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Long Beach State University Athletics
49ers Ready Themselves for Sixth NCAAs
5/7/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
May 7, 2008
LONG BEACH--No.37-ranked Long Beach State (19-6) will play in their fifth-straight NCAA Tournament and sixth in seven years, when they travel up I-405 for a match with Sun Belt Champion, No. 28-ranked Denver (22-2) on Friday starting at 10 a.m. Saturday's second round against either host and No. 7-ranked UCLA (18-5) or un-ranked Buffalo (12-8) will be at 3 p.m.
The 49ers have reached the NCAA's second round once, in 2006, defeating New Mexico. They are 1-5 all-time in NCAA play.
During the spring, the 49ers ran the table on the rest of the conference for Big West Coach of the Year Jenny Hilt-Costello, going 8-0 during the regular season and a perfect 4-0 in three matches in the Big West Tournament.
The 49ers feature the three-time reigning Big West Player of the Year, Hannah Grady, who is two wins from the single-season record at 26-9, and all-time win leader and three-time first team All-Big West Stephanie Bengson, who checks in at 21-11 at the No. 2 position. Bengson has played in four-straight NCAA Tournaments.
Grady, ranked No. 82 nationally, was also selected to play in next weekend's NCAA Singles Championships in Tulsa. This will be her second trip to the championships, last playing in 2006.
The relatively young 49ers feature three freshmen in its starting six, including Big West Freshman of the Year and No. 4 player Stephanie Jeanes (18-7), a second team all-BWC pick, and honorable mention selection and No. 3 Deborah Armstrong (23-15).
Bengson and Grady, ranked No. 53 as a team, are 21-8 overall, two wins away from the single-season record, as the duo was named first team All-Big West in doubles play, as was the No. 2 team of Jessica Weeks and Jeanes (17-6). Weeks is a three-time All-Big West doubles player. The remaining leg of the trifecta is freshmen Lisa Sutton and Deborah Armstrong, who are 19-4 during the spring. Sutton is 14-6 in singles play at the No. 6 position.
Academically, the 49ers are as smart as they come, as five of the six players in the fall received 4.0 GPAs. Prior to this semester, the tennis team had had nine of the last 12 highest GPAs amongst athletic teams at LBSU. The program's fall GPA was 3.78. The fall GPA was a program-high.
The tennis program received two gifts during the spring to further enhance their program, as they have been playing off campus this semester as the new Rhodes Tennis Center is constructed on campus, thanks to the $1.25 million donation by Terry Rhodes. The facility will also have a new scoreboard thanks to $50,000 from the Hendricks and Robbins familes.
LBSU AT THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
2002--Lost to No. 36 Pepperdine 4-1 (Stanford)
2004--Lost to No. 8 UCLA 4-0 (UCLA)
2005--Lost to No. 25 Washington 4-0 (UCLA)
2006--Defeated No. 46 New Mexico 4-1 (USC)
2006--Lost to No. 2 USC 4-0 (USC)
2007--Lost to No. 20 Pepperdine 4-2 (Fresno)
TOP-SIX SINGLES PLAYERS FOR LBSU
No. 1 Hannah Grady, Junior
THIS YEAR: 26-9
CAREER SINGLES: 67-24
The three-time Big West Player of the Year is 26-9 overall during the season, earning her third-straight honor this week... selected to compete in the individual championships in Tulsa in two weekends... it is her second NCAA Singles Championship... ranking No. 82 this week in the national rankings at the No. 1 position... she is a two-time Big West Player of the Week, earning the honors a conference tying record nine times... has won at least 20 games in two consecutive seasons and is four wins away from the single-season record... she has three ranked wins and has won 14 of her last 17... in the fall she won the CS Fullerton Invite and reached the third round of the West Regional, overall she went 9-2... two of her losses this year have come to Cal's Suzie Babos, who was ranked No. 10 when Babos won on January 26 and five of the six losses in the spring have been to ranked opponents.... went undefeated against the rest of the Big West in singles play.... her 26 wins is two away from the single-season record and surpasses in 2007 total (22-9).
No. 2 Stephanie Bengson, Senior
THIS YEAR: 21-11
CAREER SINGLES: 73-35
The three-time first team All-Big West pick is the all-time record holder for singles wins (was 70) and combine wins (tied at 147)... she tied the combined wins record last week at the Big West Championships... broke the singles record with a straight set victory against LMU on April 11... has won 20 matches in consecutive seasons, joining Grady and Armstrong on this year's team... has won her last eight decisions and is 16-6 in the spring after beginning the semester 3-4... Bengson is 2-2 against ranked opponents in the spring... 13 of her 16 wins in the spring have been in straight sets... went undefeated against the rest of the Big West in singles play.
No. 3 Deborah Armstrong, Freshman
THIS YEAR: 23-15
CAREER SINGLES: same
Named honorable mention All-Big West in singles... one of three freshmen in the starting lineup, she is the 14th player to record at least 22 wins in a single season... is 14-9 during the dual season... won five matches in a row from February 17 to March 8... reached the semifinals of the consolation bracket of the Cal Fall Invite and went 9-5 overall.
No. 4 Stephanie Jeanes, Freshman
THIS YEAR: 18-7
CAREER SINGLES: same
Big West Conference Freshman of the Year (joining previous winners, Bengson and Grady)... second team All-Big West... spring freshman enrollee has gone undefeated against the rest of the Big West in both singles and doubles during the regular season (16-0 overall)... her winning percentage of .720 is second-best on the team... after starting the season 3-4, has won 15 of 18... six of her Big West opponents have been defeated in straight sets during the regular season... clinched the 4-3 victory over UC Santa Barbara on April 3 with a straight-set win... one of three freshmen in the starting lineup and along with Lisa Sutton, came to campus in January.
No. 5 Jessica Weeks, Junior
THIS YEAR: 18-15
CAREER SINGLES: 54-37
Junior has gone 18-15 during the season, including a 13-10 mark in the spring, rebounding after a 2-5 start to win 11 of her last 16... three-time All-Big West player in doubles... has gone to three sets six times, going 4-2.... went 5-5 in the fall.... her 54 career singles wins is sixth all-time.
No. 6 Lisa Sutton, Freshman
THIS YEAR: 14-6
CAREER SINGLES: same
One of three freshmen and the second of two spring freshman enrollees in the starting lineup, Sutton has gone 14-6 during the spring.... has won five of six... went a stretch in February and March where she won four-straight, all in three sets.
TOP-THREE DOUBLES TEAMS FOR LBSU
No. 1 Bengson/Grady
THIS YEAR: 21-8
Ranked No. 53 nationally, this duo was named All-Big West first team for the first time, as Grady is a three-time all-BWC doubles player, Bengson is a four-time honoree, as the duo have combined to rank No. 56 this week...they are the third-highest ranked doubles team in school-history, as the No. 36 ranking last week as an all-time best... one of just eight doubles team all-time to win 20 games in a season... the single-season record is 23... at one point won 10-straight and overall have gone 16-6 in the spring... they have four ranked wins this season... they won the Fullerton Fall Invite.
No. 2 Jeanes/Weeks
THIS YEAR: 17-6
First team All-Big West in doubles... played together for the first time in January and went undefeated against the rest of the Big West (10-0) during the regular season... prior to losing to Fresno State's No. 25-ranked team, had won the last five-straight... overall, have won 13 of the last 16... Weeks is a three-time All-Big West doubles player... five of the team's seven losses this year have come to opponents ranked in the top-20.
No. 3 Armstrong/Sutton
THIS YEAR: 19-4
The second doubles team to play for the first time in January, the two freshmen have won 19 of 23 matches in the spring.. one of the hottest teams all spring, they won 12 straight at one point at the No. 3 position... won all three times at last week's Big West Tournament... the 12-game win streak included four wins over ranked teams.
Players Mentioned
