LAKE CHARLES – McNeese Cowgirl tennis coach Giorgia Pozzan announced on Thursday the signing of Yukina Abe, a graduate of the Weil Preparatory School and Tennis Academy (Ojai, California).
 
Abe comes to McNeese as a three-star recruit and a No. 134 RPI ranking following her 2019 season. The 2020 slate was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
During her time at Weil, Abe saw her RPI rise from 549 as a freshman to 134 her junior year where she posted an 18-10 record, including a 19-7 mark against 2-4 star players.
 
"I am extremely excited to welcome Yukina to the McNeese family," said Pozzan. "Yukina embodies all of the qualities I look for in any future Cowgirl. She is talented, hard-working, humble and most importantly, wants to be challenged and is eager to improve and grow both as a player and as a person. I believe Yukina is going to be a great asset for us and will be a great competitor and a diligent student. I know she will represent McNeese State University to the best of her abilities from the moment she steps on campus."
 
The Cowgirls will welcome Abe with open arms after a spring season that saw the team having to play one person short for all matches before the season was canceled due to the pandemic.
 
Abe is eager to get to work as a Cowgirl.
 
"During my visit, I could tell that McNeese State University had all of the things I was looking for - kind and strong teammates, great coaches and staff and academic excellence," she said. "I want to become a Southland Conference champion with my new teammates while wearing the blue and gold. I cannot wait to get this journey started. Geaux Pokes!"
 
Weil Academy provides student-athletes with the critical training time they need to train and compete year-round, as well as the most efficient use of their academic time, setting up its student-athletes for a successful college tennis, academic and scholarship opportunity and has trained many junior world champions in the process.