Completed Event: Women's Tennis versus W15 Lincoln on November 3, 2025 ,
W Tennis
vs W15 Lincoln
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Friday, March 22
St. George, Utah
2 p.m.
Grand Canyon
6
at
1
Utah Tech
Lopes open WAC play with 6-1 win
3/23/2024 2:15:00 PM | Women's Tennis
GCU has defeated 7 straight conference opponents dating back to 2023
ST. GEORGE, Utah — The Grand Canyon women's tennis team picked up right where it left off in 2023 by defeating its seventh straight conference opponent. The Lopes opened WAC action by defeating Utah Tech 6-1 on the road on Friday afternoon.
The Lopes (13-2, 1-0 WAC) are the reigning WAC Tournament Champions and continue their best start to a season in the program's Division I history. GCU has won all 10 of its WAC openers in program history.
GCU claimed the doubles point with a quick victory on Court 1 by graduate Natasha Puehse and senior Santa Strombacha and tighter wins on Court 2 and 3. Puehse and Strombacha improved to 12-2 as a doubles team and have won nine matches consecutively.
Earlier this week, Puehse became GCU's first player to be nationally ranked when she checked in at No. 114 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings.
GCU cruised to victory by winning at five of the six singles courts. Utah Tech (5-9, 0-1 WAC) picked up one singles win by opponent retirement at Court 3.
At the second court in singles play, Strombacha did not surrender a single set in winning 6-0, 6-0. She remained undefeated in singles play on the season.
Puehse's win was nearly as impressive as Strombacha's, dropping only one set to win 6-0, 6-1 on the first court. Puehse also retained a perfect record in moving to 12-0.
Freshmen Elizaveta Morozova and Valeriia Krokhotina and sophomore Dania Deaifi all were victorious in their singles matches.
The Lopes jump from St. George, Utah, to Seattle, Washington, to play their second match of the weekend on Sunday at 9 a.m. (Phoenix time).
The Lopes (13-2, 1-0 WAC) are the reigning WAC Tournament Champions and continue their best start to a season in the program's Division I history. GCU has won all 10 of its WAC openers in program history.
GCU claimed the doubles point with a quick victory on Court 1 by graduate Natasha Puehse and senior Santa Strombacha and tighter wins on Court 2 and 3. Puehse and Strombacha improved to 12-2 as a doubles team and have won nine matches consecutively.
Earlier this week, Puehse became GCU's first player to be nationally ranked when she checked in at No. 114 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings.
GCU cruised to victory by winning at five of the six singles courts. Utah Tech (5-9, 0-1 WAC) picked up one singles win by opponent retirement at Court 3.
At the second court in singles play, Strombacha did not surrender a single set in winning 6-0, 6-0. She remained undefeated in singles play on the season.
Puehse's win was nearly as impressive as Strombacha's, dropping only one set to win 6-0, 6-1 on the first court. Puehse also retained a perfect record in moving to 12-0.
Freshmen Elizaveta Morozova and Valeriia Krokhotina and sophomore Dania Deaifi all were victorious in their singles matches.
The Lopes jump from St. George, Utah, to Seattle, Washington, to play their second match of the weekend on Sunday at 9 a.m. (Phoenix time).
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
1,2,3
#1 Singles Match
12
66
Adi Venkatakrishnan / 0 [UTU]
01
#2 Singles Match
12
66
A Gutierrez Sampere / 0 [UTU]
00
#3 Singles Match
12
20
Mariana Zurita / 0 [UTU]
6WR
#4 Singles Match
12
66
Rachel Mellor / 0 [UTU]
14
#5 Singles Match
12
66
Ya-Chi Hsu / 0 [UTU]
03
#6 Singles Match
12
66
Raquel Roshak / 0 [UTU]
01
Order of Finish:
1,2,3,4,5,6
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
Women's Wins the WAC Title
Monday, April 21