The University of Akron Athletics
Harutyunyan Named MAC Tennis Player of the Week
January 22 | Women's Tennis
CLEVELAND – University of Akron freshman Zara Harutyunyan (Yerevan, Armenia/Yerevan Secondary School No. 134) was named Mid-American Conference Women's Tennis Player of the Week for the period ending Jan. 21, the league office announced on Thursday.
Harutyunyan, who is ranked 85th nationally and 11th in the Midwest region (both are the highest currently by a MAC player), is the first Zips' tennis athlete to earn the award since Feb. 1, 2007, when Kerry Langworthy was honored.
Harutyunyan was named to the all-tournament team at this past
weekend's Johan Kriek Classic, leading the Zips with a combined 7-0
overall record. She posted a 4-0 mark in singles competition and
went 3-0 in doubles play (teamed with sophomore Anna Baronayte). Among her four singles
victories was a 6-3, 6-2 defeat of USF's Jessica Zok on Sunday. Zok
is ranked 121st nationally. She also won in straight sets over
players from Missouri (6-1, 6-1), UCF (6-1, 6-3), and Florida Gulf
Coast (6-0, 6-2).
Highlights from her doubles play include a comeback win over USF's
top pair. Trailing 5-4 in that contest, the opening doubles match
in the event, the duo rallied for an 8-6 win over USF's Zok and
Iciri Rai, and then held serve six-straight times in an 8-5 win
over UCF's top team of Kenza Belbacka and Katie Orletsky.
Akron plays the first dual match of the spring season tomorrow at
West Virginia at 3:30 p.m. EST.
