SAN BRUNO, Calif. — No. 19 Pepperdine women's tennis has swept the West Coast Conference (WCC) weekly awards for the second time in three weeks, announced today by the conference.
Chantal Sauvant was named WCC Singles Player of the Week,
Sonja Zhiyenbayeva claimed WCC Freshman of the Week for the third consecutive week, while
Živa Falkner and Zhiyenbayeva earned WCC Doubles Team of the Week.
The sweep comes following Pepperdine's 4-1 victory over No. 2 Texas A&M this past Friday.
Sauvant earns her first Singles Player of the Week honor, after previously earning a Doubles Team of the Week nod earlier this season alongside
Anastasiia Grechkina. Sauvant clinched the match for the Waves against the 2nd-ranked Aggies, battling from a set down to eventually earn the win on court four. Sauvant extended the match with an 8-6 tiebreak win in the second set, before a 6-2 triumph in the third set, ultimately giving Pepperdine the 4-1 team win at home. Sauvant has begun her collegiate career with a 2-1 singles mark and an unblemished 4-0 doubles record.
Zhiyenbayeva earns her third straight Freshman of the Week recognition to begin the season and her career, as she improved to 4-0 at No. 3 singles for the Waves. Also battling from a set down against the Aggies, she dropped just three games across the final two sets, claiming an eventual (2-6, 6-1, 6-2) victory. Her win put the Waves back ahead 2-1 in the match en route to the upset win.
Playing in their first doubles match of the dual match season together, Zhiyenbayeva and
Živa Falkner prevailed at the No.1 position and now earn Doubles Team of the Week laurels. The duo defeated the Aggies' No. 1 doubles team by a 6-4 mark, putting the Waves in prime position to eventually clinch the doubles point in the match.
The Waves return to action Sunday, Feb. 15, hosting Arizona State at Ralphs-Straus Tennis Center at 11 a.m.
ABOUT PEPPERDINE WOMEN'S TENNIS
Pepperdine women's tennis has been a consistent powerhouse in the collegiate scene, reaching 40 NCAA Tournaments since 1982 including 28 straight appearances. Since 2018, the program has seen three national runner-ups between both singles and doubles while reaching an NCAA Regional as a team eight times in the past nine tournaments. The success at the conference level has been paramount with 33 WCC Championships including an active streak of 11 consecutive conference titles. With its 24 total All-Americans, the program has also consistently sent players to the pro circuit following their time in Malibu.
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