles play, the pair of senior Vittoria Quadri and junior Madeline Monroy are 2-1 to lead Arizona Christian.

Following Wednesday’s match, ACU will open GSAC play against the College of Idaho on Friday, March 28.

The Redhawks are on a four-game losing streak coming into Thursday’s contest. Seattle U’s lone win of the campaign came over Portland State (4-3) on Feb. 22. Both UT and SU have faced Montana at a neutral site this season. The Trailblazers pulled out a 4-3 win in Pocatello, Idaho, last weekend while the Redhawks were vanquished 4-3 in Spokane, Washington, at the beginning of the month.

SU holds a 3-1 advantage all-time over Utah Tech. At neutral sites, Seattle U is 1-0 with a 5-2 showing in 2022. The Trailblazers’ lone win in the series came in St. George (5-2) in 2021.

Sophomore Lamija Avdic, senior Liliya Dimova and junior Natalia Michta each have three singles wins in the dual season to lead the Redhawks. Avdic and Michta are undefeated (4-0) in doubles play to lead SU.

After Thursday’s contest, Seattle U will challenge fellow WAC foe Grand Canyon on Friday, March 28.

The Lopes will host UT on Saturday after meeting Seattle U on Friday. Entering the week, GCU is on a two-game skid, having been swept at Arizona (5-0) and at Northern Arizona (7-0). Grand Canyon holds wins over Stephen F. Austin (4-3), UT Arlington (4-1), Pacific (7-0), Gonzaga (4-1), New Mexico (4-0), UC Riverside (4-0) and Montana State (4-2) this season.

GCU leads the all-time series with Utah Tech 10-2, dating back to the institutions’ Division II days. The Lopes are on a seven-game winning streak, including a 4-0 win in the WAC Tourney last season. UT’s last win over GCU was a 5-4 showing in Glendale in 2010.

Freshman Bella Crossman leads Grand Canyon with an 8-3 record in singles play. Sophomore Gala Arangio and freshman Karina Hofbauer lead the Lopes at 5-4 in doubles play.

Following Saturday’s match, GCU will head to Texas to face Tarleton State on Friday, April 4.

The Thunderbirds will host the Trailblazers for a doubleheader on Sunday after taking on the Arizona State club team on Saturday. This season, Mesa CC has wins over Imperial Valley CC (8-1) and Glendale CC (8-1).

The Thunderbirds have played one other Division I opponent this season. Mesa CC was swept by Northern Arizona 9-0, 9-0 in a doubleheader on Feb. 8 in Flagstaff, Arizona.

Utah Tech is 2-0 against Mesa CC all-time, taking a double-header 7-0, 7-0 last season.

Following Sunday’s doubleheader, the Thunderbirds will challenge Paradise Valley CC on Tuesday, April 1.

Utah Tech women’s tennis came up short at Idaho State 7-0 last Sunday morning in Reed Gym. The Trailblazers split the weekend after picking up a 4-3 win against Montana on Saturday. The Bengals took all three matches of doubles play. In the second match, sophomores Ana Gutierrez Sampere and Olivia Bustos fought hard, forcing 10 games before falling 6-4 to senior Olivia Mikkelson and freshman Veronika Zarovna. At the No. 3 singles spot, freshman Maya Inouye took the first set 6-3 but fell to senior Sydney Morris 6-2, 10-2 in the second and third sets. Junior Raquel Roshak took three games in the first set before falling to freshman Victoria Grymalska 6-3, 6-2 at the No. 6 spot.

Two of Utah Tech’s wins this season have been 7-0 sweeps. The Trailblazers earned their first win of the dual season with a thrashing of Colorado Mesa at Trailblazer Tennis Courts in St. George on March 7. UT picked up its second victory with a sweep of the College of Idaho in Boise, Idaho, on March 9.

The 2024-25 roster consists of eight student-athletes with one senior, two juniors, three sophomores and two freshmen. Five Trailblazers are international students and three hail from the United States. Senior Laura Coulome (Eastern Arizona) and junior Nicole Kells (Alcorn State) both started their collegiate careers at other schools.

Head coach Eric Pelton is in his 19th season at the helm of Utah Tech women’s tennis. Pelton has totaled 107 wins at UT and winning seasons in 2014 (12-9), 2017 (9-8), 2019 (13-4) and 2020 (6-3).

The Trailblazers wrapped up their fourth and final season of transition to Division I in 2024 with a 6-16 (0-7 WAC) record, defeating UT Dallas, Colorado Mesa, Ottawa University (Ariz.), and Arizona Christian, along with a pair of wins over Mesa Community College.

Utah Tech hosts Weber State on Senior Day for the Trailblazers’ final home match of the season. Doubles play starts at 2 p.m. at Trailblazer Tennis Courts in St. George.