LARAMIE, Wyo. (Jan. 12, 2023) – The Wyoming Cowgirl tennis team opens 2023 dual play with four matchups down in Oklahoma. UW opens 2023 at the Tulsa Hurricane Invite before traveling to face nationally-ranked Oklahoma Tuesday, January 17.
The Cowgirls are entering their 12th season under Head Coach Dean Clower, who's 138 career dual wins are the most in program history. UW, who went 12-13 overall last season and made it to the second round of the Mountain West Tournament, returns a trio of All-Mountain West performers to this season's squad. The Cowgirls return 2022 All-Mountain West Singles Team honorees, Maria Oreshkina and Sophie Zehender and the All-Doubles Team tandem of Ana Fernandez and Zehender.
Oreshkina, who is a three-time all-league member, is currently 18th in program history with 55 singles wins. Oreshkina also appears in the program records with 46 career doubles win, good enough for 22nd all-time. Oreshkina went 5-2 in MW play last season, all at the No. 1 singles spot and tied for the team lead with 11 spring victories overall. Oreshkina also defeated four fellow All-Mountain West honorees in 2023.
The doubles honor last season was the second for the doubles team of Fernandez and Zehender, who went 5-3 in league play. It was also Zehender's second singles selection, as she went 6-2 in conference play and 11-4 overall in 2023.
Wyoming returns three other student-athletes from last season to this year's squad. Serina Abriola, Noesjka Brink and Lucia Malinak are all back for another season with the Brown & Gold. The Cowgirls also welcome newcomer and transfer, Nikol Dobrilova this season.
The Cowgirls open play Saturday at 8 a.m., Mountain Time against Louisiana Tech. UW will close Saturday with singles only play against Omaha before closing the match with the Mavs Sunday morning with doubles' action. The Cowgirls will close things Sunday against host-Tulsa with a full match.
-WYO-
