Texas A&M’s Mia Kupres was named SEC Women’s Freshman of the Week, the league announced Wednesday afternoon. This is Kupres’ first weekly honor of her career after she finished this week’s matches undefeated and secured the first-ranked win of her career at the ITA National Team Indoor Championships.
Kupres’ performance at the National Team Indoors helped the Aggies advance to the semifinals of the tournament. In the opening round versus then-No. 17 San Diego, she faced the first-ranked opponent of her collegiate career, No. 93 Abigail Desiatnikov. Kupres claimed the win in a three-set thriller (6-3, 3-6, 6-2), which also clinched the opening round victory for the Maroon & White (4-0). In the quarterfinals, the Aggies went head-to-head with then-No. 11 Ohio State. Kupres put on a dominating performance versus Kolie Allen, dropping only two games (6-2, 6-0) and helping A&M advance to the semifinals. The Maroon & White met then-No. 2 North Carolina in a top-three matchup, as Kupres faced her second-ranked opponent in No. 12 Abbey Forbes. The pair was deep into a three-set contest with Kupres up (6-1, 6-7(3), 5-4) before the match was clinched by North Carolina (4-2), forcing the contest between Kupres and Forbes to be unfinished.
Kupres and the Aggies return to the road traveling to Orlando, Florida, Feb. 24-27. The Maroon & White will play a trio of matches versus FIU, No. 11 Ohio State and Northwestern at the USTA National Campus.