MALIBU, California – The Pepperdine women's tennis team was well-represented once again in the preseason individual rankings by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) on Tuesday.
Lisa Zaar (#11),
Carolyn Campana (#32),
Bunyawi Thamchaiwat (#36) and
Janice Tjen (#44) are repeat preseason honorees from last year, while
Savannah Broadus (#49) and
Nikki Redelijk (#84) make their first appearances in the preseason ITA rankings.
After an appearance in the semifinals of the NCAA Doubles Championship, Tjen and Broadus have also been ranked in the doubles rankings, beginning the season at #6. Thamchaiwat and Zaar begin the fall ranked 45
th in doubles.
Zaar (Stockholm, Sweden) was one of the main attractions in the lineup for the Waves last season, making a trip to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Singles Championship to earn All-American status. She also was an All-WCC first team selection in both singles and doubles. Zaar went 38-11 in overall singles matches last season, including an 18-5 mark in the dual season. Her 38 wins placed her fourth on the overall single-season wins list in Pepperdine. Entering her senior season, she currently holds the second-highest overall career winning percentage in Pepperdine history at .819, winning an astounding 77 of 94 contests. She was an All-WCC first team performer in doubles with former teammate
Victoria Flores last season.
Campana (Hillsborough, Calif.) is a graduate transfer for the Waves this season. Campana competed in both the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships for Wake Forest last season, helping the Demon Deacons to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Campana earned ITA All-American status and was an All-ACC singles second team selection in 2021.
Thamchaiwat (Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand) is the second graduate transfer brought in this season. She was an All-Mountain West first team performer in singles last season at San Diego State. Thamchaiwat advanced to the second round of the NCAA Singles Championship after going a perfect 13-0 in dual singles matches for the Aztecs, helping SDSU to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Tjen (Jakarta, Indonesia) ended last season as one of the hottest players in the country, winning her last 15 matches including a dominant straight-set performance in the NCAA quarterfinal match over North Carolina's #5 Cam Morra. Tjen went 25-5 in overall singles matches, including a 21-2 dual record. She and Broadus earned All-American status in doubles following their performance in Champaign last May. Tjen's 29 overall doubles wins make her tied for 10th place on the overall single-season wins list at Pepperdine.
Broadus (Carrolton, Texas) completed one of the most impressive freshman seasons in Pepperdine history. The sophomore swept both the West Coast Conference and ITA Southwest Region rookie of the year honors after going 20-5 in the dual season. Broadus' 35 overall singles wins placed her tied for fifth on the single-season wins list at Pepperdine. Her and Tjen were named ITA All-Americans in doubles. The pair went 36-4 in overall doubles matches, including a 22-1 mark in the dual season.
Redelijk (Windermere, Fla.) went 22-9 in overall singles matches, including a 10-4 record in the dual season. She clinched Pepperdine's road win over #16 UCLA on April 6 with a three-set win on court six. Redelijk took down a top-100 player in Cal's #99 Hannah Viller Moeller in the season opener and went a perfect 6-0 in WCC matches.
Pepperdine ended its dual season in the NCAA quarterfinals for the third time in the last five full seasons, falling to top-ranked North Carolina 4-3. The Waves then had a successful run at the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships, with four Waves being named All-Americans. Broadus and Tjen made the third semifinals appearance in Pepperdine history.
The ITA All-American field will be announced on Wednesday, with the event taking place October 1-9 in Cary, North Carolina.
