49ers Open Season On Wednesday At USC
Beach Ranked No. 27 In Nation
January 19, 2007
PDF Version of Release This Week:
Wednesday, January 24 at #3 USC, 12:30 pm
Friday, January 26 vs. San Francisco, 2 pm, 49er Campus Courts |
This Week: The Long Beach State women's tennis team, ranked No. 27 in the nation, opens up the spring portion of its schedule this week with two matches. On Wednesday, the 49ers open up at No. 3-ranked USC at 12:30 pm. Friday afternoon will be the home opener for the 49ers as they host the University of San Francisco at 2 pm at the 49er Campus Courts.
Last Year: The 49ers were 22-5 last year, won their third consecutive Big West Conference Championship and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Championships. Long Beach concluded the season ranked No. 26 in the country, its highest final ranking in school history. USC was 21-4 last year (7-1 in Pac 10 play) and finished the season ranked No. 3 in the nation. The Women of Troy advanced to the NCAA Semifinals before falling to Miami (FL), 4-1. San Francisco was 13-7 last season and 5-4 against WCC competition. The Dons open their spring season with a trip to Southern California to take on the 49ers (Jan. 26), UC Irvine (Jan. 27) and Cal State Fullerton (Jan. 28).
The Series: Long Beach State trails in its series with USC by a 23-0 count. The Trojans defeated the 49ers two times last year. On January 20, USC defeated the 49ers 6-1 at USC to open the season. The Trojans then knocked the 49ers in the second round of the NCAA Championships at USC, 4-0. Long Beach leads its series with San Francisco by a 3-0 margin. The last meeting came back in the 1996 season when the 49ers defeated the Dons 9-0 at USF.
The Coach: Head Coach Jenny Hilt-Costello (UCLA, 1994) is 138-81 (.630) in her tenth year at Long Beach State. 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 Big West Coach of the Year in 2001, 2004, 2005 and 2006, and she was the 2004 ITA West Region Coach of the Year. Three of Hilt-Costello's players have won Big West Conference Player of the Year Awards. Her teams are the only 49er tennis teams to have ever been nationally-ranked, reach a conference final, win a conference title and reach the NCAA Tournament. She currently possesses the school-record for single season (22 wins in 2001 and 2006) and career (138) coaching victories at Long Beach State.
Quotes From Hilt-Costello: Head Coach Jenny Hilt-Costello talks about the upcoming week for Long Beach State women's tennis as they kick off the 2007 spring season.
"This will be an interesting season as we play through much higher expectations and teams prepare to see Beach Tennis. It is always nice to get off the practice courts and see where we stand. We started and finished with USC last year, so it is interesting to see where we benchmark each season. They are a legitimate national championship contender, and that gives us a real read on our status and where we need work. USC is a class program and that is why we always seek to open with them. USF is a comer that just got full scholarship funding last year, like we did in 2001. They have made some key additions and this gives our squad an early season opportunity to face come quality opposition before we begin conference play with Fullerton and Northridge."
Playing The Best: This year's spring schedule is full of nationally-ranked opponents once again. Of the 23 matches, 12 of the opponents are nationally-ranked (USC #3, VCU #13, Pepperdine #14, Fresno State #21, Florida International #35, Iowa #36, San Diego State #39, Penn #41, UNLV #48, UC Irvine #55, LMU #68, and UCSB #73). The 49ers are ranked No. 27 in the country in the FILA Collegiate Tennis Rankings, administered by the ITA (1/9/07).
Individual National Rankings: In the women's singles and doubles rankings, which were released on January 9, the 49er doubles team of Hannah Grady and Jessica Weeks were ranked No. 48 in the country. In the pre-season rankings (September 8) Grady was ranked No. 38 in the nation in singles, while Katy Williams checked in at No. 85. In doubles, the team of Grady and Weeks ranked No. 23.
Regional Rankings: In the final fall West Regional Rankings (12/8/06), Hannah Grady was ranked No. 15 in the region and Katy Williams checked in at No. 26. In doubles, Grady and Jessica Weeks were No. 6 while Stephanie Bengson and Katy Williams were No. 12.
Academic Success: The 49er women's tennis team has succeeded in the classroom as well as on the court. This past fall the team had cumulative gpa of 3.56, tops among all 49er athletic teams. Four student-athletes earned a perfect 4.0 gpa in the fall 2006 semester. Last season the 49ers were selected as an ITA All-Academic Team and had four student-athletes named as ITA Scholar-Athletes (Stephanie Bengson, Krystina Katayama, Rachael Porsz, Jessica Weeks).
Hannah Grady: Began the 2006-07 season ranked No. 38 in singles in the ITA pre-season poll. Grady, a sophomore, went 3-2 in singles action in the fall. She kicked off her fall schedule at the Riviera All-American Championships. She won her opening singles match 5-7, 7-6 (1), 6-3 over No. 117-ranked Austin Smith of North Carolina. The victory was her sixth win against a nationally-ranked opponent in her 49er career. Grady then fell in the second round to Renata Kucerkova of Fresno State 6-4, 7-5. In doubles, she and Jessica Weeks went 1-2, playing three nationally-ranked opponents. The duo dropped their opener to No. 25-ranked Bercek/Plotkin of Duke 8-3. They then rebounded to defeat No. 37 Schofield/Vuckovic of South Carolina, 9-8 (3). They enter the spring ranked No. 48 nationally and No. 6 in the West Region in doubles. Grady was the 2006 Big West Conference Player and Freshman of the Year. She qualified for both the NCAA Singles and Doubles Individual Championships. Grady went 19-6 in singles play with five wins over nationally-ranked opponents. She finished the season ranked No. 53 in singles and she was the ninth-ranked freshman in singles. In doubles, she and Weeks went 19-2, earning a trip to the NCAA Championships, while finishing the year ranked No. 46.
Katy Williams: Williams begins her sophomore season ranked No. 85 in singles. She was 4-4 in the fall in singles competition. She competed in the pre-qualifying bracket of the Riviera All-America Championships falling to Renata Kuckerova of Fresno State, 6-1, 6-0. She was the No. 1 seed at the CS Fullerton Fall Intercollegiates. After a first round bye, she won three consecutive matches to advance to the semi-finals. A first team all-conference selection in singles and doubles, Williams finished last season at 28-9 with four nationally-ranked wins and a national ranking of No. 118. In doubles, she and Rocha were 23-13 overall and were ranked No. 53 nationally. Her 28 singles victories tied the school record for victories in a single season.
Stephanie Bengson: Began the season strong at the Cal Nike Invitational (Sept. 29-Oct. 1) winning the Back Draw Doubles title with Rachael Porsz and then claiming the White Bracket Consolation Singles title. Bengson defeated Arizona State's Laila Abdala in convincing fashion (6-0, 6-2) to claim that title. She finished the fall season at 3-3. In doubles, she and Katy Williams went 2-1 in the fall. They won two matches at the ITA Fall Regionals in San Diego before falling to the No. 57-ranked USC doubles team of DeVera and Frank, 8-5. Bengson and Williams ended the fall ranked No. 12 in the West Region in doubles. The 2005 Big West Freshman of the Year, Bengson was a second team selection in 2006 in singles and she also earned honorable mention honors in doubles. Bengson went 15-7 in singles last season and 19-4 in doubles with Rachael Porsz. She was also an ITA Scholar-Athlete award winner in 2006.
Sandra Rocha: Rocha enters her fourth year as a 49er, the lone player to earn that distinction. Rocha earned second team all-conference honors in singles last year and has been a first team all-league selection in doubles three consecutive years. She did not compete in the fall to rest an injury, but is back at full strength this spring. Last season she and Katy Williams earned a No. 53 national ranking in doubles. Rocha's 50 career singles wins ranks No. 5 all-time at Long Beach State while her 66 doubles wins ranks No. 2 and her 116 overall victories ranks No. 3 all-time.
Jessica Weeks: Weeks was 3-1 in singles play in the fall, advancing to the semi-finals of the CS Fullerton Fall Intercollegiates. At the Riviera All-American Championships, Weeks and Hannah Grady went 1-2 playing three nationally-ranked opponents. After dropping their opening match, they came back to defeat No. 37-ranked Schofield/Vuckovic of South Carolina 9-8 (3). That duo is ranked No. 48 nationally and No. 6 in the West Region. Weeks earned first team all-league honors in 2006 in doubles with Hannah Grady as that duo went 19-2 and were ranked No. 46 in the nation. Weeks' 26 total doubles victories last year tied for the second-most single season doubles victories in school history. An ITA Academic Scholar-Athlete in 2006, Weeks was a combined 44-19 in singles and doubles action last year.
Rachael Porsz: Porsz ended the fall season at 3-4 in singles play. She competed at the Cal Nike Invitational, did not play at the CS Fullerton Fall Intercollegiates and then played three matches at the ITA Regionals. She teamed with Stephanie Bengson to win the Gold Bracket Back Draw Championship at the Cal Nike Invitational. After dropping opening match, the pair won three consecutive matches, including an 8-3 win in the title match over Aloia and Charlot of Saint Mary's. Earned honorable mention all-league honors in doubles last year with Bengson. Her 36 career doubles wins ranks No. 13 all-time on the 49er career chart and her 73 overall wins ranks No. 18. Last year she went 23-12 in singles play and a combined 24-10. She was also one of four players to earn and ITA Scholar-Athlete award.
Emmanuelle Tabatruong: Tabatruong was 3-4 in singles action in the fall. She competed at the CS Fullerton Fall Intercollegiates in both singles and doubles. In singles play she dropped her opening match in the main draw, but came back to win twice in the back draw. She defeated Jerusha Cruz (CS Fullerton) 8-2 and Natalie Tejada (LMU) 8-1. In doubles, she and Denise Liebschner won the back draw title. They defeated Andrews/Inglis (CS Fullerton) 8-2 and Le/Domela (CS Fullerton) 8-5 on Sunday to claim the title. She went 1-2 at the ITA West Regionals. Tabatruong bounced back last year after missing the 2004-05 season due to injury. She went 8-8 in singles action. As a freshman in 2004, Tabatruong posted a 15-4 singles record. She was a 2006 ITA Scholar-Athlete award winner.
Denise Liebschner: A true freshman out of Dresden, Germany, Liebschner compiled a 1-4 singles mark in her first semester of competition. She went 0-2 at the CSUF Fall Intercollegiates and 1-2 at the ITA West Regionals in San Diego. In doubles, she was 1-1 with Rachael Porsz at the ITA West Regionals. She teamed with Emmanuelle Tabatruong at the at the CS Fullerton Fall Intercollegiates and that duo won the doubles back draw. They defeated Andrews/Inglis (CS Fullerton) 8-2 and Le/Domela (CS Fullerton) 8-5 on Sunday to claim the title. Liebschner was ranked No. 23 in Germany in the 18's rankings. She was the winner of the 2005 Berlin Junior Open and the Dresden International Under 18 Tournament. For five consecutive years (2001-05) she was rated the Best Saxonian Player under 18.
2007 Schedule
2007 Roster |
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