FORT WORTH – Seniors Nayuma Subba and Jacqueline Schnabel and freshman Anamaria Kurtsikashvilli will represent Sam Houston this week in the Bearkat tennis team's toughest challenge of the 2026 fall schedule.

The trio travels to the Bayard Friedman Tennis Center on the campus of TCU to compete at the annual Intercollegiate Tennis Association Texas Regional Championships. 

A total of 117 individual players from the NCAA Division I women's tennis squads in Texas will duel for the opportunity to advance to the ITA and NCAA annual national championship competition later this fall. The event begins Thursday with competition in both singles and doubles. 

"This is the toughest field of any tournament we have on our fall schedule," Sam Houston head coach Rob Hubbard said. "All of the top Division I players in Texas will be there. It will be a great opportunity for us to test ourselves against the best." 

The Fort Worth event is one of 14 regional events this weekend at sites from the Atlantic to the Pacific. 

"This is such a marvelous opportunity for our young team to experience," Hubbard said." 

The Bearkat tennis squad will be making the program's 21st appearance in past 22 Texas ITA annual regional events.  Sam Houston student-athletes have competed in ITA competitions hosted by TCU, Baylor, Texas, Texas A&M and Texas Tech in that time span. 

The competition marks the squad's third event of the 2025 fall schedule. Sam Houston opened the fall schedule at the Rice Invitational in Houston. The Kats followed up with the ACU Invitational.

Following the ITA Regionals, the Bearkats will host the annual Bearkat Invitational October 25-27. Sam Houston will host several top opponents at the Chuck and Wanda Beckner Tennis Complex located at 515 Bowers Blvd across from the Don Sanders Stadium.