49ers Face Pepperdine In NCAA Tournament
Beach Appearing In Fourth Consecutive NCAA
May 2, 2007
PDF Version of this Release 2007 NCAA 1st & 2nd Rounds (Fresno, CA/Wathen Tennis Center)
Saturday, May 12
10 am: #44 Long Beach State (17-8) vs. #20 Pepperdine (19-9)
1 pm: #14 Fresno State (20-3) vs. Army (15-10)
Sunday, May 13
1 pm: Saturday's winners |
This Week: The #44-ranked Long Beach State women's tennis team won its fourth consecutive Big West Conference Championship and will represent the conference in the upcoming NCAA Championships. The 49ers, 17-8 overall and winners of seven in a row, will head to Fresno to play #20-ranked Pepperdine (19-9) in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on May 12 at 10 am. In the other first round match, #14-ranked Fresno State (20-3) will play Army (15-10). Fresno is the #14 national seed in the 64-team bracket. The event will take place at Fresno State's Wathen Tennis Center. UC Irvine of the Big West received an at-large berth and will play Texas at the USC Regional.
National Rankings: The 49ers are ranked #44 in the country this week in the latest ITA Women's Collegiate Rankings. Other teams in the bracket are ranked as follows: #14 Fresno State, #20 Pepperdine and Army.
All-Big West Conference: Sophomore Hannah Grady was named the Big West Conference Player of the Year for the second consecutive season. Joining Grady on the all-conference first team in singles were junior Stephanie Bengson and sophomore Katy Williams. Earning first team all-conference accolades in doubles were Bengson and Williams and Grady and Jessica Weeks.
The Series: Long Beach State trails in its series with Pepperdine, 13-0. On March 30 of this year the 49ers lost in Malibu, 5-2. Long Beach trails in its series with Fresno State, 12-1. The Bulldogs defeated the 49ers 5-2 on February 25 in Las Vegas. The 49ers have never played Army.
The Coach: Head Coach Jenny Hilt-Costello (UCLA, 1994) is 155-89 (.635) in her tenth year at Long Beach State. Hilt-Costello has led the 49ers to seven consecutive appearances in the Big West Tournament Championship match, winning championships in 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007. 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 (155) coaching victories at Long Beach State.
Beach Wins Big West Title: The 49ers did not give up a point in sweeping all three matches at the Big West Championships. On Friday, the 49ers defeated Cal State Fullerton 6-0. The 49ers won at #2 and #3 doubles to earn the doubles point, and then won in straight sets as Hannah Grady (6-1, 6-3), Katy Williams (6-3, 6-2), Jessica Weeks (6-2, 6-0), Sandra Rocha (6-4, 6-1) and Rachael Porsz (6-1, 6-2) all prevailed in straight sets. On Saturday the 49ers defeated Cal State Northridge 4-0. Long Beach won at 31 and #2 doubles and then prevailed in singles as Grady (6-3, 6-0), Stephanie Bengson (6-1, 6-3) and Rocha (6-0, 6-2) all won. In Sunday's championship win over Cal Poly (4-0), the 49ers once again won the doubles point, winning at #1 and #3 doubles. In singles, Grady (6-1, 7-5), Williams (7-5, 7-5) and Porsz (6-3, 6-2) all won to seal the victory. The 49ers have won four consecutive Big West titles and 12 consecutive matches in Big West Tournament play.
First Meeting With Pepperdine: On March 30 the Waves defeated the 49ers 5-2 in Malibu. Pepperdine won the doubles point as they won at #1 and #2 doubles. At #3 doubles, the 49er duo of Sandra Rocha and Emmanuelle Tabatruong won 9-8 over Jillian Braverman and Tania Rice. In singles, the 49ers Stephanie Bengson and Hannah Grady won. Grady won at #1 singles defeated #53-ranked Sylvia Kosakowski 6-3, 6-1. Bengson won at #3 singles 4-6, 6-4, 10-8 over Eva Dickes. At #2 singles, Katy Williams fell to #90-ranked Katia Sabate 6-3, 6-3 and at #4 singles, Anete Bandere defeated Jessica Weeks 6-1, 6-4. At #5 singles, Rice defeated Rocha 6-1, 7-5 and at #6 singles Braverman beat Tabatruong 6-0, 6-2.
Home Sweet Home: The 49ers were 9-1 at home this season. Last year the 49ers were 11-1 at home. In the last seven years (dating back to the 2001 season) the 49ers are 68-13 (.840) at home at the 49er Campus Courts.
Playing The Best: This year's spring schedule was full of nationally-ranked opponents. Of the 25 matches, 17 opponents are currently nationally-ranked (USC #8, Fresno State #14, Pepperdine #20, Florida International #27, VCU #29, UC Irvine #34, UNLV #46, San Diego State #51, Iowa #53, Loyola Marymount #64, Cal Poly #65, Nevada #66, Princeton #70 and CS Northridge #73). The 49ers are ranked No. 44 in the country in the FILA Collegiate Tennis Rankings, administered by the ITA (4/30/07). The 49ers have played 17 nationally-ranked teams this season and are 10-7 in those contests.
49ers In The Big West Tournament: The 49ers have won four consecutive Big West Tournament championships and five in the past six years. Over the last seven years the 49ers have advanced to the Big West title match. In the past seven years the 49ers are 19-2 (.905) at the conference championships, winning titles in 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007. Overall, in 17 years, the 49ers are 32-20.
National Ranking: Sophomore Hannah Grady fell out of the latest ITA NCAA Division I Women's Tennis Individual Rankings (April 30) 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, on March 20 she jumped back into the rankings at #119, on April 3 she stood at #122, on April 17 she wasn't ranked before jumping back in on April 24 at #114. She has been ranked in five of the nine individual rankings thus far this season.
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 currently stands at 147 career victories in her outstanding four-year career. Rocha is first all-time with 82 doubles win and she's second all-time with 65 singles victories.
7th Straight Winning Season: The 49ers have strung together seven consecutive winning seasons after its 17-8 mark thus far in 2007. Over the past seven years the 49ers are a combined 130-47 (.734). The last losing season came in 2000 when the 49ers were 11-12.
Hannah Grady: Grady, who was named the Big West Conference Player of the Year for the second year, stands at 18-7 this spring in singles action, 15-6 at the #1 spot and 3-1 at #2 singles. She has been selected as the Big West Female Tennis Athlete of the Week three times this season and was named first team all-league in singles and doubles. Grady has won six matches in a row, and 12 of her last 15. Last week she defeated Gina Le (CSUF) 6-1, 6-3, Silvia Gutierrez (CSUN) 6-3, 6-0 and Brittany Blalock (Cal Poly) 6-1, 7-5. Grady has accumulated 12 wins (12-7) against nationally-ranked opponents in her 49er career, including a 5-4 mark this season. On March 30th she defeated Pepperdine's #53-ranked Sylvia Kosakowski, 6-3, 6-1. She also holds wins over #118 Olga Borisova of VCU (3/13), #51 Holly Bradshaw of San Diego State (2/16), #97 Becky Bernhard of UC Irvine (10/21) and #117 Austin Smith of North Carolina (10/3). In doubles, Grady and Jessica Weeks are 17-7 this spring. They are 4-4 at #1 doubles and 13-3 at the #2 spot. They have won six matches in a row and 11 of their last 12. Last week they defeated Injejikian/Inglis (CSUF) 8-5 and Krasinska/Matijasevic (CSUN) 8-1. They did not finish their match vs. Cal Poly's Brady and Bradford. 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 (with Jessica Weeks) Championships and finished the season ranked No. 53 in singles. In doubles, she and Weeks finished the year ranked No. 46 in the nation.
Katy Williams: Williams is 13-10 this spring in singles action and was named first team all-league in singles and in doubles. She is 12-7 at the #2 spot and went 1-3 at #1 singles. She has won her last four matches. Last week she defeated Mai-Ly Tran (CSUF) 6-3, 6-2 and Steffi Wong (Cal Poly) 7-5, 7-5. She did not finish her match against Kanykey Koichumanova (CSUN). Williams faced six nationally-ranked players this spring and went 2-4. She defeated #69 Eliska Krausova of San Diego State (2/16) and #100 Robyn Baker of LMU (3/28). Williams began the year ranked No. 85 in singles and she was 4-4 in the fall in singles competition and stands at 15-14 overall this year. Thus far in doubles this spring, Williams is 14-8 with Stephanie Bengson. That pair have been playing at the #1 doubles spot the last 17 matches and are 10-6. Last week they defeated Gutierrez/Koichumanova (CSUN) 8-5 and Wong/Blalock (Cal Poly) 8-2. They did not finish their match against Le/Tran of Fullerton. They have won their last six doubles matches. Williams was a first team all-conference selection in singles and doubles last year. She had a national ranking of No. 118 in singles and No. 53 in doubles (with Sandra Rocha).
Stephanie Bengson: Bengson had a great spring in singles, accumulating an overall mark of 18-5. She played 22 of her 23 matches at the #3 spot (17-5) and one match at #2 singles. Bengson was named first team All-Big West in both singles and doubles (with Williams). Last week she defeated CS Northridge's Canna Furuta 6-1, 6-3. She did not finish her matches against CS Fullerton and Cal Poly. Bengson has won 13 of her last 14 matches, and had a streak of 10 consecutive wins at one point. Sixteen of her 18 wins have come in straight sets. She was a perfect 7-0 this spring against Big West opponents, winning all in straight sets. In doubles, Bengson and Katy Williams are 14-8 this spring. They have played their last 17 matches at the #1 doubles position (10-6). They have won their last six doubles matches, including wins over duos from CS Northridge and Cal Poly. They did not finish their match against CS Fullerton. 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 #5 in singles wins (52), #6 in doubles wins (53) and #6 in overall wins (105).
Sandra Rocha: Rocha stands at 15-6 this spring in singles action. Last week she defeated Cheyenne Inglis (CSUF) 6-4, 6-1 and Sonya Kumar (CSUN) 6-0, 6-2. She did not finish her match against Cal Poly's Maria Malec. Rocha had a six-match win streak in the month of March. She has won five of her last six matches, all in straight sets. Rocha is 10-3 at #5 singles and 5-3 at the #6 spot. In doubles, Rocha and Rachael Porsz are 9-4 at the #3 spot, while Rocha and Emmanuelle Tabatruong are 7-4 at #3 doubles. Rocha has teamed with Porsz the last seven matches and are 6-1. Last week they defeated Cruz/Domela (CSUF) 8-4 and Malec/Filip (Cal Poly) 8-5. 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 (147), #1 in career doubles wins (82), and #2 in career singles wins (65).
Jessica Weeks: Weeks is 15-8 this spring in singles action, having won five matches in a row, and seven of her last eight, at the #4 spot. Weeks was named first team All-Big West Conference in doubles (with Grady). Weeks defeated CS Fullerton's Shelly Injejikian 6-2, 6-0 last week. Her last seven victories have all come in straight sets and she went 7-0 this spring against Big West opponents. After going 3-1 in the fall, Weeks is 18-9 this year in singles. In doubles this spring, Weeks and Hannah Grady are 17-7. They have played their last 17 matches at the #2 doubles spot, and have won 11 of 12. Last week they defeated Injejikian/Inglis (CSUF) 8-5 and Krasinska/Matijasevic (CSUN) 8-1. 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 finished the year ranked No. 46 in the nation.
Rachael Porsz: Porsz returned to the singles lineup four weeks ago (4/3) competing at the #6 spot. Last week she defeated Jerusha Cruz of CS Fullerton 6-1, 6-2 and Melissa Bradford of Cal Poly 6-3, 6-2. She didn't finish her match against Kasia Krasinska of CS Northridge. She is riding a nine-match win streak in singles, having not lost since March 13. Porsz stands at 11-3 this spring in singles play and 14-7 on the season. In doubles, Porsz and Sandra Rocha are 9-4 at the #3 spot. They defeated Cruz/Domela of CS Fullerton 8-4 and Malec/Filip of Cal Poly 8-5 last week.. They have won seven of their last eight doubles matches. 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 tied for #6 in career singles wins with 51, she's #7 in doubles victories with 50 and she's #7 all-time at Long Beach State with 107 career victories.
Emmanuelle Tabatruong: Tabatruong is 6-7 this spring in singles. She has played in just two matches since March 3 (LMU and Pepperdine). She fell twice 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, but have not played since March 30 when they defeated 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 CSF'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. 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 F) 8-2 and Le/Domela (CSF) 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. Sandra Rocha 65
3 . Antonia Wolff 61
4 . Lindsey Marvel 53
5. Stephanie Bengson 52
T6. Rachael Porsz 51
Doubles Wins...
1. Sandra Rocha 82
2 . Kelly Chan 67
6. Stephanie Bengson 53
7. Rachael Porsz 50
Overall Wins...
1 . Sandra Rocha 147
2. Havaya Frljuckic 133
3. Antonia Wolff 118
6. Stephanie Bengson 105
7 . Rachael Porsz 101 |
2007 Schedule
2007 Roster
ITA Tennis Website
|
.png&width=20&height=20&type=webp)
