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.