Pac-12 announces tennis players of the week

Pac-12 Men's Tennis Player of the Week: Russell Benkaim, So., Utah (Boca Raton, Fla.)
• Finished the weekend undefeated in both singles and doubles, without giving up a single set in all four victories, helping Utah to wins over No. 40 Old Dominion, 4-0, and Denver, 4-0, at home.
• Topped the Monarch’s duo of Nicola Vidal and Luca Maldoner with a score of 6-2 on the third doubles court with partner Joe Woolley. Went on to knock off Vidal on the No. 4 singles court, 6-4, 6-2, to put the Utes up 3-0.
• Kept it rolling on the third doubles court against Denver with Woolley, taking down Daniel Krulig and Eric Morris with a final score of 6-1. Notched his fifth-straight singles victory against the Pioneers’ Ignatius Castelino, 6-3, 6-0.
• The sophomore earns his first-career Pac-12 Men’s Tennis Player of the Week honor and the sixth all-time honor for the Utes.

ALSO NOMINATED: Yuta Kikuchi, CALIFORNIA; Govind Nanda, UCLA.

Pac-12 Women's Tennis Player of the Week: Angela Kulikov, Jr., USC (Sun Valley, Calif.)
• Went undefeated and won all three of her single matches to lead No. 32 USC to four victories over the span of six days against San Diego State, 5-2, No. 5 UCLA, 4-1, Saint Mary’s, 4-0, and Hawai’i, 4-1.   
• Against cross-city rival UCLA, upset the Bruins’ No. 8 Gabby Andrews and Ayan Broomfield on court one with partner Rianna Valdes, 6-4. Clinched the match for the Trojans with another upset on the second singles court against No. 11 Elysia Bolton, 6-3, 7-5.
• Kulikov and Valdes have won seven matches over ranked doubles opponents and have compiled an 18-3 record on the season.
• The junior studying cognitive science earns her second-career Pac-12 Player of the Week honor, previously winning the award earlier this season on Jan. 28. Marks the 40th all-time honor for the Trojans.  

ALSO NOMINATED: Talya Zandberg, ARIZONA; Vanessa Wong, WASHINGTON; Michaela Bayerlova, WASHINGTON STATE.

2018-19 PAC-12 MEN'S AND WOMEN'S TENNIS PLAYER OF THE WEEK