LOGAN, Utah — Utah State women's tennis head coach Veronika Golanova has announced USU's 2023 recruiting class of four athletes. The Aggies will welcome three freshmen and one transfer in advance of the upcoming 2023 fall tournament season.
 
Cielo Tapia-Cruz, a native of Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico, is set to join USU after spending the previous two seasons at North Carolina A&T, where she compiled a singles record of 15-9 and a double record of 12-12. This past year, Tapia-Cruz helped the NC A&T Aggies to their first above-.500 season in modern program history and their first victory at a conference tournament since 2005. Tapia-Cruz finished the year with a 9-4 record in singles matches, playing exclusively at the second position. In high school, Tapia-Cruz won the doubles national championship in 2018 and the singles national championship in 2019. 
 
Niyati Kukreti, a native of Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India, joins the Aggies after posting a 32-24 singles record and a 20-12 doubles record in junior matches. Kukreti achieved a high ranking of No. 3 in India for Under-16 athletes in 2022, also ranking 13th in the U18 rankings. Kukreti was a member of the Indian Team at the 2022 Junior Billie Jean King Cup where the team placed fourth out of 15 national teams. Kukreti also claimed eight tournament titles in both singles and doubles play at the district and national level, including winning the singles and doubles tournaments at the National Series National Ranking Tournament in Jhajjar, India, in December of 2021. Kukreti achieved a career-high ranking of 720th in the world ITF Junior rankings in January of 2023.
 
Ana Paula Chavez Sanchez, a native of Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico, comes to Utah State after posting a 32-30 record in junior singles matches alongside a 37-25 record in junior doubles matches. Sanchez was named the top-ranked U10, U12, U14 and U16 played in Mexico during her junior career and achieved a career-high ranking in the world ITF junior rankings of 545th in January of 2021. Sanchez also was chosen to represent Mexico ITF at the Tour Orange Bowl. Sanchez won several titles during her junior career, winning at the Masters Cotecc, the ITF Doubles Championships, the Coupe Le Blanc International Tour and the American Cup.
 
Savannah Johnson, a native of Lehi, Utah, helped lead Skyridge High School to three-consecutive state titles, including an undefeated season in 2021. Johnson compiled career records of 25-7 in singles play and 35-0 in doubles play at Skyridge HS and was named a team captain during her junior and senior seasons. She was ranked as the top U14 doubles play in the state of Utah and won the Labor Day Masters Doubles tournament. 
 
Fans can follow USU's women's tennis team on Twitter @USUWomensTennis, on Facebook at /UtahStateWomensTennis or on Instagram at USUWomensTennis.  Aggie fans can also follow the Utah State athletic program on Twitter, @USUAthletics, Facebook at /USUAthletics and on Instagram, @USUAthletics.
 
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