Bearkat seniors honored prior to loss to NM State

Thursday, April 4

Huntsville

1:00 PM

NM State

Photo by: Paul Ridings

Bearkat seniors honored prior to loss to NM State

4/4/2024 7:08:00 PM | Women's Tennis

Box Score

HUNTSVILLE – NM State handed a shorthanded women's tennis team a 4-0 defeat on Thursday at the McAdams Tennis Center, the first of two matches for the Bearkats on their final home weekend of the season.

Prior to the match Sahithi Vutukuru and Paula Cerda, Sam Houston's two 2024 seniors, were honored before they played in their penultimate home matches as Bearkats this weekend.

Vutukuru, a member of the Kats' Southland Conference championship team in 2021, owns a total of 51 individual match victories in singles and doubles action in her four years.

Cerda, a transfer from Stephen F. Austin two seasons ago, totaled 52 singles and 45 doubles wins in her four-year college career. As a Bearkat she has posted 30 victories in singles and 16 in doubles.

But on Thursday Vutukuru was one of four Bearkats unable to compete due to injuries in the dual-match Conference USA loss to NM State. With only five players available to play singles, the Kats were forced to default the No. 6 contest.

The Aggies took the doubles point with wins at the Nos. 2 and 3 positions. Valeriia Ivanovskaia and Natsuki Nishimura defeated Vianne Schwab and Roberta Sechi in the No. 2 doubles, 6-2. Whitney Moon and Lisa Zhu topped India Fenieys and Linn Svaerd 6-3.

Megan Basson and Cerda were leading Dora Kurdi and Anna Pinaieva 5-4 when NM State clinched the doubles point and play stopped.

The Kats had three unfinished matches in singles. India Fenieys was leading Valeria Ivanovskaia 6-1, 6-5 when the Aggies clinched the match victory and played ended.

The two seniors have one more home match to play at the McAdams Tennis Center as the Bearkats play host to Jax State on Saturday at 1 p.m.

The Kats will travel to Murfreesboro, Tennessee, for their final two regular season matches. Sam Houston plays Middle Tennessee on Saturday April 13 and Tennessee-Southern on Sunday April 14.

Sam Houston will complete its 2024 tennis schedule with the Conference USA Tournament in Miami, Fla., April 18-21.

NM State 4, Sam Houston 0
Huntsville, Texas (McAdams Courts)

Singles competition
1. Anna Pinaieva (NMSU) def. Megan Basson (SHSU) 6-1, 7-5
2. Paula Cerda (SHSU) vs. Natsuki Nishimura (NMSU) 4-6, 3-3 unfinished
3, unfinished 3. Lisa Zhu (NMSU) def. Roberta Sechi (SHSU) 6-2, 6-2
4. India Fenieys (SHSU) vs. Valeriia Ivanovskaia (NMSU) 6-1, 6-5, unfinished
5. Vianne Schwab (SHSU) vs. Dora Kurdi (NMSU) 4-6, 3-5, unfinished
6. Whitney Moon (NMSU) wins by default

Doubles competition
1. Megan Basson/Paula Cerda (SHSU) vs. Dora Kurdi/Anna Pinaieva (NMSU) 5-4, unfinished
2. Valeriia Ivanovskaia/Natsuki Nishimura (NMSU) def. Vianne Schwab/Roberta Sechi (SHSU) 6-2
3. Whitney Moon/Lisa Zhu (NMSU) def. India Fenieys/Linn Svaerd (SHSU) 6-3