ORLANDO, Fla. – Tournament Most Outstanding Player Valeriya Zeleva and doubles partner Ksenia Kuznetsova were winners in both singles and doubles to lead UCF to its first American Athletic Conference Women’s Tennis Championship Sunday morning at the USTA National Campus.
 


Zeleva went 2-0 in singles matches in the tournament, including a straight-set victory against a nationally ranked opponent Sunday as UCF won all three of its tournament matches by 4-0 scores. UCF earns The American’s automatic bid to the 2019 NCAA Championship.
 
Zeleva and Kuznetsova paired for an efficient 6-1 win at No. 1 doubles as the claimed the doubles point in only 30 minutes. UCF gained the 1-0 lead with a win by Natalia Serrano and Domenika Turkovic at the No. 3 spot coupled with the Zeleva/Kuznetsova victory at No. 1.
 
The singles round saw UCF capture the opening set in four of the six matches. Nandini Sharma was first to finish as she took a 6-2, 6-0 victory at No. 6.
 
Zeleva and Kuznetsova, playing on adjacent courts, ended their matches within seconds of each other, Zeleva, ranked No.  46 nationally, turned in a 6-2, 6-2 victory against USF’s No. 58-ranked Ana Roman Dominguez, while Kuznetsova added a 6-1, 6-3 decision against the Bulls’ Vanja Klaric to begin the championship celebration.
 
UCF improved to 21-3 with the win, while USF fell to 13-10.
 
 
AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE WOMEN’S TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP
presented by AIR FORCE RESERVE
Orlando, Florida
 

First Round | Wednesday, April 17
Match 1: No. 8 Memphis 4, No. 9 Temple 0
Match 2: No. 5 Wichita State 4, No. 12 UConn 0
Match 3: No. 6 SMU 4, No. 11 Tulane 2
Match 4: No. 10 Cincinnati 4, No. 7 ECU 1
Quarterfinals | Thursday, April 18
Match 5: No. 1 UCF 4, No. 8 Memphis 0
Match 6: No. 4 Tulsa 4, No. 5 Wichita State 0
Match 7: No. 6 SMU 4, No. 3 Houston 1
Match 8: No. 2 USF 4, No. 10 Cincinnati 2
Semifinals | Friday, April 19
Match 9: No. 1 UCF 4, No. 4 Tulsa 0
Match 10: No. 2 USF 4, No. 6 SMU 3
Final | Saturday, April 20 | American Digital Network
Match 11: No. 1 UCF 4, No. 2 USF 0

 
Most Outstanding Player
Valeriya Zeleva, So., UCF
 
All times Eastern