The Colorado Buffaloes women’s tennis team is set to begin its spring season at home, hosting Montana State on Friday and Air Force Academy on Sunday in Boulder.
After closing last season with a 9-14 overall record and 2-11 in Big 12 play, the team is aiming for early wins this year. The roster includes three new players alongside seven returning athletes. Seniors Anya Nelson and Rixt Van der Werff, as well as returning graduate student Aya El Sayed, will lead the group.
“We’re pretty excited about our team this year,” head coach Anthony Pham said. “In my five years here, this is the most depth we’ve had competitively. We’ve already been able to see it through the fall and with the spring having Aya back, we are ready to go and see what we can accomplish.”
El Sayed returns after an injury cut her previous season short. She has achieved 50 career singles victories and 36 doubles wins—19 of those with partner Pia Rebec.
Nelson wrapped up last year with four singles wins while stepping into higher lineup positions due to a teammate’s injury. She also collected 22 doubles victories, including 19 alongside Ema Bubalo. The duo became the first ITA regional champion doubles team in Colorado history and maintained a consistent ranking throughout the season.
Van der Werff joined Colorado last year as a junior, securing seven singles wins before her own injury setback. She ended the season ranked No. 19 in the region for singles and notched four doubles victories.
“For this weekend, Montana State and Air Force will provide some good tests for our team this early in the year,” Pham said. “We have had a couple good weeks of practice and the team is gelling, so they are ready to go and compete again.”
Freshmen Lani Brotman (7-4) and Heidi Crncan (8-5) posted strong singles records during fall competition, while Brotman paired with freshman Yukiko Ikedo for a 5-3 doubles mark.
Colorado will be looking for its sixth win against Montana State (2-0), which is coached by former Colorado assistant Hailey Barrett. The teams last played in 2019, with Colorado undefeated all-time against Montana State.
The Buffaloes also hold a long-standing advantage over Air Force Academy (0-2), leading their series 20-3 over 35 years—including a stretch of 13 consecutive wins spanning more than two decades. Their most recent meeting was in early 2025 when Colorado won on Air Force’s courts, 4-3.
Matches will take place at the Meadows Club in Boulder: Friday at 6 p.m. against Montana State and Sunday at 2 p.m. versus Air Force Academy. Fans can follow updates on Instagram and X at @cubuffstennis.
