SAN DIEGO – San Diego State senior Bunyawi Thamchaiwat has been named the Mountain West Conference Women's Tennis Player of the Week, the league announced today.
Thamchaiwat, who missed the two previous matches with an injury, rebounded to help lead the Aztecs to a pair of neutral site victories over Wyoming (4-0) and Colorado State (4-2). The senior posted a 2-0 doubles record and a 1-0 singles mark in SDSU's two victories. The Aztecs became the first team from a non-autonomy conference to shutout the Cowgirls this season and Thamchaiwat was the only player to record two victories in the match against the Rams.
"This is a well-deserved award for Bunyawi who is having an awesome Spring," San Diego State head coach Peter Mattera said. "The team had a very solid weekend in Las Vegas and this award highlights that."
On Saturday, against Wyoming, Thamchaiwat and Tamara Arnold defeated Maria Oreshkina and Ida Krause at number one doubles, 6-3. She enjoyed a large lead at number one singles, with a 6-1, 5-3 advantage over Oreshkina at number one singles when the match was stopped as the team victory was secured.
On Sunday, Thamchaiwat was instrumental in the Aztecs gaining the team win. She joined Arnold at number one doubles for a 6-1 victory over Somer Dalla Bona and Sarka Richterova of Colorado State. She followed that up with a 6-1, 6-2 win at the top of the singles lineup against Dalla Bona.
In the dual campaign, Thamchaiwat improved to 10-0 in singles play and 13-2 in doubles action, with all of her matches played at the number one position.
In the updated ITA national rankings released today, Thamchaiwat is rated 74th in the nation in singles, with a 17-2 record during the 2021-22 season and along with Tamara Arnold, is ranked 77th in doubles action with a 19-4 mark.
This marks a league-high fourth time this season that a San Diego State student-athlete has won the award. Tamara Arnold earned the honor on Jan. 26 and Mar. 30, while Regina Pitts earned recognition on Feb. 16. The four honors this season are one short of the school record of five set in 2014.
This is the 37th time in program history that a San Diego State student-athlete has earned this award.
San Diego State, currently ranked 75th nationally by the ITA, is 13-5 overall and 5-1 and alone in second place in the Mountain West Conference. The Aztecs play a pair of crucial league matches in Reno, Nevada on Friday and Saturday. On Friday, the Aztecs face UNLV (14-4; 4-2 Mountain West) in a neutral site match before facing Nevada (8-7; 2-4 Mountain West) on Sunday. Both matches are schedules to begin at 11 a.m. PT.