Temple University Athletics
Photo by: Elita Odartei
Samantha Nanare and Maiko Uchijima Qualify for NCAA Women's Tennis Doubles Championships
5.13.24 | Women's Tennis
PHILADELPHIA- After remaining on the ITA Women's Tennis Doubles National Rankings throughout the 2024 spring season, and achieving a high of No. 20, Samantha Nanere and Maiko Uchijima earned an invitation to the NCAA Women's Tennis Doubles Championships, hosted by Oklahoma State University at the Greenwood Tennis Center in Stillwater, Okla. The Temple tandem is set to compete in the Round of 32 on May 21 at 9 a.m. This marks Temple's second consecutive year in the tournament.
ITA Super Regionals in West Point, N.Y. marked the first time Uchijima and Nanere paired for doubles play. During the tournament, the duo scored a 6-2, 6-2 win against a pair from Cornell in the round of 16, won a 6-3, 4-6, 10-2 quarterfinal match against opponents from Brown and scored a 7-6 (5), 3-6, 10-6 semifinal victory against Yale. Nanere and Uchijima fell to Brown's top pair in the final, but were selected to compete in the doubles draw of the ITA National Fall Championships.
The tandem kept the ball rolling at National Fall Champions with a stellar climb to the Round of 8. Their run on the West Coast included a 7-5, 4-6, 10-5 victory against a pair from the University of Southern California in the Round of 32 and a 6-1, 6-4 win against a tandem from the University of Maryland in the Round of 16, which ultimately led to the duo's advancement to quarterfinals where they fell to Pepperdine. On November 15, the pair earned No. 20 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) doubles rankings for their stellar fall performance.
Throughout the 2024 spring season, Nanere and Uchijima achieved a 5-4 dual doubles record. The pair competed solely in the first position. The duo is currently ranked No. 76.
"We're all very excited about the upcoming NCAA tournament," said head coach Steve Mauro. "It's a great accomplishment for our program to make the NCAA's two consecutive years in a row."
This is Uchijima's second appearance in the NCAA tournament after participating with Jamie Wei in 2023.
ITA Super Regionals in West Point, N.Y. marked the first time Uchijima and Nanere paired for doubles play. During the tournament, the duo scored a 6-2, 6-2 win against a pair from Cornell in the round of 16, won a 6-3, 4-6, 10-2 quarterfinal match against opponents from Brown and scored a 7-6 (5), 3-6, 10-6 semifinal victory against Yale. Nanere and Uchijima fell to Brown's top pair in the final, but were selected to compete in the doubles draw of the ITA National Fall Championships.
The tandem kept the ball rolling at National Fall Champions with a stellar climb to the Round of 8. Their run on the West Coast included a 7-5, 4-6, 10-5 victory against a pair from the University of Southern California in the Round of 32 and a 6-1, 6-4 win against a tandem from the University of Maryland in the Round of 16, which ultimately led to the duo's advancement to quarterfinals where they fell to Pepperdine. On November 15, the pair earned No. 20 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) doubles rankings for their stellar fall performance.
Throughout the 2024 spring season, Nanere and Uchijima achieved a 5-4 dual doubles record. The pair competed solely in the first position. The duo is currently ranked No. 76.
"We're all very excited about the upcoming NCAA tournament," said head coach Steve Mauro. "It's a great accomplishment for our program to make the NCAA's two consecutive years in a row."
This is Uchijima's second appearance in the NCAA tournament after participating with Jamie Wei in 2023.
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