Pac-12 announces tennis players of the week

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. - USC senior Ray Sarmiento and ARIZONA freshman Lauren Marker were voted Pac-12 men’s and women’s tennis Players of the Week for play from Mar. 18-24, the Conference office announced today. 

Sarmiento (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) had a winning spring break as the Trojans hit the road and picked up wins at Alabama and Ole Miss last week. The senior combined with teammate Yannick Hanfmann for the clinching doubles win against the Crimson Tide before securing the match with his 6-3, 6-3 singles win on the No. 2 court. Two days later, Sarmiento grabbed another doubles win with Hanfmann and a singles victory over William Kallberg of Ole Miss to give the Trojans the 5-2 win. Sarmiento has won his last seven singles matches with an 18-5 overall record and a 13-3 mark in dual-match singles play, while he and Hanfmann are 10-1 overall in doubles together. The Trojans are now riding an eight-match win streak for a 17-2 record. 

Marker (Rancho Mirage, Calif.) recorded two singles victories and three doubles victories with partner Kim Stubbe as the Wildcats swept the weekend with wins over Oregon, Washington State and Purdue. The freshman recorded straight-set wins over UO’s Sofia Hager and Purdue’s Nicole Robinson, with her singles match against Maria Biryukova of WSU unfinished. Marker and Stubbe continued their undefeated doubles streak with the three victories, posting scores of 8-3, 8-3 and 8-2 against Oregon, Washington State and Purdue, respectively. 

USC men’s tennis returns home for a dual against San Diego State on Mar. 25 before hitting the road to open Pac-12 play at Oregon and Washington on Mar. 28 and 29, respectively. Arizona travels to the Bay Area to take on Stanford and California on Mar. 28 and 29, as well. 

Also Nominated: 
Men’s: None.  
Women’s: Desirae Krawczyk, ASU; Gabriella DeSimone, USC. 

2014 Tennis Players of the Week