Women's Tennis 2/22/2022 9:00:00 PM Chris Brannick

UCO To Host Tennis National Championship

Central Oklahoma Hosting ITA Division II Women's Tennis National Indoor Championship At Edmond Center Court

EDMOND – The top six teams in the country and eight of the top 12 are about to clash in Edmond this weekend for the ITA Division II Women's Tennis Indoor National Championship, hosted by No. 3 Central Oklahoma at Edmond Center Court.

VIEW THE ITA CHAMPIONSHIP PAGE HERE

Central Oklahoma is hosting the third annual event for the third straight year. The ITA selected the top eight squads at the end of last season to compete in the preseason tournament featuring the best of the best.

No. 1 Barry, the four-time defending national champs from Tampa, Florida, is here. No. 2 Indianapolis (UIndy), the 2021 national runners up, is here.

No. 3 Central Oklahoma, a national semifinalist last Spring, is reloaded with more depth and ready to make a run at winning the tournament after finishing seventh in 2020 and third in 2021.

No. 4 Nova Southeastern is here, and seeded seventh in the tourney. No. 5 Columbus State is here and is seeded sixth in a matchup against the host Bronchos on Thursday.

No. 6 West Alabama drew the fourth seed and will play 12th-ranked West Florida in the quarterfinals. No. 9 Flagler is also in Edmond this weekend and will serve as the eighth-seed in the tournament.

There are 15 student-athletes currently ranked in the ITA Singles Top 50, including four from Central Oklahoma. UCO has more individuals ranked than any other team in the country.

No. 2 Mae Canete leads the Bronchos into the 2022 ITA Indoor Women's Tennis National Championship. The sophomore earned national freshman of the year honors in 2021 and carried that into her sophomore season with a national runner-up finish in the ITA's fall national championship. Canete has a 37-2 career record in a year and a half with the Bronchos. Her only losses came against the No. 1 Division II player in the country and the No. 1 JUCO player in the country.

No. 4 Christine Canete also highlights the nationally-ranked Bronchos. The freshman Canete is 4-0 this Spring after a fall season that ended in the ITA's fall national championship quarterfinals.

The Canete sisters together make up the No. 1 ranked doubles team in the country. The Los Angeles siblings won the ITA fall national doubles championship and are 16-4 heading into this weekend.

Broncho veteran Adel-Byanu Abidullina is ranked No. 5 in the country in the ITA Singles Top 50. She is also part of the 21st-ranked doubles team with teammate Nikki Boyar. A three-time All-American, Abidullina won MIAA Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year in 2019 and won MIAA Player of the Year again in 2021. She's closing in on 50 career singles victories (46-10) and can get closer this weekend.

Central freshman Grace Chadick is also nationally ranked for the Bronchos. She is No. 21 in the ITA Singles Top 50. Her fall season, boosted by a regional semifinal appearance, put her in the national rankings and gave UCO a DII-best fourth ranked player.

Tizia Brocks, a grad transfer from Germany, is still working her way into position with the Bronchos. She's 4-0 this Spring in singles competition and has teamed up with Abidullina and gone 4-0 there too. The 8-0 start gives the Bronchos a fifth-player that is playing as good as any of the Top 50.

Boyar is 2-0 in singles play. The All-American veteran is ranked No. 21 in the country in doubles with Abidullina but has been playing with Blythe Buntrock this Spring. They are 3-0. Boyar is also 1-0 with Chadick. Buntrock has a 2-1 record this Spring.

Friday's Matches
(4) West Alabama vs. (5) West Florida, 8 a.m.
(1) Barry vs. (8) Flagler, 11 a.m.
(2) UIndy vs. (7) Nova Southeastern, 2:30 p.m.
(3) Central Oklahoma vs. (6) Columbus State, 5:30 p.m.
Saturday's Matches
Loser of UWA/UWF vs. Loser Barry/Flagler, 8 a.m.
Winner of UWA/UWF vs. Winner Barry/Flagler, 11 a.m.
Loser of UIndy/Nova vs. Loser UCO/CSU, 2:30 p.m.
Winner of UIndy/Nova vs. Winner UCO/CSU, 5:30 p.m.
Sunday's Matches
Seventh Place, 8 a.m.
Fifth Place, 11 a.m.
Championship, 2:30 p.m.
Third Place, 5:30 p.m.

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Players Mentioned

Adel-Byanu Abidullina: 5' 10"; Sophomore

Nikki Boyar: 5' 2"; Sophomore

Blythe Buntrock: 5' 8"; Sophomore

Mae Canete: 5' 3"; Sophomore

Tizia Brocks: 5' 9"; Graduate Student

Christine Canete: 5' 5"; Freshman

Grace Chadick: 5' 6"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

Adel-Byanu Abidullina
: 5' 10"; Sophomore

Nikki Boyar
: 5' 2"; Sophomore

Blythe Buntrock
: 5' 8"; Sophomore

Mae Canete
: 5' 3"; Sophomore

Tizia Brocks
: 5' 9"; Graduate Student

Christine Canete
: 5' 5"; Freshman

Grace Chadick
: 5' 6"; Freshman