49ers Head To Oregon This Weekend
Beach Moves Up To No. 45 Nationally
February 21, 2006
PDF Version of Release Long Beach State Tennis (5-2 / 2-0 Big West ) (#45) | Long Beach State at Oregon
Friday, February 24, 1 pm, Eugene, Oregon | Long Beach State vs. Denver
Saturday, Febraury 25, 10 am, Eugene, Oregon | Long Beach State at Portland
Sunday, February 26, 10 am, Portland, Oregon |
The Records: The Long Beach State women's tennis team will hit the road this weekend when they play three matches in the state of Oregon. The 49ers are 5-2 on the season, having won five matches in a row, and jumped up to No. 45 in the latest FILA Collegiate Tennis Rankings. The No. 45 ranking is the highest-ever in school history. On Friday the 49ers tangle with No. 23-ranked Oregon (5-0) at 1 pm. Saturday The Beach plays No. 53-ranked University of Denver (3-4) at 10 am in Eugene and on Sunday the 49ers will play at the University of Portland (0-7).
The Coach: Head Coach Jenny Hilt-Costello (UCLA, 1994) is 121-78 (.608) in her ninth year at Long Beach State. She became the winningest women's tennis coach in school history with the 49ers 7-0 win over CS Fullerton on February 10. Hilt-Costello has led the 49ers to five consecutive appearances in the Big West Tournament Championship match, winning championships in 2002,d 2004 and 2005. She was voted the 2004 Big West Coach of the Year and the ITA West Region Coach of the Year.
The Series: The 49ers trail in their series with Oregon by a 6-4 margin. Last year the 49ers defeated the Ducks 4-3 at the 49er Tennis Courts. The previous year (2004) the 49ers lost 4-3 to Oregon. Long Beach is 0-1 all-time against the University of Denver, losing 4-1 in the 1993 season. The 49ers are 4-0 all-time against the University of Portland. The last win came in the 2003 season, a 7-0 victory in Long Beach.
Playing The Best: This year's schedule is full of nationally-ranked opponents once again. Of the 22 matches, 13 of the opponents are ranked in the current FILA/ITA Rankings. The 49ers are ranked #45 nationally, and are one of four Big West schools in the rankings. Pacific is ranked No. 69, UC Irvine No. 67 and UCSB No. 68.
National Ranking: The 49ers are ranked No. 45 in the nation this week, its best national ranking in school history. Last year the 49ers best ranking was at No. 57, exactly where the 49ers began the season in the pre-season poll. Long Beach ended the 2005 season ranked No. 59.
Bengson Named Co-Player of Week: Sophomore Stephanie Bengson was selected last week as the Big West Conference Female Co-Athlete of the Week. Bengson racked up straight sets singles wins over her opponents from Cal State Fullerton and Loyola Marymount, and she teamed up with Rachael Porsz to win two doubles matches at the No. 3 doubles position.
Double Your Pleasure: This spring the 49ers have excelled in doubles play. The Beach is a combined 16-5 (.762) in doubles matches and have won the doubles point in six of its seven spring matches. Hannah Grady and Jessica Weeks are 5-0 at the No. 2 spot, Grady and Krystina Katayama are 2-0 at No. 2 doubles and Rachael Porsz and Stephanie Bengson are 5-0 at No. 3 doubles. At the No. 1 spot, Sandra Rocha and Katy Williams are 4-3 while Porsz and Katayama are 0-2 at No. 3 doubles.
Hannah Grady: The newest addition to the squad is freshman Hannah Grady (Coventry, England). Grady joined the 49ers in January and is already making her presence felt. She competes at No. 1 singles and is currently 3-4 on the season. She has won her last two matches in impressive style. She beat Sylvia Gutierrez of CS Northridge last week 6-0, 6-0 and then downed Hawaii's Kana Aikawa 6-0, 6-1. Grady has teamed with Jessica Weeks at the No. 2 spot and that duo is an impressive 5-0 thus far this spring.
Katy Williams: Freshman Katy Williams (Stevenage, Herfordshire) had a great fall season compiling an 8-3 singles mark and an 8-2 doubles mark with Sandra Rocha. Thus far this spring she is 5-2 in singles, playing at the No. 2 spot and 4-3 with Rocha at the No. 1 doubles position. Williams has won her last five singles matches, including picking up a 7-6, 6-7, 6-4 win over San Diego State's Alesya Vidov. In doubles, the duo racked up an impressive 8-5 win on January 28 defeating Pepperdine's Sylvia Kosakowski and Merve Asimgil. Kosakowski and Asimgil were ranked No. 22 in the country in doubles heading into the spring season. Williams finished the fall ranked No. 24 in the West Region in singles play, while Rocha and Williams were ranked No. 15 in doubles.
Stephanie Bengson: The reigning Big West Freshman of the Year, Stephanie Bengson (Albion Park, NSW, Australia), is back and healthy after missing the fall due to shoulder surgery. Bengson is competing at the No. 3 spot and is 4-3, having won four of her last five matches. Saturday she defeated Erin Katayama of Hawaii, 6-1, 6-1. In doubles, Bengson is teamed with Rachael Porsz at the No. 3 spot and that duo is an impressive 5-0 thus far this spring.
Sandra Rocha: Junior Sandra Rocha (Pomona, CA) had her best fall as a 49er compiling a singles mark of 6-3 and teaming with Katy Williams in doubles to post an 8-2 mark. Rocha was ranked No. 27 in the West Region in singles while she and Williams are ranked No. 15 in doubles. Rocha is 5-2 in singles play, competing at the No. 4 spot, having won her last five matches. She swept her two opponents last week in straight sets. Her last four victories in singles have come in straight sets. In doubles she teams with Katy Williams at the No. 1 spot. They are currently 4-3 this spring with a victory coming over No. 21-ranked Sylvia Kosakowski and Merve Asimgil of Pepperdine, 8-5.
Rachel Porsz: Junior Rachael Porsz (St. Ives, Cambridgeshire, England) is off to a great start this fall. Porsz is 5-1 in singles action this spring (2-0 at No. 5, 3-1 at No. 6), having won her last four matches. Porsz competed at the No. 6 singles spot in the opener at USC and won her match 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 over Whitney Peterson. Porsz is teamed with Stephanie Bengson at the No. 3 doubles spot and that duo is an impressive 5-0 thus far.
Jessica Weeks: Another newcomer who has cracked the starting line-up is freshman Jessica Weeks (Beckenham, Kent, England). Weeks is 3-2 this spring in singles action thus far, having won her last three matches. She has teamed with Hannah Grady at the No. 2 doubles spot and that duo is an impressive 5-0 thus far. They defeated the No. 22-ranked team of Dulgheru/Dickes of Pepperdine 8-5 on January 28.
Emmanuelle Tabatruong: Sophomore Emmanuelle Tabatruong (Bagneux, France) has played three matches at the No. 6 singles spot this spring and is 2-1. Last Saturday she defeated Fenja Shaw of Hawaii 6-0, 6-3. On Feb. 10 she defeated Ashley Dunbar of CS Fullerton 6-1, 6-0. |
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