RUSTON – Louisiana Tech swept the first Conference USA Women's Tennis weekly awards of the 2026 season as Isabella Walker was named Athlete of the Week while also teaming up with Zoie Epps to receive Doubles Team of the Week honors, as announced by the league office Wednesday.
 
Seeing her first career dual action, Walker was not afraid of the moment at the four-team round robin Hurricane Invite in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  The true freshman went a perfect 3-0 in singles, helping the Bulldogs secure a come-from-behind 4-3 victory over Wyoming and a 5-2 win over reigning OVC regular season champion Southeast Missouri to open the 2026 campaign.
 
In her first career dual singles match, the Bulldogs were down 3-1 before storming back and getting the clinching point over the Cowgirls from Walker who defeated Ruby Young (WYO) 6-4, 6-2 at No. 6. She followed that up the same day on court six by dominating Lilitha Ndungane of host Tulsa 6-3, 6-1, a Golden Hurricane team that finished 37th in the country last season and participated in the NCAA Tournament.
 
She then capped off her opening weekend with a swift 6-4, 6-0 victory over Mia Mayerova (SEMO) at the No. 5 position.  Walker was one of only two players at the event to go undefeated in singles without dropping a set. 
 
Walker also partnered with Epps to go 2-1 during the opening weekend.  The duo played at the No. 1 position in all three matches, getting their first victory of the season in dominating fashion, defeating Isabella Basson/Tayla Wilmot of Tulsa 6-1.  The tandem then clinched the doubles point for the Bulldogs with a 7-5 victory over Yontha Tadoum/Sofia Zemtsova of SEMO.
 
Walker becomes the first freshman in program history to receive a CUSA Weekly award.  Meanwhile, this is the fourth time Epps has been part of a CUSA Doubles Team of the Week, an award that began last season.
 
LA Tech is scheduled to be back in action on Saturday, Jan. 31 when the Bulldogs play their home opener against UL-Lafayette.  First serve is set for 11 a.m. CT at the LA Tech Tennis Complex.
 
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