Ysabel Gonzalez-Rico, UC Irvine Women’s Tennis Player of the Week Graduate Student • Paris, France

• A big singles triumph earned Ysabel Gonzalez-Rico her second Big West Player of the Week award despite two team losses for UC Irvine at home against nationally-ranked unbeaten league co-leaders.
• ?The graduate transfer from NCAA Division III powerhouse Emory University in Atlanta, Ga., rallied to defeat No. 88 Shakhnoza Khatamova of No. 25 UC Santa Barbara on the No. 1 court on Senior Day Saturday, 3-6, 6-3, 1-0 (10-8). Khatamova was the 2021 Big West Player of the Year and qualified for the 2021 NCAA Singles Championship. Saturday marked her lone singles defeat thus far in Big West action.
• Gonzalez-Rico earlier Saturday paired with Emily Fowler to defeat Marta Gonzalez Ballbe and Camille Kiss at No. 2, 6-2, before UCSB came back to take the doubles point. She was responsible for the lone Anteater point with her singles effort, as the Gauchos went on to win the match, 6-1.
• On Friday in a 7-0 loss to No. 70 Cal Poly, Gonzalez-Rico fell to Kim Bhunu at No. 1 singles, 3-6, 6-1, 1-0 (10-8). She and Fowler were leading Delanie Dunkle and Melissa LaMette at No. 2 doubles, 4-2, when that contest went unfinished.
• A native of Paris, France, Gonzalez-Rico moves to 11-5 in singles in dual matches on the year, all at No. 1. She is 12-3 in doubles with three different partners.
• Gonzalez-Rico, the 2019 NCAA Division III singles national champion who then led Emory to the 2021 team title before sharing in the doubles crown, is the only Anteater to earn weekly honors this season. She was previously chosen on March 23.

Also nominated: Filippa Bruu-Syversen (UC Santa Barbara), Jenna Dorian (CSUN), Peyton Dunkle (Cal Poly), Zara Lennon (Long Beach State), Eira Tobrand (Cal State Fullerton)

2022 Big West Weekly Award Winners