Kate Fakih and Anne-Christine Lutkemeyer, members of the UCLA women’s tennis team, received honors from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) on Tuesday. The ITA announced its annual Regional Awards, recognizing Fakih as the ITA Southwest Region Rookie of the Year and Lutkemeyer as the ITA Southwest Region Player to Watch. These awards were determined by votes from head coaches in the Southwest Region. The ITA National Awards are scheduled for release on Thursday.
Fakih’s impact was immediate during her first season, advancing to the NCAA Championships doubles tournament final with partner Olivia Center. This success contributed to their rise to No. 2 in the ITA doubles rankings. The duo achieved a 13-6 record against nationally-ranked pairs and secured nine doubles points for their team, earning All-America honors. Fakih also participated in the NCAA singles draw and twice reached No. 33 in the ITA singles rankings. Her debut dual-match season included a team-best six wins, leading UCLA with 59 total wins, 28 singles victories, and tying for first in doubles wins with 31 overall.
Lutkemeyer’s impressive season led to her selection for the All-Big Ten First Team. She primarily competed on Court 1 during dual matches, achieving a 10-4 record after previously playing on Court 5 in 2024. Her performance earned her a No. 16 ranking in ITA singles due to a strong showing against nationally-ranked opponents with a 13-7 record. In addition to her singles success, Lutkemeyer won the ITA West Sectional Championships singles title last fall and reached No. 27 in doubles rankings alongside Ahmani Guichard. She tied for team leadership with Fakih in dual-match singles wins (14) and dual-match doubles wins (17), concluding her season with a 27-10 singles record and a 29-10 mark in doubles play.
