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September 2013:
YONKERS, N.Y. — Yonkers tennis star Nelo Phiri will be playing college tennis at the University of Louisiana in the fall.
Graduating from Tyler Junior College, Phiri, who plays club tennis and trains at Kela Tennis Club in Mount Vernon, signed a National Letter of Intent for the 2013-2014 semester at the Lafayette, La. university.
Phiri was one of the top players in the country, gaining a five star rating and a national ranking of No. 34 by Tennisrecruitng.net. During her time at Tyler Junior College (Tyler. Texas), Phiri helped the Apache win two national team titles and a national doubles title.
The Yonkers native has competed at the highest levels of tennis obtaining an ITF junior world ranking of No. 180 and WTA world ranking of No. 1088.
“This is an exciting time for the program,” Louisiana coach Greg Harkins said. “We were fortunate to be in the right place at the right time to offer Nelo a position on the team. She is a seasoned veteran who knows how to handle the pressures of high-level tennis. Her experience adds credibility to a young squad that returns almost everyone from last year’s line up.”
From a report by Leina Brraga of Kela Tennis
AT PRESENT
Spring 2014: Went 8-12 in singles play, including winning seven of 17 matches at No. 1 singles … also earned a win at No. 2 singles … was 14-9 overall in doubles play … teamed up with Nicole Breaux to post a 14-8 doubles record … finished 11-7 in No. 1 doubles with Breaux … put together a stretch of winning eight consecutive doubles matches.
Prior to UL: Received a five star rating and a national ranking of No. 34 by Tennisrecruitng.net… Helped guide Tyler Junior College to two national team titles and a national doubles title…Competed at the highest levels of tennis obtaining an ITF junior world ranking of No. 254 and WTA world ranking of No. 1088.
Personal: Full name is Nelo Phiri…Daughter of Donald Phiri and Kai Namunyola…Has four brothers, Donald, Patrick, Casper and Mwalimu…Majoring in mass communications.
| Nelo Phiri |
| SINGLES | Team/School | Pos | Opponent (Rank Nat/Reg) | Singles score | |||
| Oct 4-5, 2013 | vs | Southern Miss | Carolin Drescher | Lost 2-6, 5-7 | |||
| Oct 4-5, 2013 | vs | Mississippi State | Timea Guibe | Lost 2-6, 4-6 | |||
| Oct 11-12, 2013 | vs | Houston | Maria Cardenas | Lost 3-6, 3-6 | |||
| Oct 25-26, 2013 | vs | Nicholls State | Katya Nakonechna | – | |||
| Feb 01, 2014 | JACKSON STATE | Akshatha Ananth | Won 6-1, 6-2 | ||||
| Feb 05, 2014 | at | Southern | Gabrielle Moore | Won 6-4, 6-1 | |||
| Feb 08, 2014 | at | Texas State | Jessica Kahts | Lost 2-6, 0-6 | |||
| Feb 9, 2014 | at | UTSA | Jacobea Junger | Lost 1-6, 3-6 | |||
| Feb 12, 2014 | XAVIER (LA.) | Nour Abbes | Lost retired | ||||
| Feb 18, 2014 | TEXAS A&M – CORPUS CHRISTI | Maider Martin | – 6-4, 2-0, unfinished | ||||
| Feb 19, 2014 | SOUTHEASTERN LA. | Nastya Tokareva | Won 6-1, 7-5 | ||||
| Feb 22, 2014 | at | Northwestern State | Tatiana Larina | Lost 1-6, 7-6, 7-10 | |||
| Feb 22, 2014 | vs | Prairie View A&M | Taylor LeFridge | Won 6-4, 6-1 | |||
| Mar 2, 2014 | at | College of Charleston | Brooke McAmis | Lost 1-6, 2-6 | |||
| Mar 07, 2014 | STEPHEN F. AUSTIN | Denise Maxl | – 6-3, 6-7, 2-1, unfinished | ||||
| Mar 09, 2014 | TEXAS – PAN AMERICAN | Didi Fatchikova | Won 6-0, 6-1 | ||||
| Mar 10, 2014 | #68 UNIVERSITY OF NORTH FLORIDA | Simona Weymar | Lost 4-6, 3-6 | ||||
| % | 3/12/2014 | at | McNeese | Klaudia Gawlik | Lost 0-6, 0-6 | ||
| Mar 14, 2014 | LOUISIANA TECH | Alexandra Starkova | Lost 3-6, 6-7 | ||||
| Mar 18, 2014 | ALCORN STATE UNIVERSITY | Kersten Vanem | Won 7-6, 6-4 | ||||
| Mar 29, 2014 | vs | Troy | Trang Huynh | Lost 1-6, 1-6 | |||
| Mar 30, 2014 | at | South Alabama | Meszarosova, Mich. | Won 3-6, 6-2, 1-0 | |||
| % | Apr 4, 2014 | at | ULM | Blankvoort, Medy | Lost 0-6, 3-6 | ||
| Apr 9, 2014 | at | Nicholls State | Stephanie Barnett (102/-) | Lost 6-7, 6-3, 6-7 | |||
| Apr 13, 2014 | SOUTHERN MISS | Carolin Drescher | Lost 6-7, 3-6 | ||||
| Apr 17, 2014 | vs | #9 Western Kentucky | Monta Reinfelde | Won 6-3, 6-2 | |||
| Apr 18, 2014 | vs | #66 #1 Georgia State | Abigail Tere-Apisah (20/3) | – 2-6, 4-3, unfinished | |||
| SINGLES | Team/School | Pos | Opponent (Rank Nat/Reg) | Singles score | |||
| Feb 11, 2015 | SOUTHERN | Syori, Laura | Won 6-2, 6-3 | ||||
| Feb 11, 2015 | XAVIER (LA.) | Nour Abbes | Lost 3-6, 0-3 | ||||
| Feb 14, 2015 | at | Stephen F. Austin | Malena Gordo | – unfinished | |||
| 2/15/2015 | at | #35 Rice | Natalie Beazant (35/-) | Lost 1-6, 2-6 | |||
| 2/21/2015 | at | Southern Miss | Carolin Drescher | Lost 3-6, 4-6 | |||
| Feb 21, 2015 | vs | Jackson State | Ilona Zuishiluk | Won 6-1, 6-1 | |||
| Feb 22, 2015 | at | New Orleans | Soledad Calderon | Lost 0-6, 6-7 | |||
| * | Feb 28, 2015 | at | Troy | Sanae Ohta | Lost 3-6, 2-6 | ||
| % | Mar 01, 2015 | at | Samford | Stephanie N’tcha | Lost 6-4, 1-6, 0-1 | ||
| Mar 04, 2015 | MCNEESE STATE | Klaudia Gawlik | Lost 4-6, 3-6 | ||||
| Mar 04, 2015 | ALCORN STATE | Aida Kelic | – 6-2, 1-6, 5-5, unfinished | ||||
| Mar 07, 2015 | AIR FORCE | Rizvi, Natasha | – 1-6, 3-2, unfinished | ||||
| * | Mar 23, 2015 | at | ULM | Amy Olivier | Lost 1-6, 3-6 | ||
| Mar 25, 2015 | LAMAR | Lapayeva, Katya | Lost 3-6, 6-3, 1-6 | ||||
| Mar 28, 2015 | SOUTH ALABAMA | Valkova, Laura | Lost 2-6, 3-6 | ||||
| Mar 31, 2015 | NICHOLLS | Klara Skopac | Lost 7-5, 1-6, 4-6 | ||||
| * | Apr 02, 2015 | at | UT Arlington | de los Rios, Angeles | Lost 0-6, 0-6 | ||
| Apr 04, 2015 | at | Texas State | Monica Pieratt | – 3-6, 2-3, unfinished | |||
| Apr 04, 2015 | ARKANSAS STATE | Gauguery, Julie | Won 6-4, 6-3 | ||||
Photo Credit: Kela Tennis
