Tran Signs Five For Upcoming Season

FORT COLLINS, Colo. – Coming off the most successful campaign in program history, Colorado State women's tennis coach Mai-Ly Tran announced the addition of five players for the 2022-23 season.

The class includes four transfers -- including a pair of graduate transfers from the Pac-12 schools – as well as a freshman. They join a team which posted a program-tying 15 victories and a record eight wins in Mountain West play, finishing the regular season as the No. 2 overall seed and reaching the conference semifinals for just the second time.

"We are extremely excited about our incoming class. It is tough to lose five impactful team members, but I believe our incoming class will help to build on this historic season," Tran said. "They bring experience, a wealth of knowledge and share the same values, but most importantly, they believe in our team culture and program vision. This group recognizes how special CSU is and is eager to be a part of it. We couldn't be more thrilled to see what this year's team brings."

Three Rams return from this past season, including Radka Buzkova, who earned All-Mountain West honors in both singles and doubles.

Luana Avelar | Uberaba, Brazil | Club Med Academies
The native of Brazil has been playing as a prep in Florida, where she has held her highest ITF junior ranking of 328. She has posted singles victories of one blue-chip recruit and 12 who are rated 5- or 4-star recruits. Has a host of international experience on the junior circuit, where she has won titles as a singles and doubles player.

Tran says: "Luana is our sole true freshman coming in for her class, but it was apparent on her visit she carries herself as though she is wiser than her years. Luana can have a conversation with anyone she comes across and already aspires to study animal science and pursue a career in dairy farm production, just like her father. It was evident watching Luana compete she will bring a competitive fire and the willingness to run more balls down to win the point on the court."

Emily Dush | Chula Vista, Calif. | Laurel Springs HS (Utah)
She has a career singles record of 33-36, 37-29 in doubles for Utah. She played most of her junior season with the Utes in the No. 1 doubles position and second singles position. Born in Loveland, Colo., she was a four-star recruit out of high school at Laurel Springs who was ranked in the top 75 of the nation.

Tran says: "It's really exciting to have Emily join us, especially as Ky Ecton and Emily have known each other from such a young age. Emily has demonstrated her doubles expertise and aggressive game style which will only help our program next season. We are thrilled to have her join the Ramily!"

Ky Ecton | Fort Collins, Colo. | Poudre HS (Colorado)
The Fort Collins native will leave Colorado as a four-year letterwinner for the program. She has played consistently in the No. 2 doubles spot for the Buffs this season, and at the Nos. 5 and 6 spots in singles. She holds a career record of 22-37 in singles play, 34-40 in doubles. Ecton was a two-time 5A state champion while at Poudre High School in Fort Collins, playing for her mother, Laura.

Tran says: "I'm really excited to announce Ky is returning to Fort Collins and joining the Ramily. Ky is someone who brings people together and will be a fantastic fit to our close-knit team. When we first spoke to Ky, both (assistant coach) Taylor Hollander and I instantly knew we wanted her to be a part of this team. Her wealth of knowledge and experience as a player will be a huge asset to the program and we can't wait for her to come home!"

Zara Lennon | Grand Bay, Mauritius | CNED (Long Beach State)
After sitting out last year due to the pandemic, she has come back this year with a 17-10 record in singles, playing most of her matches at the No. 2 spot. Her career record with Long Beach State is 52-32 in singles, 47-32 in doubles. She is 22-9 on the season at doubles having played with five different teammates and has gone 9-3 at the No. 1 spot in conference play. … Was ranked as high as 299 as a junior.

Tran says: "Zara has had an extremely successful career during her time at Long Beach State. We are so happy that she has decided to continue her tennis career as a Ram! Zara's competitiveness and dedication to her craft is something special and we can't wait for her to get started with us."

Viktoryia Zhadzinskaya | Minsk, Belarus | Minsk Secondary School (Hillsborough CC)
In her freshman season at Hillborough Community College, she earned FCSAA All-State/NJCAA All-Region 8 honors at No. 1 doubles and No. 3 singles, helping the Lady Hawks advance to the NJCAA National Tournament. 'Vika' has international experience playing back home in Belarus, winning a tournament to earn her Master of Sport degree. An outstanding student, she also earned a gold medal for her GPA.

Tran says: "Vika has a team mindset and is looking forward to joining a new team where everyone has the same goals and priorities. She has a formidable work ethic and is looking forward to being challenged by the tough competition the Mountain West offers."

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