49ers Head To Big West Championships
Beach Is The No. 1 Seed In The Bracket
April 20, 2006
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2006 Big West Tennis Championship Bracket Long Beach State Tennis (18-4 / 7-0 Big West ) (#27) | Big West Conference Women's Tennis Championships
April 28-30, Indian Wells Tennis Gardens
Friday, April 28: Long Beach State vs. UC Riverside, 9 am |
The Records: Long Beach State heads to the 2006 Big West Conference championships this weekend as the No. 1 seed in the bracket. The 49ers, who are ranked No. 27 nationally, are 18-4 overall and finished a perfect 7-0 in the Big West. The 49ers won the Big West regular season title. The 49ers first opponent will be No. 8 seed UC Riverside. The 49ers and the Highlanders will tangle on Friday at 9 am at the Indian Wells Tennis Gardens in Indian Wells, CA. The 49ers are looking for their third consecutive tournament championship.
The Coach: Head Coach Jenny Hilt-Costello (UCLA, 1994) is 134-80 (.626) 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, 2004 and 2005. She was voted the 2004 Big West Coach of the Year and the ITA West Region Coach of the Year.
Tournament Seeds: The 49ers are the No. 1 seed at the Big West Women's Tennis Championships. The complete schedule is listed below.
Friday, April 28
9 am: #1 Long Beach State vs. #8 UC Riverside
9 am: #2 UC Irvine vs. #7 CS Fullerton
3 pm: #3 Cal Poly vs. #6 Pacific
3 pm: #4 UCSB vs. #5 CS Northridge
Saturday, April 29
9 am: LBSU/UCR winner vs. UCSB/CSN winner
9 am: UCI/CSF winner vs. CP/UOP winner
Sunday, April 30
9 am: Championship Match
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 currently 10-4 vs. ranked teams. The 49ers are ranked #27 nationally.
National Ranking: The 49ers are ranked No. 27 in the nation this week. The 49ers began the season in the pre-season poll ranked No. 57. From there they were ranked No. 47, No. 45, No. 46, No. 35, No. 25, No. 20, No. 18, No. 20, No. 23, No. 28 and No. 27 this week.
Championship Run: The 49ers won the Big West Conference title in 2002, 2004 and 2005. They are aiming for a three-peat this weekend. Long Beach State has won its last six matches at the Big West Tournament and are 13-2 (.867) over the past five years. The 49ers have advanced to the tournament championship match five consecutive years. Overall, the 49ers are 25-19 (.568) in Big West Tournaments.
Double Your Pleasure: This spring the 49ers have excelled in doubles play. The Beach is a combined 48-15 (.762) in doubles matches and have won the doubles point 17 times in spring matches. Hannah Grady and Jessica Weeks are 16-1 this year with 13 wins coming at the No. 2 spot and three at No. 1 singles. They are currently ranked No. 30 in the country.
Doubles Wins: Junior Sandra Rocha is closing in the career record for individual doubles wins. Rocha, who is 20-11 this year in doubles with Katy Williams, now stands at 63 career doubles wins, number three all-time. The record is 67 set by Kelly Chan (2001-04). Rocha has also accumulated 109 career victories (47 singles/63 doubles) to rank fourth all-time. The school record is 133 set by Havaja Frljuckic (1984-87) (70 singles wins/63 doubles wins).
Hannah Grady: Freshman Hannah Grady (Coventry, England) has had a great spring thus far competing at the No. 1 singles spot. Grady is 15-5 and has won 14 of her last 15 matches. Her only loss during that time came to the No. 19-ranked player in the country (Melanie Gloria, Fresno State). Grady is ranked No. 67 in the nation in singles play. Grady has been selected as the Big West Female Athlete of the Week four times this season. She is 5-2 this spring against nationally-ranked opponents. In doubles, Grady teams with Jessica Weeks and they are 16-1 this spring and ranked No. 32 in the country.
Katy Williams: Freshman Katy Williams (Stevenage, Herfordshire) is 16-6 this spring, including a 15-5 mark at No. 2 singles. She has won her last four matches heading into the Big West Championships and is 0-3 vs. nationally-ranked players this spring. Williams teams with Sandra Rocha in doubles and they are 12-9 (8-9 at No. 1, 4-0 at No. 2) this spring.
Stephanie Bengson: The reigning Big West Freshman of the Year, Stephanie Bengson (Albion Park, NSW, Australia), competes at No. 3 singles and is 14-7 this spring. Bengson was named the Big West Co-Athlete of the Week on February 14. On March 7 she earned a 6-4, 7-5 win over No. 73-ranked Lana Krasnopolsky of Boston College. Bengson teams up with Rachael Porsz at No. 3 doubles and they stand at 16-3 thus far this spring.
Sandra Rocha: Junior Sandra Rocha (Pomona, CA) was named the Big West Female Tennis Athlete of the Week on March 9 after recording straight sets wins against UC Irvine and Pacific. Rocha is 17-4 this spring at the No. 4 spot having won seven matches in a row and 17 of her last 19. Fourteen of her victories this spring have come in straight sets. In doubles, Rocha and Katy Williams are 12-9 this spring (8-9 at No. 1, 4-0 at No. 2). Earlier this spring they picked up a win over No. 22-ranked Kosakowski/Asimgil of Pepperdine, 8-5.
Jessica Weeks: Freshman Jessica Weeks (Beckenham, Kent, England) is competing at the No. 5 spot in singles play and is 13-7 thus far in the spring. In doubles, Weeks teams with Hannah Grady and that duo is 16-1 (3-1 at No. 1, 13-0 at No. 2). They are ranked No. 32 in the nation in doubles. Earlier this spring they defeated No. 21-ranked Dulgheru and Dickes of Pepperdine, 8-5.
Rachel Porsz: Junior Rachael Porsz (St. Ives, Cambridgeshire, England) is 16-5 this spring in singles play. Porsz has won three of her last four matches and earlier this spring had a nine-match win streak. Porsz is teamed with Stephanie Bengson at the No. 3 doubles spot and that duo is an impressive 16-3 thus far.
2006 Roster
2006 Schedule/Results
2006 Statistics |
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