Women's Tennis 2/6/2025 6:00:00 AM Chris Brannick

UCO Opens 2025 Season Friday In Edmond

Central Oklahoma Hosts Arkansas Tech In Season Opener

EDMOND – Central Oklahoma returns to the courts this week with the first of four home games to open the 2025 season.

The Bronchos host Arkansas Tech in a non-conference match at Broncho Courts on campus. UCO will host Angelo State, Harding, and Augustana next weekend.

"We're ready to get back," UCO head tennis coach Joe Vann said. "It's been a while since we've competed and we're ready to get going again and see what this team can do."

UCO has a six-person lineup that features five returners and one freshman. Senior veteran Nefeli Zafeiri, and juniors Pete Komada and Karyna Yurchenko lead the team. Sophomores Anika Ouwejan and Ayaka Koga both had successful rookie seasons. And newcomer Hui Soo is ready to make an impact.

Zafeiri begins her final season with 59 career victories. The Athens, Greece native is ranked 11th in the ITA Central Region Singles rankings and has won 32 singles matches in her career. She teams up with Komada and the duo is ranked No. 9 in the ITA Central Region Doubles rankings. Zafeiri has 37 career doubles wins.

Komada, who was ITA Central Region Freshman of the Year two years ago, begins her junior season with 42 career victories. The Nagoya, Japan native has 19 career singles wins and 23 career doubles wins.

Yurchenko has spent much of her first two seasons in the middle of the lineup piling up the wins. The Kiev, Ukraine native has 38 career victories, including a team-high 11 singles wins last year. Yurchenko has won 20 career singles matches and 18 doubles matches.

The sophomore Ouwejan, from the Netherlands, and Koga, also from Japan, combined for 40 wins last season. Ouwejan went 9-9 in singles play and 13-5 in doubles play. Koga was 9-7 and 9-8.

Ouwejan and Yurchenko teamed up for 13 doubles wins last season. Zafeiri and Koga joined forces for seven doubles wins. Zafeiri and Komada teamed up in the fall season and the duo made the second round of the ITA Central Regional to earn its No. 9 ranking coming into this spring.

Central Oklahoma hosts three more opponents next week in Edmond. The Bronchos will hit the road for the first trip of 2025 spending Feb. 22-23 in Arkansas and Feb. 28 in Durant, Oklahoma. UCO has seven more home matches in March and April. The Bronchos have 18 games on its schedule this spring.

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Players Mentioned

Ayaka Koga: 5' 3"; Sophomore

Pete Komada: 5' 5"; Junior

Anika Ouwejan: 5' 7"; Sophomore

Karyna Yurchenko: 5' 6"; Junior

Nefeli Zafeiri: 5' 7"; Senior

Hui Soo: 5' 6"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

Ayaka Koga
: 5' 3"; Sophomore

Pete Komada
: 5' 5"; Junior

Anika Ouwejan
: 5' 7"; Sophomore

Karyna Yurchenko
: 5' 6"; Junior

Nefeli Zafeiri
: 5' 7"; Senior

Hui Soo
: 5' 6"; Freshman