49ers Take On Southland Foes This Week
Beach Takes On LMU On Wednesday
March 27, 2007
PDF Version of this Release Upcoming Schedule:
Wednesday, March 28 at Loyola Marymount, 1:30 pm
Friday, March 30 at #22 Pepperdine, 2 pm |
This Week: The #44-ranked Long Beach State women's tennis team improved to 10-6 on the season after picking up wins over two nationally-ranked opponents last week (Nevada and Princeton). This week the 49ers stay in the Southland as they travel to Loyola Marymount on Wednesday (1:30 pm) and #22-ranked Pepperdine on Friday (2 pm). The next six matches will be on the road for the 49ers. Long Beach State has played 11 nationally-ranked teams thus far this season and are 5-6 in those contests. Friday's match at Pepperdine will be the 12th ranked opponent this season.
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 is in its series with Loyola Marymount, 18-18. Last year the 49ers defeated the Lions 6-1 in Long Beach. The 49ers have won the last six meetings with the Lions. Pepperdine leads in its series with Long Beach State by a 12-0 count. Last year the Waves won 6-1 in Malibu.
The Coach: Head Coach Jenny Hilt-Costello (UCLA, 1994) is 148-87 (.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 (148) coaching victories at Long Beach State.
Beach Beats Nevada: The 49ers earned a 5-2 victory over #57-ranked Nevada on March 21. After losing the doubles point, the 49ers won five of the six singles matches to pick up the win. Four of the five wins came in straight sets. At #1 singles, Hannah Grady rolled to a 6-2, 6-3 win over Maria Mizyuk. Katy Williams, Stephanie Bengson, Sandra Rocha and Rachael Porsz all won their singles matches.
Beach Beats Princeton: The day after beating Nevada, the 49ers down #64-ranked Princeton 6-1 at the Campus Courts. Long Beach won all three doubles matches to take a quick 1-0 lead. In singles play, Hannah Grady, Stephanie Bengson, Jessica Weeks, Sandra Rocha and Rachael Porsz all won their matches in straight sets. Bengson continued her hot streak, winning her seventh straight singles match. Rocha's 7-5, 6-3 win at #5 singles and he 8-4 win at #3 doubles with Porsz, gave Rocha the school record for career victories with 135.
Home Sweet Home: The 49ers just ended a six-match homestand with their two matches last week. Long Beach is currently 8-1 at home this season. Last year the 49ers were 11-1 at home. In the last six-plus years (dating back to the 2001 season) the 49ers are 67-13 (.838) at home at the 49er Campus Courts.
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 #4, Fresno State #15, Pepperdine #22, Florida International #25, VCU #30, UC Irvine #31, UNLV #56, Penn #57, Iowa #59, Nevada #61, Princeton #72 and San Diego State #74). The 49ers are ranked No. 44 in the country in the FILA Collegiate Tennis Rankings, administered by the ITA (3/20/07).
National Ranking: In the latest ITA NCAA Division I Women's Tennis Individual Rankings (March 20), sophomore Hannah Grady is ranked #119 in the country in singles. Grady began the year ranked #38 in singles in the pre-season poll on September 8. On January 9 she was not ranked, on February 21 she was ranked #52, she was not ranked on March 6 and on March 20 she jumped back into the rankings at #119.
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).
Rocha Sets Career Mark: Senior Sandra Rocha became the school's all-time winningest player in 49er women's tennis history on March 22 against Princeton. She and Rachel Porsz won their doubles match at #3 doubles 8-4 giving Rocha 134 career wins in her four years, breaking the old mark of 133 set by Havaja Frljuckic. Rocha then won her singles match at the #5 spot to pick up career win number 135. Rocha is first all-time with 75 doubles win and third all-time with 60 singles victories.
Hannah Grady: Grady is currently ranked #119 in the nation in singles in the latest ITA Rankings (March 20). She is currently 11-5 this spring in singles, having won five of her last six matches. Last week she defeated Maria Mizyuk of Nevada (6-2, 6-3) and Melissa Saiontz of Princeton (6-3, 6-3) at #1 singles. Grady has accumulated 11 wins (11-6) against nationally-ranked opponents in her 49er career. She is 4-3 this season against nationally-ranked opponents, including a 6-2, 6-3 win over #51 ranked Holly Bagshaw of San Diego State on February 16. In doubles, Grady and Jessica Weeks are 10-6 this spring. They are 4-4 at #1 doubles and 6-2 at the #2 spot. They won both of their doubles matches last week, and have won four in a row and six of their last seven Last week they defeated Hall/Velez of Nevada 8-4 and Robertson/Saiontz of Princeton 8-6. In the fall, Grady and Jessica Weeks went 1-2, playing three nationally-ranked opponents. The win came against No. 37-ranked Schofield and 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 and finished the season ranked No. 53 in singles where she was the ninth-ranked freshman. 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 is 8-7 this spring in singles action. She is 7-4 at the #2 spot and 1-3 at #1 singles. Last week she defeated Caroline Bailly of Nevada 2-6, 6-0, 6-2 and lost to Ivana King of Princeton 6-7, 6-3, 3-6. Williams began the year ranked No. 85 in singles and she was 4-4 in the fall in singles competition and stands at 12-11 overall this year. Thus far in doubles this spring, Williams is 8-6 with Stephanie Bengson. That pair have been playing at the #1 doubles spot the last eight matches. Last week they defeated Huah and King of Princeton 8-3. 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 has been on a tear in singles, having won her last seven matches at the #3 spot. She is 12-4 overall this spring and 15-7 on the season. Last week she defeated Nevada's Ly-Huong Dinh 6-3, 6-1 and Princeton's Darcy Robertson 6-0, 6-2. Her last seven wins have all come in straight sets and only one player won four games in a set against her during that span. All of her 12 wins have come in straight sets. In doubles, Bengson and Katy Williams are 8-6 this spring. They have played their last eight matches at the #1 doubles position (4-4). Last week they defeated Princeton's Huah and King 8-3 but fell to #48-ranked Bailly and Mizyuk of Nevada 8-5. Bengson and Williams ended the fall ranked No. 12 in the West Region in doubles. Bengson was a second team all-conference selection in 2006 in singles and she earned honorable mention honors in doubles. On the 49er career charts, Bengson ranks tied for #12 in singles wins (46), #6 in doubles wins (47) and #6 in overall wins (93).
Sandra Rocha: Rocha stands at 10-3 this spring in singles action. She has won her last six matches, including wins last week over Nevada's Fiorella Velez (6-0, 6-1) and Princeton's Blakely Ashley (7-5, 6-3). All six wins have come in straight sets. Rocha is 5-0 at #5 singles and 5-3 at the #6 spot. In doubles, Rocha and Rachael Porsz are 3-3 at the #3 spot. They split their two matches last week. 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. Rocha has set her name in the 49er career record books. She is #1 in career wins (135), #1 in career doubles wins (75), and #3 in career singles wins (60).
Jessica Weeks: Weeks is 9-7 this spring in singles action. Weeks snapped a short three-match losing streak at #4 singles with a 6-1, 6-3 win over Princeton's Sarah Huah. After going 3-1 in the fall, Weeks is 12-8 this year in singles. In doubles this spring, Weeks and Hannah Grady are 10-6. They have played their last eight matches at the #2 doubles spot, and have won four in a row. Last week they defeated Hall and Velez of Nevada 8-4 and Robertson and Saiontz of Princeton 8-6. In the fall at the Riviera All-American Championships, Weeks and Grady went 1-2 playing three nationally-ranked opponents. They defeated No. 37-ranked Schofield/Vuckovic of South Carolina 9-8 (3). Grady and Weeks were No. 6 in the West Region at the end of the fall. Weeks earned first team all-league honors in 2006 in doubles with 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 has played at #6 singles the past five matches and she is riding a three-match win streak. Last week she defeated Nevada's Bach-Lan Pham 6-4, 6-2 and Princeton's Kelly Stewart 6-4, 7-5. She stands at 5-3 this spring in singles play and 8-7 on the season. In doubles, Porsz has teamed with Sandra Rocha at the #3 spot the past six matches. They are 3-3 this spring, including picking up an 8-4 win over Princeton's Scott and Trimble. In the fall she teamed with Stephanie Bengson to win the Gold Bracket Back Draw Championship at the Cal Nike Invitational. She earned honorable mention all-league honors in doubles last year with Bengson. Porsz currently ranks #16 in career singles wins with 45, she's tied for #8 in doubles victories with 44 and she is tied for #10 all-time at Long Beach State with 89 career victories.
Emmanuelle Tabatruong: Tabatruong is 6-5 this spring in singles, playing mainly at the #5 spot. She has not played in singles since March 3 vs. Cal Poly. Tabatruong was 3-4 in the fall in singles, and stands at 9-9 on the year. In doubles, she has teamed with Sandra Rocha at the number three spot. They are 6-3 this spring in doubles. On February 23 they defeated the #56-ranked UNLV doubles team of Smith/Razina, 8-3. Tabatruong competed at the CS Fullerton Fall Intercollegiates in both singles and doubles. In doubles, she and Denise Liebschner won the back draw title. They defeated Fullerton's Andrews/Inglis, 8-2 and Le/Domela, 8-5 to claim the title.
Denise Liebschner: A true freshman out of Dresden, Germany, Liebschner saw her first action this spring on February 17 against UC Riverside. She played at #6 singles and defeated Alex Khoury 6-2, 6-4. Liebschner compiled a 1-4 singles mark in the fall. 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 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. 49er Career Chart
Singles Wins...
1. Havaja Frljuckic 70
2. Antonia Wolff 61
3. Sandra Rocha 60
4 . Lindsey Marvel 53
5 . Jennifer Slattery 51
Doubles Wins...
1. Sandra Rocha 75
2 . Kelly Chan 67
6. Stephanie Bengson 47
T8 . Rachael Porsz 44
Overall Wins...
1 . Sandra Rocha 135
2. Havaya Frljuckic 133
3. Antonia Wolff 118
T6. Stephanie Bengson 93
10. Rachael Porsz 89 |
2007 Schedule
2007 Roster
ITA Tennis Website
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