Sam Houston Athletice Site

Sam Houston

Junior four-year letter-winner who has played a key role in the Bearkats’ first Southland Conference championship in 2021 … only Sam Houston women’s tennis letterwinner to be voted as both Conference “Player of the Year” and the leagues academic “Student-Athlete of the Year” in the same year twice (2018-19, 2021) … finished her junior season ranked among the top 2 at Sam Houston in six career statistics categories:
* 1st - overall singles win percentage (.818)
* 1st - dual match singles wins (63-11)
* 1st - dual match singles win percentage (.851)
* 1st - Southland Conference singles win percentage (.919)
* 2nd - overall singles victories (81-18)
* 2nd - Southland Conference singles victories (34-3) 

2021 Season
- Yamalapalli put together one of the greatest seasons in the program’s history, earning Southland Conference Player and Student-Athlete of the Year honors.
- She went 18-0 in dual match play, not dropping a single set at No. 1 single in leading the Bearkats to their first NCAA Division I conference championship.
- She was named first team All-Southland Conference after going a perfect 11-0 in league play.
- Yamalapalli was named the ITA Texas Region's Most Improved Senior of the Year. 
- She finished the season ranked No. 18 in the ITA Texas Region.
- She became the first Bearkat to ever crack the ITA/NCAA national rankings. She finished the season ranked No. 127 but reached as high as No. 109 during the spring.
- She was selected as an ITA Division I Women Scholar-Athlete.


2019-2020 Season
- Was off to another strong season as a junior before the coronavirus pandemic cut the season short.
- Was 11-2 overall at No. 1 singles and 3-1 in Southland Conference play.
- Had wins at No. 1 singles against nationally ranked Texas A&M, North Texas and Rice.
- Was named to the All-Southland Conference Academic first team.

2018-2019 Season
- First-team All-Southland Conference and Academic All-Conference selection.
- 2019 Southland Conference Player and Student-Athlete of the Year.
- Sam Houston “Most Valuable Player” award winner.
- Qualified for a berth in the 2019 Oracle ITA Masters Sept. 26-29 in Malibu, California.
- Rolled up 25-9 overall singles record (18-5 in dual match action).
- Went 10-1 in league No. 1 singles play, including a nine-match winning streak.
- 18 dual match wins tie program season record and 25 overall victories stands No. 5 in Bearkat annals.
- Produced a 4.0 grade-point average, majoring in food science and nutrition.
- Fourth tennis player in school history to be honored as the SLC women’s tennis Student-Athlete of the Year.

2017-2018 Season
- Ranked as one of the top freshmen in the 2018 Southland Conference race.
- Won 22 of her 26 matches, the third highest overall season singles victory total in Bearkat women’s tennis history.
- Her 16-4 dual match singles record stands as the third-highest wins total and second-best dual match winning percentage (.895) in SHSU annals.
- One of only five players ever to win 10 Southland Conference matches in a single season, going 10-1 in league play.
- For the spring, went 7-3 at No. 3 before moving up to the No. 2 position and posting a 9-1 mark.
- Went undefeated in flighted singles play in both the 2017 Rice Invitational and Sam Houston Fall Invitational tournaments.
 

Prior to Sam Houston State

Came to Sam Houston ranked among the top 35 of the U18 rankings in India and the top 100 in her country’s women’s open division … also listed in the world junior rankings and held a 10 UTR (Universal Tennis Rating)

Tennis Statistics

Singles         Dual Matches      Southland    
                   W-L                 W-L           

2018           16-4                 10-1           
2019           18-5                 10-1    
2020           11-2                   3-1
2021           18-0                 11-0
Totals          63-11               34-3