Wayne State University Athletics

Malak Arafat has won each of her last six singles matches for WSU.

Women's Tennis 4/16/2024 1:15:00 PM Matthew Jurek, Sports Information Graduate Assistant

Arafat Claims First Career GLIAC Women's Tennis Player of the Week Award

The sophomore went 2-0 in both singles and doubles last weekend.

DETROIT -- Wayne State University women's tennis sophomore Malak Arafat (Alexandria, Egypt) collected the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Women's Tennis Player of the Week award for the first time in her collegiate career, as announced by the league office on Tuesday afternoon.

Arafat helped WSU to a pair of crucial home victories over Grand Valley State (7-0) and Ferris State (6-1) last weekend to put the Warriors in command of the race for the GLIAC Regular-Season Championship.

Both of her singles wins came at the second flight over GVSU's Taylor Barrett (6-2, 6-3) and FSU's Sophie Daavettila (6-2, 6-1), which elevated her spring record to 12-6 with a perfect 5-0 mark in the GLIAC.

Arafat also paired with Martyna Szpakowska (Gdansk, Poland) for back-to-back 6-3 doubles triumphs against the Lakers' Vasileia Griva and Rachel Sam, as well as the Bulldogs' Daavettila and Parker Nolan. Together, Arafat and Szpakowska, who are ranked No. 48 nationally in Division II by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's (ITA) computerized rankings, have won each of their last six doubles matches together and are 14-2 overall this season.

In addition to this being Arafat's first career GLIAC Player of the Week recognition, the sophomore also became the third different women's tennis player to garner the award this spring. Anais Ruyssen (Nantes, France) on February 21 and Marta Komar (Inowroclaw, Poland) on March 6 were the other two Warriors to secure the honor in 2024.

Arafat and the rest of her Wayne State teammates will play the final two matches of the regular season this weekend at Purdue Northwest and Davenport. WSU and PNW will meet for a 2 p.m. Eastern first serve on Friday, April 19, before the Warriors and Panthers square off at 1 p.m. the following day on Saturday, April 20, in the regular-season finale.

Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

Malak Arafat: 5' 11"; Sophomore

Marta Komar: 5' 9"; Redshirt Junior

Anais Ruyssen: 5' 9"; Redshirt Junior

Martyna Szpakowska: 5' 8"; Sophomore

Players Mentioned

Malak Arafat
: 5' 11"; Sophomore

Marta Komar
: 5' 9"; Redshirt Junior

Anais Ruyssen
: 5' 9"; Redshirt Junior

Martyna Szpakowska
: 5' 8"; Sophomore