HUNTSVILLE – Sam Houston tennis head coach Rob Hubbard has announced the recent signing of three recruits for the 2026-27 season.
The Bearkats received commitments from Viktorie (Vika) Zidelova, Karolina Valentova and Maria Gajete. Each prospect brings an impressive resume to the program that Hubbard feels should help his squad compete well in Conference USA.
Viktorie (Vika) Zidelov
A top junior from the Czech Republic, Zidelova brings a career best ITF Jr ranking of 218 in the world along with a UTR as high as 9.63. She was the tournament champion for an ITF J60 as well as singles finalist in both an ITF J60 and J100 event. Zidelova brings a wealth of doubles experience too, being a 3-time champion in ITF J100 doubles tournaments and finalist in the Czech National Championships. She has also been competing in ITF Women's Tour events and has been ranked as high as 984 in the world.
Hubbard on Zidelov: "As you can see by Vika's experience on the international tennis scene, she is a committed tennis player with high aspirations. We are extremely excited to bring Vika's type of dedication and motivation to our program as she is a strong fit with our culture. I look forward to watching her excel in her collegiate career at Sam Houston."
Karolina Valentova
Also coming to Sam Houston from the Czech Republic, Valentova brings a strong level of international experience to the table. She has secured a world ITF junior ranking as high as 813 as she continues to compete on the ITF Women's Tour. She was a singles finalist in an ITF J60 and 2-time finalist in ITF J30 tournaments. She also brings with her valuable doubles experience as a 2-time finalist in ITF J100 doubles tournaments. Valemtova has achieved a UTR as high as 9.32.
Hubbard on Valentova: "We are very excited to welcome Karolina into the Bearkat Tennis Family. Her commitment to, as well as excellence in, the game is the model that we continue to recruit for our tennis program. She will definitely be a very strong addition to the tennis team next fall and I am excited to see how her college career unfolds."
Maria Gajete
A rising star in the juniors in Spain, Gajete's ratings and rankings have been on a strong upward path over the past year as she competed both on the ITF Jr and Women's Tour. She is 2-time quarterfinalist in ITF J30 and 2-time quarterfinalist in ITF J60 tournaments. Her doubles game has also been shining as she is a recent finalist in an ITF J30 and semifinalist in an ITF J30. Gajete has also produced a UTR of 8.5 to date.
Hubbard on Gajete: "I am very excited about Maria and the potential she brings to the Sam Houston Tennis Family. Maria has a passion and dedication to the game that is absolutely ideal for our program. She is another strong fit for our tennis team and culture. It will be great watching her excel on the collegiate scene here at Sam."
