Cougars Wrap Conference Schedule at Santa Clara, San Diego

Thursday, April 16

Santa Clara, Calif.

11 a.m.

Washington State University

Santa Clara

Photo by: Dean Hare/WSU Photo Services

April 15, 2026 | Tennis

By: Washington State Athletic Communications

PULLMAN, Wash. (April 15, 2026) – Washington State Women's Tennis closes out its 2026 dual match schedule this week by traveling to California to face Santa Clara, Thursday, April 16, 11 a.m. at the Degheri Tennis Center, then against San Diego, Saturday, April 18, Noon at the Hogan Tennis Center. These mark the final two matches before the start of the West Coast Conference Championships, April 23-25 at the Green Valley Country Club in Fairfield, Calif. The Cougars enter the week on a seven-match winning streak and hold a 14-6 record, 6-1 in West Coast Conference play.

SCOUTING SANTA CLARA: The Broncos enter the match with a 7-13 overall record, 3-4 in WCC play. Santa Clara has won its previous two matches. The Cougars hold a 9-1 advantage in the all-time series, including a 5-0 victory in Pullman last season. Live streaming of the match can be found HERE.

SCOUTING SAN DIEGO: The Toreros enter the weekend with a 10-9 overall record, 4-1 in WCC play and a No. 50 national ranking. San Diego has played 11 nationally-ranked teams this season, going 3-8 in those matches. The Toreros hold an 11-5 advantage in the all-time series, with the two teams splitting the two matches last season, with WSU winning in Pullman and San Diego getting the revenge match at the WCC Championship. Live streaming of the match can be found HERE, live stats HERE.

COUGARS IN NATIONAL RANKINGS: With the release of the most recent ITA rankings, WSU fell out of the top 75 for the first time in more than a month. In the singles rankings, both Eva Alvarez Sande and Maxine Murphy made their season debut in the March 17 rankings. After entering the rankings at No. 84, Alvarez Sande came in at No. 90 this week, while Murphy entered at No. 99 and came in this week at No. 120. In the March 17 ranking, it marked the first time since Feb. 20, 2019, that the Cougars had two singles players ranked in the same poll, when Michaela Bayerlova was No. 35 and Melissa Ates was No. 106.

EVA ALVAREZ SANDE NAMED WCC SINGLES PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Washington State senior Eva Alvarez Sande was named the West Coast Conference's Women's Singles Tennis Player of the Week, the conference announced Tuesday. It marks the second-consecutive week a Cougar player has received the honor, with Yura Nakagawa receiving the award last week. Alvarez Sande entered the weekend ranked No. 84 in the most recent ITA rankings and proceeded to win both of her singles matches in straight sets. Playing in the No. 1 singles position, Alvarez Sande defeated Seattle's Lamija Avdic 6-4, 6-2, then cruised to a 6-0, 6-2 win over Portland's Alaia Rubio Perez on Senior Day, her final match in Pullman. The victory over Portland was WSU's seventh-straight victory and with her the two victories, Alvares Sande ran her winning streak to five while improving to 14-1 in dual matches this season. This marks the first WCC Singles Player of the Week honor for Alvarez Sande, who has been part of four WCC Doubles Teams of the Week since the start of last season.

YURA NAKAGAWA NAMED WCC SINGLES PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Following her three-set, come-from-behind win over Gonzaga, redshirt-junior Yura Nakagawa has been named the West Coast Conference's Women's Singles Tennis Player of the Week, it was announced April 7. Last week against Gonzaga, with the Cougars having only five players due to injury, Nakagawa recorded her biggest win of the season, rallying from a set down to defeat Elizabeth Tindera. Nakagawa, who was down 4-6, 0-4, strung together six-straight games to force a third set. There, she rode an early break of serve to a 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 win, providing the margin of victory in WSU's 4-3 defeat of the Bulldogs. This marks the first WCC Singles Player of the Week honor for Nakagawa.

NEXT UP: Following the San Diego match, the Cougars head to Fairfield, Calif. for the 2026 WCC Women's Tennis Championships, April 23-25 at the Green Valley Country Club.

COUGARS TO PLAY IN WEST COAST CONFERENCE: For the 2025-26 seasons, the Cougars will be an affiliate member of the West Coast Conference. When conference realignment impacted the Pac-12 Conference following the 2023-24 season, Cougar Tennis was one of 10 WSU athletic programs to become WCC affiliate members. This season marks the second of two seasons in the WCC before the Pac-12 resumes full-membership status beginning with the 2026-27 season.

COUGARS SIGN JOLYNN GARRETT: In early January, Washington State University Tennis announced a new team member, signing 10-year-old JoLynn Garrett through Team IMPACT. JoLynn, who is navigating life with Williams syndrome, officially signed with the team. She will participate in many activities with Washington State Tennis, including games, practices, and other team events, over the next two years.

ROSTER BREAKDOWN: For the 2025-26 season, the Cougar roster consists of seniors Maxine Murphy and Eva Alvarez Sande, juniors Yura Nakagawa and Zali Morris, sophomores Chisato Kanemaki and Martina Puvill, and freshman Ava-Monet Sycamore.

HEAD COACH JOSH GRAETZ: Josh Graetz became the program's ninth head coach in the summer of 2025 after spending the previous two seasons as the Cougars' assistant coach. Graetz played a key role in WSU's run to the 2025 National Invitational Tournament title. Prior to WSU, Graetz served as the head coach for both men's and women's programs at Metropolitan State University in Denver, his alma mater.

FOLLOW THE COUGARS: Keep up with Washington State tennis by following @WSUCougarTennis on Twitter, @wsucougartennis on Instagram, and Washington State Cougar Tennis on Facebook.