2019-20 Sun Belt Women’s Tennis News and Notes:
Standings | Composite Schedule | Stats

AROUND #SUNBELTTEN
• The dual match slate rolls on for Sun Belt Conference women’s tennis with 13 matches on the schedule this week.
 
• The first spring 2020 release of the Oracle/Intercollegiate Tennis Association Division I Women's National Rankings had Appalachian State junior Sasha Pisareva ranked 48th in singles.
 
• The Sun Belt is off to a strong spring at No. 1 singles, picking up wins over Autonomy Five conference opponents in each of the first three weeks. Pisareva has been responsible for two of them – 6-3, 6-4 win over then-No. 18 Anna Rogers of North Carolina State on Jan. 20 and 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 victory over Natalie Novotna of Virginia Tech on Jan. 26. Georgia State sophomore Eva Chivu got in on the action this past week her victory over Auburn's Taylor Russo on Feb. 1.
 
• Louisiana (4-0) has won the first four of its first six matches at home to start the spring. The Ragin' Cajuns have only dropped one point in those matches have combined for a 20-1 record in singles and 6-1 record in doubles.
 
• South Alabama (4-2) is on a four-match winning streak of its own. The Jaguars have been sparked by junior Nikola Kohoutova and sophomore Yurie Takanishi, each has won four-straight matches in singles.
 
• Appalachian State freshman Virginia Poggi has opened her first season in an impressive fashion. Poggi leads the conference with 10 overall singles wins, including a 9-1 mark in the fall.
 
• In the early going in dual match play, Texas State juniors Rishona Israel-Lewis and Hana Kvapilova are off to a 3-0 start at No. 1 doubles and have won six of their seven matches as a tandem so far.
 
• The 2020 Sun Belt Women's Tennis Championship returns to the Peachtree City Tennis Center in Peachtree City, Ga., on April 23-26.
 
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Eva Chivu, Georgia State (So., Constanta, Romania)
Georgia State sophomore Eva Chivu earned another big win for the Sun Belt Conference over an Autonomy Five conference opponent with her 6-2, 6-0 victory over then-No. 79 Taylor Russo of Auburn. Chivu picked up the only point in the 6-1 setback to the host Tigers, securing the Panthers' first point over an Autonomy Five team this spring. She has her last two singles matches at the No. 1 position, only giving up the two games in the Auburn match in her last four sets played.
 
2020 Weekly Award Winners
January 22: Sasha Pisareva, Appalachian State
January 29: Sasha Pisareva, Appalachian State
February 5: Eva Chivu, Georgia State
 
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Friday, February 7
Georgia State at East Tennessee State, Noon
 
Saturday, February 8
Troy at Stetson, 9 a.m.
1-Georgia State vs. VCU, 10 a.m.
North Florida at South Alabama, 10 a.m.
Central Arkansas at Arkansas State, 10 a.m.
Northwestern State at Louisiana, 10 a.m.
UTSA at UTA, 11 a.m.
Kennesaw State at Georgia Southern, 11 a.m.
Grambling State at ULM, 2 p.m.
 
Sunday, February 9
USC Upstate at Georgia Southern, 9 a.m.
Troy at Bethune-Cookman, 9 a.m.
Incarnate Word at Louisiana, Noon
 
Tuesday, February 11
UNC Greensboro at Appalachian State, 1 p.m.
 
All Times are Central and Subject to Change
 
KEY:
1-Johnson City, Tenn.