June 10, 2015
With one more open space on the Mean Green roster, head coach Sujay Lama has announced the signing of Maria Kononova from Ufa, Russia. Konokova is a transfer from Bashkir Institute in Russia and will be eligible to play for North Texas next season as a freshman.
Maria Kononova
- Has won a total of five Russian National titles
- Defeated Anastasia Chikalkina (No. 177 ITF Jr. / No. 1035 WTA) 6-3, 6-1
- Defeated Tatiana Nikoaeva (No. 288 ITF Jr.) 6-4, 6-4
- Defeated Aleksandra Kuznetsova (No. 295 ITF Jr.) 6-3, 7-5
- Qualified for Kazan, Russia 10K
- Defeated No. 2 seed Anastasia Rudakova (No. 438 WTA) 6-4, 6-3
Maria: "Joining North Texas is a step of paramount importance in my life, and I'm thankful for Coach Lama and Coach Hammond for believing in me. It's a great opportunity to get an education and keep improving my tennis. I can't wait to join the team and begin the season because I'm really looking forward to being a part of such a strong and competitive team. I'm sure that my new teammates will become my second family and I believe this will be an amazing new experience."
Coach Lama: "Maria is a very gifted tennis player and an outstanding student. She has tremendous work ethic and drive to take her game to the next level. We are very excited to have her join the Mean Green tennis family. We can't wait for Maria and the other three incoming freshmen to be here."
