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Ahmed named MW Player of the Year
4/30/2021 1:00:00 PM | Women's Tennis
Fresno State’s Dalia Ahmed is the 14th Bulldog to earn conference player of the year honors in women’s tennis.
2021 All-Mountain West Singles & Doubles Teams: Fresno State
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Fresno State junior Dalia Ahmed was named the 2021 Mountain West Women's Tennis Player of the Year, the conference office announced on Friday afternoon.
Ahmed is the 14th Bulldog to earn conference player of the year honors in program history (third in Fresno State's first nine seasons in the Mountain West) and follows in the footsteps of her sister, Mayar, who was the 2016 MW Player of the Year as a sophomore at Fresno State.
"When Dalia first stepped on campus, one of her goals was to leave her own legacy in the program," Fresno State head coach Denise Dy said of Ahmed.  "She has overcome many challenges and obstacles this year and always stepped up to the plate.  This is a well-deserved award for one of the fiercest competitors. We're looking forward to another year! Go 'Dogs!"
Ahmed, who was also named to the 2021 All-MW singles and doubles teams, delivered a season for the record books – finishing 15-2 in singles play, including an 11-1 mark at the No. 1 singles position (a perfect 7-0 in Mountain West contests), and 14-3 overall in doubles, which included a 12-2 mark at No. 1 doubles for the Bulldogs. Ahmed earned multiple conference player of the week honors this season and won her last 10 decisions – all at No. 1 singles.
Ahmed partnered with fellow 2021 All-MW doubles selection Deniza Marcinkevica most often at the No. 1 doubles slot, where the dynamic duo went 12-2 and ended the regular season on a six-match winning streak in doubles play.
The Fresno State women's tennis program has a strong winning tradition – especially in the last 30 years – and has produced All-Americans and conference champions.
In 2021, the Bulldogs wrote another impressive chapter with a second-place finish (15-5, 8-2 Mountain West) in a full 10-match conference schedule, which featured the leadership of first-year head coach Denise and rise of Ahmed – one of three additions into Fresno State's rotation.
As a team, Fresno State won 11 of its last 13 matches and were a perfect 5-0 in neutral site contests.
In addition to Ahmed's incredible debut campaign with the Bulldogs, the lineup also featured Spain's Cristina Flaquer and Italy's Carolina Piferi in their first season at Fresno State.
Flaquer earned MW Player of the Week honors on March 24 after starting the year 9-1 in singles play and Piferi went 12-4 at the No. 4 and No. 5 spots, including when she secured the Bulldogs' clinching point in a thrilling 4-3 home win on April 18.
Versatile returners A.C. Hummel (11-3, 6-2 MW) and Ella Husrefovic (9-4, 5-1 MW) came through in critical moments throughout the season, while Carlotta Nonnis Marzano teamed with Piferi predominantly at No. 2 doubles and occasionally at the top doubles slot. Nonnis Marzano and Piferi won six of their last eight decisions.
As a team, in singles, Fresno State finished 69-32 overall (31-13 in MW play), which included a 14-4 record at No. 1 singles, while in doubles, the Bulldogs were 32-20 overall, which included a 15-3 record at No. 1 doubles.
Dy, who played collegiately at Washington and coached at Arizona, Washington and Iowa, is the Bulldogs' 11th head coach and earned the third-best opening season (15-5, .750) in program history.Â
Fresno State Women's Tennis – Conference Players of the Year
2000: Kim Niggemeyer (WAC)
2001: Liesl Fichtbauer (WAC)
2002: Kim Niggemeyer (WAC)
2003: Chloe Carlotti (WAC)
2004: Jelena Pandzic (WAC)
2006: Melanie Gloria (WAC)
2007: Melanie Gloria (WAC)
2008: Melanie Gloria (WAC)
2009: Melanie Gloria (WAC)
2011: Marianne Jodoin (WAC)
2012: Marianne Jodoin (WAC)
2015: Sophie Watts (MW)
2016: Mayar Sherif Ahmed (MW)
2021: Dalia Ahmed (MW)
"Fresno State Athletics: The Pride of the Valley" – The Bulldog Foundation creates championship experiences for Fresno State student-athletes as they strive for excellence in the classroom, in competition, and in life. To become a BDF member, please visit bulldogfoundation.org.
- Dalia Ahmed (2021 MW Player of the Year, All-MW Singles & All-MW Doubles)
- Deniza Marcinkevica (2021 All-MW Doubles)
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Fresno State junior Dalia Ahmed was named the 2021 Mountain West Women's Tennis Player of the Year, the conference office announced on Friday afternoon.
Ahmed is the 14th Bulldog to earn conference player of the year honors in program history (third in Fresno State's first nine seasons in the Mountain West) and follows in the footsteps of her sister, Mayar, who was the 2016 MW Player of the Year as a sophomore at Fresno State.
"When Dalia first stepped on campus, one of her goals was to leave her own legacy in the program," Fresno State head coach Denise Dy said of Ahmed.  "She has overcome many challenges and obstacles this year and always stepped up to the plate.  This is a well-deserved award for one of the fiercest competitors. We're looking forward to another year! Go 'Dogs!"
Ahmed, who was also named to the 2021 All-MW singles and doubles teams, delivered a season for the record books – finishing 15-2 in singles play, including an 11-1 mark at the No. 1 singles position (a perfect 7-0 in Mountain West contests), and 14-3 overall in doubles, which included a 12-2 mark at No. 1 doubles for the Bulldogs. Ahmed earned multiple conference player of the week honors this season and won her last 10 decisions – all at No. 1 singles.
Ahmed partnered with fellow 2021 All-MW doubles selection Deniza Marcinkevica most often at the No. 1 doubles slot, where the dynamic duo went 12-2 and ended the regular season on a six-match winning streak in doubles play.
The Fresno State women's tennis program has a strong winning tradition – especially in the last 30 years – and has produced All-Americans and conference champions.
In 2021, the Bulldogs wrote another impressive chapter with a second-place finish (15-5, 8-2 Mountain West) in a full 10-match conference schedule, which featured the leadership of first-year head coach Denise and rise of Ahmed – one of three additions into Fresno State's rotation.
As a team, Fresno State won 11 of its last 13 matches and were a perfect 5-0 in neutral site contests.
In addition to Ahmed's incredible debut campaign with the Bulldogs, the lineup also featured Spain's Cristina Flaquer and Italy's Carolina Piferi in their first season at Fresno State.
Flaquer earned MW Player of the Week honors on March 24 after starting the year 9-1 in singles play and Piferi went 12-4 at the No. 4 and No. 5 spots, including when she secured the Bulldogs' clinching point in a thrilling 4-3 home win on April 18.
Versatile returners A.C. Hummel (11-3, 6-2 MW) and Ella Husrefovic (9-4, 5-1 MW) came through in critical moments throughout the season, while Carlotta Nonnis Marzano teamed with Piferi predominantly at No. 2 doubles and occasionally at the top doubles slot. Nonnis Marzano and Piferi won six of their last eight decisions.
As a team, in singles, Fresno State finished 69-32 overall (31-13 in MW play), which included a 14-4 record at No. 1 singles, while in doubles, the Bulldogs were 32-20 overall, which included a 15-3 record at No. 1 doubles.
Dy, who played collegiately at Washington and coached at Arizona, Washington and Iowa, is the Bulldogs' 11th head coach and earned the third-best opening season (15-5, .750) in program history.Â
Fresno State Women's Tennis – Conference Players of the Year
2000: Kim Niggemeyer (WAC)
2001: Liesl Fichtbauer (WAC)
2002: Kim Niggemeyer (WAC)
2003: Chloe Carlotti (WAC)
2004: Jelena Pandzic (WAC)
2006: Melanie Gloria (WAC)
2007: Melanie Gloria (WAC)
2008: Melanie Gloria (WAC)
2009: Melanie Gloria (WAC)
2011: Marianne Jodoin (WAC)
2012: Marianne Jodoin (WAC)
2015: Sophie Watts (MW)
2016: Mayar Sherif Ahmed (MW)
2021: Dalia Ahmed (MW)
"Fresno State Athletics: The Pride of the Valley" – The Bulldog Foundation creates championship experiences for Fresno State student-athletes as they strive for excellence in the classroom, in competition, and in life. To become a BDF member, please visit bulldogfoundation.org.
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