49ers Travel To CS Fullerton This Week
Beach Ranked No. 28 In Nation
January 30, 2007
PDF Version of Release This Week:
Friday, Feb. 2 at CS Fullerton, 1:30 pm, Fullerton, CA
Next Week:
Saturday, Feb. 10 vs. CS Northridge, 12 pm, Campus Courts
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This Week: The Long Beach State women's tennis team, ranked No. 28 in the nation in the latest ITA Poll, will play just one match this week as they travel to Cal State Fullerton on Friday afternoon (1:30 pm). The 49ers are 1-1 on the young season. CS Fullerton is 1-4 on the year. Their lone win was a 9-0 victory over Point Loma Nazarene. The next home match will be on Saturday, February 10 when the 49ers host Cal State Northridge at 12 pm at the 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.
The Series: Long Beach State lead in its series with Cal State Fullerton by a 26-14 margin. The 49ers have won the last 12 meetings against the Titans, including a 7-0 win last year in Long Beach. The 49ers have swept the past four meetings by 7-0 margins.
The Coach: Head Coach Jenny Hilt-Costello (UCLA, 1994) is 139-82 (.629) 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.
49ers Go 1-1 On Opening Week: The 49ers opened their spring season last week going 1-1. The fell at No. 3-ranked USC 7-0 on Wednesday and then defeated the University of San Francisco on Friday afternoon at home, 5-2. In the win over USF, the 49ers swept all three doubles matches and won four of the six singles frays. At No. 1 singles, Hannah Grady won 6-2, 6-1 over Emma Taylor. Against USC, Grady faced Sarah Fansler, the number nine ranked singles player in the country. She hung tough, but Fansler eventually prevailed 6-2, 6-3. The best singles match against the Trojans came at the number five spot as Emmanuelle Tabatruong fell to No. 95-ranked Judy DeVera 7-6 (3), 6-1.
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 #12, Pepperdine #13, Fresno State #23, Florida International #25, San Diego State #35, Penn #38, UNLV #42, UC Irvine #55, Iowa #58, LMU #69, and UCSB #73). The 49ers are ranked No. 28 in the country in the FILA Collegiate Tennis Rankings, administered by the ITA (1/30/07).
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 (as well as in 2003 and 2005) 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 All-America candidate, began the spring season at 1-1. She fell to number nine-ranked Sarah Fansler of USC 6-2, 6-3 in her opener, but rebounded to defeat USF's Emma Taylor 6-2, 6-1 on Friday. Grady was 3-2 in singles action in the fall. 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. In doubles, Grady and Jessica Weeks, who are ranked No. 48 nationally, went 1-1 to open the spring season. They fell 8-3 to USC's Smekodub and Anastasiu and then defeated Pamart and Martin of USF 8-2. In the fall, Grady 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). 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 went 1-1 last week in singles play defeating USF's Camille Pamart 4-6, 6-1, 6-0 and falling to USC's Amanda Fink 6-1, 6-4. Williams began the year ranked No. 85 in singles. She was 4-4 in the fall in singles competition. 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. Thus far in doubles this spring, Williams has teamed with two different partners. Against USC she teamed with Rachel Porsz, and that duo fell 8-1 to No. 23-ranked Matias/Fansler. Against USF she teamed with Stephanie Bengson and that pair won 8-0 over Sperry and Taylor. Williams was a first team all-conference selection in singles and doubles last year, finishing 28-9 in singles with four nationally-ranked wins and a national ranking of No. 118. In doubles, she and Sandra 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: Bengson went 0-2 in singles action this past week. She fell to No. 46-ranked Dianne Matias of USC 6-1, 6-2 and then dropped a tough 6-7 (2), 6-3, 10-7 decision to USF's Mylene Martin. Bengson went 3-3 in the fall in singles. She defeated Arizona State's Laila Abdala in convincing fashion (6-0, 6-2) to claim the White Bracket Singles title at the Cal Nike Invitational. In doubles last week Bengson and Sandra Rocha fell 8-3 to No. 15-ranked Fink/DeVera of USC. She then teamed with Katy Williams vs. USF at the number two spot and they defeated Sperry/Taylor 8-0. In the fall, Bengson and Williams ended the fall ranked No. 12 in the West Region in doubles. Bengson was a second team selection in 2006 in singles and she also earned honorable mention honors in doubles. She was 15-7 in singles and 19-4 in doubles with Rachael Porsz.
Sandra Rocha: Rocha enters her fourth year as a 49er, the lone player to earn that distinction. She sat out the fall to rest an injury. She competed in doubles at USC, teaming with Stephanie Bengson at the number two spot. They fell to #15-ranked Fink/DeVera 8-3. Last Friday vs. USF she played number three doubles with Emmanuelle Tabatruong. They won 8-2 over Macedo/Oudomvilay. With that victory, Rocha now has 67 career doubles wins at Long Beach State, a mark which is tied for first on the school career chart. In singles, she played Joana Macedo of USF at the number six spot, falling 6-2, 6-3. 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. Last season she and Katy Williams earned a No. 53 national ranking in doubles.
Jessica Weeks: Weeks went 1-1 last week in singles play. She fell to Anca Anastasiu of USC 6-2, 6-0, but then rebounded to defeat Jenny Sperry of USF 6-4, 6-4. Weeks was 3-1 in singles play in the fall, advancing to the semi-finals of the CS Fullerton Fall Intercollegiates. In doubles this spring, Weeks and Grady are 1-1. They fell to Smekodub/Anastasiu of USC 8-3, but defeated Pamart/Martin of USF 8-2. In the fall 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). Grady and Weeks are 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 finished 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.
Rachael Porsz: Porsz is 0-1 this spring in singles, falling 60-, 6-1 to USC's Julie Smekodub. She did not play in the top six vs. USF. 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. Last year she went 23-12 in singles play and a combined 24-10 in doubles.
Emmanuelle Tabatruong: Tabatruong began the spring season at 1-1 in singles action. She fell to No. 95-ranked Judy DeVera of USC 7-6 (3), 6-1. She came back to defeat USF's Sarah Oudomvilay 6-3, 6-1. Both matches were played at the number five singles spot. In doubles vs. USF she teamed with Sandra Rocha as they defeated Macedo/Oudomvilay 8-2 at three doubles. 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.
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.
49er Career Chart
Singles Wins...
1. Havaja Frljuckic 70
2. Antonia Wolff 61
3. Lindsey Marvel 53
4. Jennifer Slattery 51
5. Sandra Rocha 50
Doubles Wins...
T1. Sandra Rocha 67
T1. Kelly Chan 67
11. Rachael Porsz 40
T12. Stephanie Bengson 39
Overall Wins...
1. Havaya Frljuckic 133
2. Antonia Wolff 118
3. Sandra Rocha 117
T15. Rachael Porsz 80
T19. Stephanie Bengson 73 |
2007 Schedule
2007 Roster
ITA Tennis Website
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