Kanumuri Named UAA Rookie of the Year; Five Others Honored on All-UAA Team
(PITTSBURGH, Pa.) - Carnegie Mellon University first-year athlete Ika Kanumuri has been named the University Athletic Association (UAA) Women's Tennis Rookie of the Year with five others earning All-Association honors. Kanumuri is the fourth UAA Rookie of the Year for the Tartans and follows sophomore Shelly Zinchenko with back-to-back recognition.
Kanumuri was also named to the first team at first singles and first doubles with sophomore Kotistha Modak while freshman Jane Wong earned first-team honors at second singles. Senior Divya Venkatarama and sophomore Ancele Dolensek were named to the second team at second doubles for the second straight season and Zinchenko picked up an honorable mention award for her play at third singles with Modak receiving the same award at fourth singles.
Kanumuri has a 25-9 singles record with an 11-5 dual match record, while she led two of her unfinished matches at the UAA Championship. In the fall, Kanumuri reached the semifinals of the ITA Cup to secure an All-America honor and she is currently ranked 23rd nationally in singles. In doubles play, Kanumuri and Modak have an 11-5 record in the first position for the Tartans and are ranked seventh in the nation.
Wong won the ITA Southeast Regional in the fall and was victorious in her first-round match at the ITA Cup to earn All-America recognition for this season. She is currently ranked 15th in the nation and has a 23-9 singles record with a win and two unfinished matches at the UAA Championship.
Venkatarama and Dolensek have an 11-9 record at second doubles this year with a 1-2 mark at the UAA Championship.
Zinchenko, who set the program record for singles wins in a season with 31 last year, has a 24-12 record in singles play this year. Modak holds a 14-5 singles record, including a 10-4 dual match record.
The Tartans earned the program's 20th bid to the NCAA Championship and will play St. Mary's College on Friday, May 8 at Johns Hopkins University.