49ers Head To The East Coast
Beach Takes On Brown And Boston College
April 2, 2007
PDF Version of this Release Upcoming Schedule:
Tuesday, April 3 at Brown, Providence, RI, 11 am
Wednesday, April 4 at Boston College, Boston, MA, 12 pm |
This Week: The #44-ranked Long Beach State women's tennis team is 10-8 on the season and heads to the East Coast to take on Brown and Boston College. The 49ers dropped two matches last week falling at LMU (4-3) and at #22-ranked Pepperdine (5-2). Long Beach State has played 12 nationally-ranked teams thus far this season and are 5-7 in those contests.
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 leads its series with Brown by a 6-1 count. In 2005 the 49ers defeated the Bears 6-1 in Long Beach. The 49ers also won in Long Beach against the Bears in 2003 (5-2) and 2004 (6-1). This will be the first meeting between the two on the East Coast. The 49ers are 2-2 all-time against Boston College. The last meeting came last season in Long Beach, a 6-1 49er triumph. The 49ers also defeated the Eagles 4-3 in the 2004 season in Long Beach.
The Coach: Head Coach Jenny Hilt-Costello (UCLA, 1994) is 148-89 (.624) 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 Falls To Southland Foes: The 49ers lost at Loyola Marymount (4-3) and #22 Pepperdine (5-2) last week on the road. Against LMU, Long Beach got wins by Katy Williams, Stephanie Bengson and Jessica Weeks. Williams picked up an impressive win, defeated #100 ranked Robyn Baker 7-6 (2), 6-1. Against Pepperdine, Hannah Grady and Bengson came away with singles wins. Grady defeated #53-ranked Sylvia Kosakowski in straight sets, 6-3, 6-1. Bengson defeated Eva Dickes 4-6, 6-4, 10-8 for her ninth consecutive victory.
Home Sweet Home: The 49ers are 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. She currently stands at 136 career victories in her outstanding four-year career. Rocha is first all-time with 76 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 was selected as the Big West Female Tennis Athlete of the Week on March 28, the second time this season she has won that honor. Grady is currently 12-6 this spring in singles, having won six of her last eight matches. Last week she went 1-1 against two nationally-ranked opponents. She defeated Pepperdine #53-ranked Sylvia Kosakowski 6-3, 6-1. Grady has accumulated 12 wins (12-7) against nationally-ranked opponents in her 49er career. She is 5-4 this season against nationally-ranked opponents. In doubles, Grady and Jessica Weeks are 11-7 this spring. They are 4-4 at #1 doubles and 7-3 at the #2 spot. They defeated LMU's Fermin and Tanner 8-5 last week. In the fall, Grady and 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 9-8 this spring in singles action. She is 8-5 at the #2 spot and 1-3 at #1 singles. Last week she defeated #100-ranked Robyn Baker of LMU 7-6 (2), 6-1. She then fell to #90-ranked Katia Sabate of Pepperdine 6-3, 6-3. Williams began the year ranked No. 85 in singles and she was 4-4 in the fall in singles competition and stands at 13-12 overall this year. Thus far in doubles this spring, Williams is 8-8 with Stephanie Bengson. That pair have been playing at the #1 doubles spot the last 10 matches. 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 continues to play excellent tennis this spring in singles, having won her last nine matches at the #3 spot. She is 14-4 overall this spring and 17-7 on the season. Last week she defeated LMU's Tamara Tanner 5-7, 6-1, 7-6 (2) and Pepperdine's Eva Dickes 4-6, 6-4, 10-8. Twelve of her 14 wins have come in straight sets. In doubles, Bengson and Katy Williams are 8-8 this spring. They have played their last 10 matches at the #1 doubles position (4-6). 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 #9 in singles wins (48), #6 in doubles wins (47) and #6 in overall wins (95).
Sandra Rocha: Rocha stands at 10-5 this spring in singles action. She had won six matches in a row before falling twice last week against foes from Loyola Marymount and Pepperdine. Rocha is 5-2 at #5 singles and 5-3 at the #6 spot. In doubles, Rocha and Rachael Porsz are 3-3 at the #3 spot, while Rocha and Emmanuelle Tabatruong are 7-4 at #3 doubles. Last week that pair defeated Pepperdine's Braverman and Rice 9-8. 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 (136), #1 in career doubles wins (65), and #3 in career singles wins (60).
Jessica Weeks: Weeks is 10-8 this spring in singles action. Weeks went 1-1 in singles play last week. She defeated LMU's Serena Fermin 6-2, 6-2. After going 3-1 in the fall, Weeks is 13-9 this year in singles. In doubles this spring, Weeks and Hannah Grady are 11-7. They have played their last 10 matches at the #2 doubles spot, and have won five of six. Last week they defeated Fermin and Tanner of LMU 8-5. 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 had played at #6 singles the previous five matches, but she did not play this past week at LMU and Pepperdine. She is riding a three-match win streak as during the previous 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 and Sandra Rocha are 3-3 at the #3 spot. 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 6-7 this spring in singles. She had not played in singles since March 3 vs. Cal Poly, but played in both matches last week. She fell twice in singles at the #6 spot, including a tough three-set loss to LMU's Bliss Nixon 3-6, 6-2, 2-6. Tabatruong was 3-4 in the fall in singles, and stands at 9-11 on the year. In doubles, she has teamed with Sandra Rocha at the number three spot. They are 7-4 this spring in doubles. Last week they went 1-1, defeating Pepperdine's Braverman and Rice, 9-8. 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
T9. Stephanie Bengson 48
Doubles Wins...
1. Sandra Rocha 76
2 . Kelly Chan 67
6. Stephanie Bengson 47
T8 . Rachael Porsz 44
Overall Wins...
1 . Sandra Rocha 136
2. Havaya Frljuckic 133
3. Antonia Wolff 118
6. Stephanie Bengson 95
10. Rachael Porsz 89 |
2007 Schedule
2007 Roster
ITA Tennis Website
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