PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The American Athletic Conference has announced the winners of its weekly men’s and women’s tennis honors for the week-ending April 8.
 
AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE WOMEN’S TENNIS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Celia Ruiz • Sr. • ECU • Pontevedra, Spain
Ruiz went 2-0 in both singles and doubles play last week to help ECU extend its winning streak to 20 matches with victories against North Carolina Central and Richmond. Ruiz won both of her singles matches by 6-1, 6-2 scores at the No. 2 spot, while she joined Minette Van Vreden for a pair of victories at No. 2 doubles - the tandem’s 12th and 13th consecutive wins.
 
 
AROUND THE AMERICAN
 
The American in the Oracle/ITA Rankings

Women’s Team (through April 2)

	24	UCF
	47	USF

 
Women’s Singles (through April 2)

	44	Valeryia Zeleva	UCF
	48	Ana Roman Dominguez	USF
	76	Martina Okalova	Tulsa
	86	Ksenia Kuznetsova	UCF
	106	Fatima Bizhukova	Wichita State
	108	Vivienne Kulicke	SMU

 
Women’s Doubles (through April 2)

	12	Martina Okalova/Vera Ploner	Tulsa
	20	Valeriya Zeleva/Ksenia Kuznetsova	UCF
	26	Fatima Bizhukova/Marta Bellucco	Wichita State
	41	Elena Muller/Ivone Alvaro	Tulane

 
The 2019 American Athletic Conference Men’s and Women’s Tennis Championships will be held in April at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Florida. The women’s championship takes place April 17-20, while the men’s championship will be played April 18-21.
 
 
WOMEN’S TENNIS UPDATE
UCF (18-3) saw its 16-match winning streak come to an end with a 5-2 setback to No. 12 Oklahoma State last week in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The Knights were led by Marie Mattel, who scored a straight-set win in singles against the No. 102-ranked player nationally, along with a key doubles win to clinch the first team point for UCF. The Knights close their regular season Saturday against USF in the annual War on I-4 matchup.
 
Cincinnati (10-9) dropped a pair of 4-3 heartbreakers last week as the Bearcats fell to Middle Tennessee and Xavier. Cincinnati heads to Greenville, North Carolina, for its final two regular-season matches as the Bearcats face ECU Friday and UConn Sunday.
 
UConn (5-10) was a 7-0 winner against Bryant in the Huskies’ only match from last week. Cassie Chung dropped only one game in her win at No. 4 singles as she took a 6-0, 6-1 victory. UConn will face a pair of American Athletic Conference opponents on ECU’s campus to close the regular season as the Huskies face the Pirates Saturday before Sunday’s neutral-court match against Cincinnati.
 
ECU’s (20-2) winning streak has reached a program-record 20 matches after the Pirates rolled to wins against North Carolina Central (7-0) and Richmond (4-0) last week. The Pirates have three home matches remaining before the start of the American Athletic Conference Championship - a Friday contest against Cincinnati, and Saturday visits from UConn and South Carolina State.
 
Houston (14-5) has won its last three matches after the Cougars scored a 5-2 win against UTSA and a 4-2 victory against USF. Sophie Gerits got the clinching point with a three-set victory at No. 2 singles. The Cougars host Rice Saturday before heading to Orlando for The American Championship.
 
Memphis (11-9) fell 4-3 to North Texas in the Tigers’ only match from last week. Memphis closes its regular season Saturday at Middle Tennessee.
 
USF (11-9) went 1-2 in three matches in Houston last week as the Bulls fell 4-0 to Rice, bounced back for a 4-3 win against Florida International and dropped a 4-2 decision to Houston.
 
SMU (8-11) picked up a 6-1 win against UT Arlington in the Mustangs’ only action from last week. Vivienne Kullicke checked in at No. 108 in the April 2 Oracle/ITA Singles Rankings and responded with a straight-set win at No. 2 singles against UT Arlington. SMU closes the regular season Thursday at North Texas.
 
Temple (10-5) dropped a 7-0 decision to Tulsa in its only match from last week. The Owls close the regular season with three matches this week, beginning with a pair of contests in Philadelphia. Temple hosts Drexel Wednesday and La Salle Thursday before tuning up for The American Championship with a Saturday match at Rollins.
 
Tulane (10-13) had a busy week to close its regular season as the Green Wave won three of its four matches. Tulane began the week by sweeping a doubleheader against Nicholls State (4-2) and New Orleans (5-2). The Green Wave was a 6-1 winner against Charleston Southern before dropping a 4-2 decision to Charleston to finish the week.
 
Tulsa (14-8) has won its last three matches after the Golden Hurricane took a 7-0 victory against Temple last week. Martha Matoula enjoyed her Senior Day with a 6-0, 6-1 win at No. 2 singles for her team-leading 16th win of the season. Tulsa visits Wichita State Saturday to close the regular season.
 
Wichita State (11-9) fell 4-3 to No. 30 Oklahoma last Saturday in the Shockers’ only dual match of the week. Wichita State plays a pair of matches Saturday to close the regular season as the Shockers host Tulsa and Saint Louis at the Coleman Tennis Complex.