49ers Head To NCAA's
Beach To Take On New Mexico In First Round
May 8, 2006
PDF Version of Release Long Beach State Tennis (21-4 / 7-0 Big West ) (#27) | NCAA Women's Tennis Championships
First Round
Friday, May 12
#27 Long Beach State vs. #46 New Mexico, 11 am
#2 USC vs. Army, 2 pm
Second Round
Saturday, May 12
2 pm: Friday's Winners |
The Records: Long Beach State is ranked No. 27 in the nation and captured its third consecutive Big West Conference Championship. The 49ers are 21-4 on the season and have won seven matches in a row. Long Beach was selected as the No. 2 seed at the USC bracket and will take on the University of New Mexico on Friday, May 12 at 11 am. No. 1 seed USC will take on No. 4 seed Army in Friday's other match at 2 pm. The two winners meet on Saturday at 2 pm with that winner advancing to the NCAA Team Championships on May 18-27 at Stanford. USC is ranked No. 2 in the country and New Mexico stands at No. 46. Army is unranked.
The Coach: Head Coach Jenny Hilt-Costello (UCLA, 1994) is 137-80 (.631) 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 six consecutive appearances in the Big West Tournament Championship match, winning championships in 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2006. She was voted the 2004 Big West Coach of the Year and the ITA West Region Coach of the Year and was the league's Coach of the Year this season (2006) as well.
Playing The Best: This year's schedule is full of nationally-ranked opponents once again. Of the 25 matches, 15 were against teams that were nationally-ranked when they met the 49ers. LBSU went 11-4 in those matches.
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 for the past two weeks have been at No. 27.
Championship Run: The 49ers have won three consecutive Big West Conference titles, plus they won the crown in 2002, making it four in the past five years. Long Beach State has won its last nine matches at the Big West Tournament and are 16-2 (.889) over the past six years. The 49ers have advanced to the tournament championship match six consecutive years. Overall, the 49ers are 28-19 (.596) in Big West Tournaments.
Against The Field: The 49ers went 3-4 against teams that made the 2006 NCAA Championships this season. LBSU defeated San Diego State, Nebraska and Florida International. Losses came to USC, Fresno State, Pepperdine at UIC.
All-Conference Honors: Freshman Hannah Grady was selected as the Big West Conference Player and Freshman of the Year when the conference teams were announced on May 2. She was a first team selection in singles and doubles along with partner Jessica Weeks. Katy Williams earned first team honors in singles and in doubles with partner Sandra Rocha. Stephanie Bengson was named second team all-league in singles, as was Rocha. The doubles team of Bengson and Rachael Porsz earned honorable mention honors. Head Coach Jenny Hilt-Costello was named the Big West Coach of the Year.
Double Your Pleasure: This spring the 49ers have excelled in doubles play. The Beach is a combined 55-16 (.775) in doubles matches and have won the doubles point 20 times in their 25 spring matches. Hannah Grady and Jessica Weeks are 19-1 this year with 13 wins coming at the No. 2 spot and six at No. 1 singles. They are currently ranked No. 41 in the country. Sandra Rocha and Katy Williams are 14-10 this spring and are ranked No. 57 in the country while Stephanie Bengson and Rachael Porsz have compiled an 18-3 doubles mark at the No. 3 position.
Doubles Wins: Junior Sandra Rocha is closing in the career record for individual doubles wins. Rocha, who is 22-12 this year in doubles with Katy Williams, now stands at 65 career doubles wins, number two all-time. The record is 67 set by Kelly Chan (2001-04). Rocha has also accumulated 115 career victories (50 singles/65 doubles) to rank third all-time and . The school record is 133 set by Havaja Frljuckic (1984-87) (70 singles wins/63 doubles wins). She also had 50 career singles wins to rank No. 5 in school history (record is 70 set by Frljuckic).
Singles Wins: Both Sandra Rocha and Katy Williams are closing in the school record for singles win in a single season. The record is 28 set by Alena Dvornikova (28-7) and Anastasia Dvornikova (28-9) in the 2002 season. Williams is 27-9 this year in singles play while Rocha checks in at 26-7.
Hannah Grady: Freshman Hannah Grady (Coventry, England) has had a great spring thus far competing at the No. 1 singles spot. Grady is 18-5 and has won 17 of her last 18 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 6-2 this spring against nationally-ranked opponents. In doubles, Grady teams with Jessica Weeks and they are 19-1 this spring and ranked No. 41 in the country.
Katy Williams: Freshman Katy Williams (Stevenage, Herfordshire) is 19-6 this spring, including a 18-5 mark at No. 2 singles. She has won her last seven matches after winning each of her singles matches at the Big West Championships. Williams teams with Sandra Rocha in doubles and they are 14-10 (8-9 at No. 1, 6-1 at No. 2) this spring and ranked No. 57.
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 18-3 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 20-4 this spring at the No. 4 spot having won 10 matches in a row and 20 of her last 22. Seventeen of her victories this spring have come in straight sets. In doubles, Rocha and Katy Williams are 14-10 this spring (8-9 at No. 1, 6-1 at No. 2) and ranked No. 57 in the nation. 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 13-8 thus far in the spring. In doubles, Weeks teams with Hannah Grady and that duo is 19-1 (6-1 at No. 1, 13-0 at No. 2). They are ranked No. 41 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 18-3 thus far.
2006 Roster
2006 Schedule/Results
2006 Statistics |
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