SAN DIEGO – This weekend, the San Diego State women's tennis team will open its spring season when it heads to Malibu, Calif., to take part in the ITA Season Kickoff. The Aztecs will play the host, No. 6-ranked Pepperdine, at 10 a.m. on the morning of Friday, January 26, and either Loyola Marymount or Louisiana State at the same time the following day.
San Diego State is returning Rania Azziz, Andjela Skrobonja and Andreea Velcea from last year's squad that finished 14-8 with a 6-3 record against ranked opponents. Azziz appeared in nearly every match for SDSU a season ago. Skrobonja was ranked as high as No. 59 in doubles last year with Dariya Detkovskaya. The pair led the Aztecs in doubles wins. Skrobonja also led SDSU with 20 singles wins and a perfect 5-0 conference record as she earned Mountain West Player of the Week honors twice and was named to the All-Mountain West singles team. Velcea excelled in the classroom as she was named ITA All-Academic, Academic All-Mountain West and a Mountain West Scholar Athlete.
The Aztecs added four transfers to round out this season's roster. Gloria Alogo played in the top half of the North Texas lineup last year and is entering her sophomore season. Highly touted junior Yasmine Kabbaj comes from Florida International, where she was First Team All-Conference USA in singles and doubles last season. Kabbaj was ranked as high as No. 56 in doubles and finished with a 17-5 record. Zoe Olmos transferred from Cal State Fullerton, where she was named First Team All-Big West in 2023 and earned Big West Player of the Week honors at the top of the Titan lineup. The final Aztec addition is No. 111-ranked Myah Petchey, who spent last season playing towards the top of the Oregon lineup.
In the fall season, Velcea and Olmos led the way for SDSU with five singles wins apiece. Velcea managed the feat in just seven matches. In doubles, Azziz and Skrobonja were 2-0 together and Alogo and Olmos won two of their three matches.
Pepperdine boasts four ranked singles players: No. 21 Savannah Broadus, No. 77 Nikki Redelijk, No. 79 Anna Campana and No. 96 Janice Tjen. The Waves also have the nation's fourth ranked doubles tandem of Tjen and Broadus. Last season, Pepperdine finished 20-4 and advanced to the Super Regionals at the NCAA Championships.
Looking ahead to Saturday's opposition, Loyola Marymount dropped its season opener to Southern California on January 18. The Lions finished 15-7 in 2023, advancing all the way to the West Coast Conference Championship match, where they fell to Pepperdine. Meanwhile, the Tigers are off to a 2-0 start after beating Louisiana Tech and Southeastern Louisiana on Saturday. Louisiana State went 13-11 a season ago but made it to the First Round of the NCAA Championships. They are led by No. 56-ranked singles player Kinaa Graham.
The Aztecs are 21-29 all time against the Waves. The teams last met in 2016, when Pepperdine triumphed 7-0. SDSU is 22-3 all time against the Lions but were on the wrong end of a 5-2 score when the teams last met in 2016. San Diego State has won one of three all time matchups with the Tigers but fell 6-1 during the teams' last meeting in 2012.
Next up for San Diego State is its home opener against UC San Diego. The Aztecs were scheduled to face the Tritons on January 20 to open the season, but rain postponed the match to January 30 at 2 p.m.
Aztecs Start Spring Against No. 6 Pepperdine
