Olsen wins POTW, four huskies earn ranking

SEATTLE Astrid Olsen has won its first Pac-12 Women’s Tennis Player of the Week honor, the conference announced today, giving Washington three wins in the last four weeks. Olsen was also one of four Dawgs to appear in this week’s ITA singles voting, matching the program record last set in 2003.

Dating back to 2003, it was also the last and only time the now-25th-ranked Huskies beat both UCLA and USC in Pac-12 play before doing so last Friday and Sunday at the Nordstrom Tennis Center.

In the Bruins’ 4-3 win, Olsen defeated No. 64 Ava Catanzarite 3-6, 6-0, 6-1 and also won 6-3 in the doubles match. Jennifer Kerr. On Sunday, the Huskies defeated the Trojans 5-2, which Olsen finished with a 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 victory over then-No. 43 Snow Han. They were the two best-placed wins of the season for the young Norwegian Olsen.

Those wins helped Olsen climb to No. 77 in the latest installment of the national singles rankings. He is currently 10-3 in singles, all at No. 3, and 18-4 overall on the year.

Also this week, it is ranked by Sarah-Maude Fort, which upset USC over then-No. 24 Eryn Cayetano. Fortin now logs in at number 105. Hikaru Sato remains at number 110, and Jennifer Kerr is ranked 120th.

Also for the first time, a freshman debuted in the ranking Zehra Suko, who has moved to number one in doubles with Sato. Suko and Sato are ranked 65th nationally this week.

As a team, the Dawgs moved up one spot to a season-high 25.

This is Olsen’s first Pac-12 Player of the Week honor in his first full season competing for the Dawgs after an injury sidelined him for most of 2022.

The Huskies’ previous two Player of the Week awards this season both came Hikaru Sato.

Washington (10-3, 2-0 Pac-12) is off this week before continuing conference play at home against Arizona schools on the 17th/19th. March.

2023 PAC-12 MEN’S AND WOMEN’S TENNIS PLAYERS OF THE WEEK