University of North Texas Athletics
Mean Green Add Highly Touted Recruit
11/16/2019 8:33:00 AM | Women's Tennis
DENTON — The North Texas tennis team has signed Saki Oyama to join the program starting next season.
Oyama is a top 300 ITF player — career-best 297 ranking — a UTR score of 10.5 and is one of the best young tennis players in her home country of Japan. Her career-high junior ranking in Japan is No. 1 in doubles and No. 4 in singles.
"We are delighted to have Saki join our Mean Green family," said head coach Sujay Lama. "She is disciplined, hardworking, has strong academics and is a great team player. She is the type of person who will improve daily and make the team better both on and off the court."
Under the leadership of Lama, who is in his 14th season at UNT, the Mean Green have thrived in bringing in both athletically talented but also academically strong women. North Texas has reached at least the semifinals of the league tournament eight of the last 10 years.
Furthermore, the Mean Green had a NCAA Academic Progress Report in the top 10 percent in the nation and have had a perfect score of 1,000 for three years in a row.
Last year alone, Oyama reached the championship round of the ITF New Zealand G4 singles competition, ITF Japan G5 singles tournament, and ITF New Zealand G4 doubles championship.
Over the last two years she's reached the championship round of seven international tournaments.
"The reason I chose North Texas is head coach Sujay Lama, assistant coach Rodrigo de Almeida and my new teammates," said Oyama. "Everyone was very kind to me and everyone was international. I think that's good for communication and will improve my English. Also the fashion faculty is top-five in the U.S. I want to learn about the world of fashion at UNT. "
The North Texas tennis team is coming off a 13-win season in the spring of 2019.
Last year saw the Mean Green return to the semifinals of the conference tournament. Led by seniors Maria Kononova and Tamuna Kutubidze. Kononova and Kututbidze earned the program's first bid to the NCAA Doubles Tournament and in the fall claimed the program's first ITA Texas Regional championship.
This fall, UNT's five newcomers made strong impacts and made great improvements over the four-month period. North Texas' newcomers and returners won flight championships and made noise at the ITA Texas Regional despite being one of the youngest teams in the regional tournament.
Oyama is a top 300 ITF player — career-best 297 ranking — a UTR score of 10.5 and is one of the best young tennis players in her home country of Japan. Her career-high junior ranking in Japan is No. 1 in doubles and No. 4 in singles.
"We are delighted to have Saki join our Mean Green family," said head coach Sujay Lama. "She is disciplined, hardworking, has strong academics and is a great team player. She is the type of person who will improve daily and make the team better both on and off the court."
Under the leadership of Lama, who is in his 14th season at UNT, the Mean Green have thrived in bringing in both athletically talented but also academically strong women. North Texas has reached at least the semifinals of the league tournament eight of the last 10 years.
Furthermore, the Mean Green had a NCAA Academic Progress Report in the top 10 percent in the nation and have had a perfect score of 1,000 for three years in a row.
Last year alone, Oyama reached the championship round of the ITF New Zealand G4 singles competition, ITF Japan G5 singles tournament, and ITF New Zealand G4 doubles championship.
Over the last two years she's reached the championship round of seven international tournaments.
"The reason I chose North Texas is head coach Sujay Lama, assistant coach Rodrigo de Almeida and my new teammates," said Oyama. "Everyone was very kind to me and everyone was international. I think that's good for communication and will improve my English. Also the fashion faculty is top-five in the U.S. I want to learn about the world of fashion at UNT. "
The North Texas tennis team is coming off a 13-win season in the spring of 2019.
Last year saw the Mean Green return to the semifinals of the conference tournament. Led by seniors Maria Kononova and Tamuna Kutubidze. Kononova and Kututbidze earned the program's first bid to the NCAA Doubles Tournament and in the fall claimed the program's first ITA Texas Regional championship.
This fall, UNT's five newcomers made strong impacts and made great improvements over the four-month period. North Texas' newcomers and returners won flight championships and made noise at the ITA Texas Regional despite being one of the youngest teams in the regional tournament.
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
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