Cougars announce three new signees for 2016-17

PROVO, Utah – BYU women's tennis head coach Lauren Jones-Spencer announced the signing of junior college transfer Natella Nabieva and high school seniors Samantha Smith of Henderson, NV and Kate Cusick of Provo, Utah, Tuesday. Nabieva will join the Cougars at the start of the winter 2016 semester for the 2015-2016 season while Smith and Cusick will arrive in the fall of the 2016-2017 season.

"I'm very excited about our 2016-17 class," Jones-Spencer said. "All three girls will make a great impact immediately for our program and I am really looking forward to working with these three players and helping them to develop their game."

Nabieva, a native of Tashkent, Uzbekistan, will join the Cougars this coming January. As a freshman at State College of Florida, Nabieva was named the FCSAA Player of the Year in the state and region after winning the 2015 FCSAA No. 1 Singles Championship. She was ranked No. 6 in singles by the ITA for Women's NJCAA. Nabeva and doubles partner Amiena Houston finished the 2015 season ranked 14th nationally.  

"I'm super excited to come to BYU," Nabieva said. "I can't wait for the upcoming season with the team." 

"Natella will be a strong asset in our lineup, both for singles and doubles," Jones-Spencer said. "I was impressed with her work ethic and love for the game. She served as team captain at State College of Florida and I'm sure she will bring those leadership skills with her to Provo." 

Smith, a senior at Coronado High School, is currently ranked No. 5 in the Intermountain Girls 18 rankings and will join the team in Fall of 2016-17. She was an individual Nevada High School State Champion in 2014 and achieved a No. 2 ranking in the Intermountain Girls 16 rankings.  

"I can't wait to be on the team at BYU," Smith said. 

"I've had the opportunity to see Sam's game develop over the years and I'm confident she will excel in college tennis," Jones-Spencer said. "She is a solid player who will keep getting better and is already a great fit for our program at BYU."

Cusick, originally from Provo, is a senior at Saddlebrook Tennis Academy in Wesley Chapel, FL and will also join the Cougars in Fall of 2016-17. Cusick won the Utah 4A High School Girls Tennis No.1 Singles State Championship and was recognized as the No. 1 Utah Valley High School Female Athlete in 2013. She is a four-star recruit and is ranked in the top 30 junior players in Florida. 

"I'm so excited to sign with BYU," Cusick said. "I'm excited to start at BYU and can't wait to go back to the mountains." 

"Kate is a very talented player and has spent the past couple of years training hard in Florida and she's really starting to soar," Jones-Spencer said. "At 6-0, she has a big game and will only continue to improve. She has great character and will fit well with our program."