SAN DIEGO – San Diego State women's tennis head coach Peter Mattera announced the addition of graduate transfer Bunyawi Thamchaiwat (Boone-ya-wee hum-chai-watt) to the Scarlet and Black's roster for the 2021-22 campaign.
Thamchaiwat comes to The Mesa after a successful three-year stint at Oklahoma State, most recently earning ITA All-America status while advancing to the NCAA Individual Championships Round of 16 in her 2020-21 junior campaign.
"The entire Aztec Athletic family is extremely excited to have Bunyawi joining our program in the fall," head coach Peter Mattera stated proudly. "She is one of the best players in all of college tennis, finishing this past year ranked No. 17 in the ITA final rankings while making it to the round of 16 in the NCAA Women's Tennis Singles Championship Tournament. As an all-American in our sport, Bunyawi will elevate our program as a person, student, and athlete, and joins a very solid group of eight returning players."
In her all-American junior season, Thamchaiwat became just the second player in Oklahoma State history to be crowned Big 12 Player of the Year. For her efforts throughout the season, she earned an automatic qualification to the NCAA Division I Women's Tennis Singles Championships as the highest-ranking singles player in the conference. The Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand native finished the season with a 12-2 singles record, including a 1-0 record over nationally-ranked opponents. In doubles play, Bunyawi partnered with three different members of the Cowgirl program to accumulate a 10-8 record, playing more than half of those matches in the number one doubles spot.
As a sophomore, Bunyawi finished the season ranked No. 23 in the ITA rankings after recording a perfect 9-0 singles record with a 3-0 record against nationally ranked players. She was one of eight Cowgirls to receive recognition as an ITA Scholar-Athlete while she and partner Dariya Detkovskaya finished 39th overall in the ITA final fall doubles rankings. Alongside Lenka Stara, Bunyawi amassed an 8-1 record in doubles action, including a 7-1 clip in the number two doubles spot.
In her first season as a Cowgirl, Thamchaiwat had a nearly flawless Big 12 singles record, finishing the season with a 15-8 overall singles record (7-1 Big 12). Alongside now Aztec Tamara Arnold, the duo recorded a 16-5 record as Oklahoma State's primary number three doubles spot pair. She finished her freshman campaign ranked No. 103 in the nation in singles play.
Daughter of Thammarate and Bunruang Thamchaiwat, Bunyawi joins the Aztecs as a graduate transfer pursuing a master's degree in Interdisciplinary Studies. She has two remaining seasons of NCAA eligibility.