HOUSTON – On Thursday, the American Conference will open play at its 2026 Individual Tennis Championships. UTSA’s women’s team is sending four student-athletes to Rice’s George R. Brown Tennis Center for the four-day tournament. Ki Kroll’s bunch looks to claim league glory and represent the American at the ITA Conference Masters Championships, which take place in Rome, Georgia (Nov. 5-8).
Two women from each of the league’s 13 programs will compete in singles play, with seeding based on national rankings. There, two returning ‘Runners will take the court, including Celine Absawi matching up with Carolina Laydner of North Texas in the opening round. The second-year product will get underway at 10 a.m. for a shot at taking on either Charlotte or Tulsa four hours later.
Fellow sophomore Laia Tarazona Peyro will also lace up for singles action, taking on Leonie Moeller from Memphis. The southpaw Spaniard’s matchup is also scheduled to begin at 10 a.m., with Shona Nakano of Charlotte awaiting the winner at 2 p.m. later that afternoon.
In addition, each American program will send one doubles pairing to Houston, with the first round also commencing on Thursday. Two newcomers are slated to team up for the Roadrunners, clashing with Tulsa at 9 a.m. on Thursday. Gabriela Felix da Silva and Diana Khaydarshina will look to take down the Golden Hurricane, where they would then secure a date with a Wichita State duo at 9 a.m. in Friday’s quarterfinals.
One week ago, Khaydarshina competed at the UTSA UTR Sports College Circuit, winning the women’s bracket. A week prior, Felix da Silva opened the ITA Texas Regional Championships with three straight singles victories, qualifying for the main draw and advancing to the Round of 16.
Live results at the American Championships will be available via the ITA Tournament Hub. Live video and scores will be posted on Playsight, courtesy of hosting Rice. Lastly, ESPN+ is set to stream the championship finals match on Sunday at 9 a.m.
UP NEXT
Any Roadrunners that take home a championship at the event will punch a ticket to Rome, Georgia, for next month’s four-day ITA Conference Masters Championships. Before then, the Navy & Orange is slated to visit Baylor for the H-E-B Invitational. The Bears’ four-day tournament will open on Thursday, Oct. 29, with all the action taking place from Hurd Tennis Center.
For complete coverage of UTSA Women’s Tennis during the 2026-27 season, visit goutsa.com. On social media, follow the Roadrunners on Twitter/X (@UTSAWT), Instagram (utsawt) and Facebook (UTSA Women’s Tennis).
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