TURLOCK, Calif. – The Stan State women's tennis team returns to competition this week as six Warriors travel to Fresno for the ITA West Regional Championships, scheduled for Thursday through Sunday, Oct. 15-18. The four-day tournament will feature singles and doubles competition against some of the region's top NCAA Division II programs, providing Stan State with its first major individual tournament of the 2026-27 season.
Under head coach Verek Visaraga, the Warriors enter the tournament following their season-opening appearance at the Dominican Hidden Duals, where several players collected multiple singles victories. Stan State will look to build on those early performances as it faces a challenging field that includes familiar PacWest opponents and other regional programs.
Competition will take place at Fresno Pacific University, Fresno State and the Fig Garden Swim & Racket Club, with all six Warriors beginning their singles and doubles draws Thursday at Fresno Pacific.
Warriors Carry Momentum from Season Opener
Stan State opened its fall campaign Oct. 2-3 at the Dominican Hidden Duals in San Rafael, competing against players from Dominican and Menlo in two days of singles and doubles action.
Sophomore Emi Mikami led the Warriors with an unbeaten 3-0 singles weekend, earning victories over Saucedo, Cooper and Salvatierra. Mikami closed the event with a commanding 6-1, 6-0 victory, establishing an early rhythm heading into regional competition.
Junior transfer Nica Sobrapena also made an immediate contribution in her Stan State debut, finishing 2-1 in singles. After dropping her opening match, Sobrapena responded with consecutive victories, including a 6-0, 6-0 sweep over Kunis to conclude the weekend.
Senior Abbigail Mulick and sophomore Katrine Damkjær each collected victories during the second day of competition, while Alessandra Del Pino Carvajal battled through several competitive three-set matches, including a 2-6, 6-1, 10-8 comeback victory.
The opening tournament also marked the Stan State debut of Lisa Lieberman, a sophomore transfer from Hawai'i Pacific.
With four returning players and two newcomers comprising the six-player roster, the Warriors gained valuable early experience while beginning to establish their singles lineup and doubles combinations.
Challenging Singles Draw Awaits Warriors
All six Stan State players will compete in the women's singles main draw, beginning Thursday with the round of 64.
Mikami opens against Anna Pallencaoe of Point Loma at 1 p.m., while Sobrapena faces Jessica McLean of Fresno Pacific at the same time. Damkjær will also begin at 1 p.m., taking on Melissa Zirkle of Point Loma.
Del Pino Carvajal faces one of the more challenging opening assignments for Stan State, meeting sixth-seeded Emely Valencia of Point Loma at 5 p.m.
Lieberman will also face seeded competition in her regional debut as a Warrior, drawing No. 14 Rosa Viller Moller of Hawai'i Pacific at 7 p.m. The matchup will place Lieberman opposite a player from her former program after transferring to Stan State ahead of the 2026-27 season.
Mulick rounds out the Warriors' opening singles schedule at 7 p.m. against Ayala Stephens of Biola. As Stan State's lone senior, Mulick brings experience competing near the top of the Warriors' lineup and will look to build on her three-set victory at the Dominican Hidden Duals.
The opening draw presents Stan State with opponents from four PacWest programs, including several teams the Warriors encountered during last season's dual-match schedule.
Three Doubles Pairings Set for Thursday
Stan State will also field three doubles teams, all scheduled to begin Thursday at 8 a.m. at Fresno Pacific.
Mikami and Del Pino Carvajal will team up against Ruby Robbins and Taylor Nokes of Colorado Mesa, while Mulick and Sobrapena face Eleanor Edwards and Ellie Triplett of Westmont.
Damkjær and Lieberman will take on fifth-seeded Evi Roobol and Kaia Sperry of Hawai'i Pacific, giving the Warriors an immediate test against one of the tournament's seeded combinations.
The regional tournament will provide another opportunity for Stan State to develop its doubles chemistry after experimenting with different partnerships during the Dominican Hidden Duals.
For Mulick and Sobrapena, the opening round offers another chance to build their partnership, while Mikami and Del Pino Carvajal will look to translate their early singles performances into doubles competition.
Damkjær and Lieberman face a particularly challenging opening draw against a Hawai'i Pacific pairing that enters the tournament among the top eight seeded teams.
Tournament Format and Championship Outlook
The ITA West Regional Championships feature four days of individual competition, with players advancing through championship and consolation draws.
Thursday's schedule includes the opening two rounds of doubles and the singles round of 64. Friday will feature the doubles quarterfinals along with the singles rounds of 32 and 16.
Championship play continues Saturday with the doubles semifinals and the singles quarterfinals and semifinals. The tournament concludes Sunday with the singles and doubles championship matches.
Singles matches in the rounds of 64 and 32 will be contested as best-of-three-set matches with a 10-point match tiebreak replacing the third set. Beginning with the round of 16, singles matches will use a full best-of-three-set format.
Doubles matches will be played as eight-game pro sets, with a tiebreak at 7-7. The championship match will use a best-of-three-set format with a deciding match tiebreak.
Consolation competition will also be available for players eliminated from the main draws, providing additional opportunities for match experience throughout the weekend.
Warriors' Opening-Round Schedule
Thursday, Oct. 15 | Fresno Pacific University
Doubles | 8 a.m.
Singles | 1 p.m.
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Emi Mikami vs. Anna Pallencaoe (Point Loma)
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Nica Sobrapena vs. Jessica McLean (Fresno Pacific)
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Katrine Damkjær vs. Melissa Zirkle (Point Loma)
Singles | 5 p.m.
Singles | 7 p.m.
Looking Ahead
The ITA West Regional Championships represent an important early opportunity for Stan State to measure itself against regional competition while continuing to develop its young roster.
With Mikami entering after an unbeaten opening weekend, Sobrapena looking to build on her first victories as a Warrior, and the returning core gaining additional experience, Stan State will look to carry its early progress into a deeper and more competitive tournament field.
The Warriors will begin play Thursday morning in doubles before transitioning into singles competition throughout the afternoon and evening. Players advancing through their respective draws will continue competing through the weekend, with championship matches scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 18.
