May 9, 2006
SAN DIEGO -
SDSU Women's Tennis Weekly Release in PDF Format
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SDSU Women's Tennis Faces UCLA in First Round of NCAA Championship
San Diego State (16-8; 6-2 Mountain West Conference) makes its 19th all-time NCAA tournament appearance against No. 19 UCLA (13-6; 8-5 Pac-10) in the first round, Friday, May 12, at Ralphs-Straus Tennis Center on the campus of Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif. The match is set for a 3 p.m. PDT start with the winner advancing to play the winner of the Pepperdine-Wichita State match (May 12, noon) on Saturday, May 13, at 3 p.m.
The 34th-ranked Aztecs, tied for 11th nationally in all-time NCAA tournament appearances with Arizona and Indiana, are making their second consecutive postseason appearance and their fourth in five years.
The winner of the regional in Malibu will advance to the round of 16 at Stanford University. Team tournament matches in Palo Alto, Calif., will begin May 18 and run through May 22.
A Look at the Regional
For the second consecutive season, the Aztecs will head north to Los Angeles County for the NCAA tournament. This year, SDSU will travel to Malibu, Calif., where Pepperdine will play host to San Diego State, UCLA and Wichita State. The 19th-ranked Bruins come into the championship with a 16-8 record after finishing Pac-10 play with an 8-5 record. Meanwhile, the Shockers make the trip west after clinching the Missouri Valley Conference with a 17-7 overall record and an 11-1 league mark. This is WSU's first trip to the NCAA tennis championship. Lastly, Pepperdine, West Coast Conference champions, plays host to the regional with a 20-3 record and enters the postseason fresh off an undefeated year in the WCC.
SDSU in the Tournament
This is the fourth time in five years and 19th overall time that the Aztecs have appeared in the NCAA tournament. During that time, SDSU has amassed a record of 11-19 (.367).
The Aztecs have won their first round match-up 10 times in school history and advanced past the second round only once (1984). That year, SDSU defeated California (7-2) and Texas (6-3) before falling to Stanford in the semifinals, 7-2. After their loss, the Aztecs played in the third-place match and were downed, 5-4, by Trinity.
San Diego State has faced a Pac-10 opponent 11 times in the NCAA tournament beating only California in 1984 and Oregon (5-2) in 1997. Four of the Aztecs' losses have come at the hands of Stanford (1983, 1984, 1989, 1991), while the other five were dropped to Southern California (1985, 1998), Arizona State (1996, 2005) and Arizona (2002).
This is the first time since 1996, when SDSU dropped a 5-4 decision to the Sun Devils, that SDSU has played in the NCAA tournament in Malibu, Calif.
Elite Company
San Diego State is in some elite company when it comes to appearing in the NCAA tournament. The Aztecs are tied for 11th with Arizona and Indiana for most tournament appearances in the NCAA history with 19. In addition, those in the top 10 account for all 24 NCAA team championships.
Aztecs Against the Field
This year, SDSU has faced nine teams in this year's field of 64 finishing a combined 3-7. The Aztecs posted wins over Brigham Young, New Mexico and North Carolina State. Five of San Diego State's losses came against teams that were ranked inside the top-25 at match time including No. 4 USC, No. 6 California, No.19 and Ivy League Champion Harvard, 20th-ranked and MWC champ TCU and No. 23 and WCC champion Pepperdine.
Scouting UCLA
UCLA enters the tournament ranked 19th in the latest FILA Collegiate Tennis Rankings released May 1. The Bruins have not played in a dual match since April 21 where they lost their second consecutive match, both to USC, 5-2. Three days prior, UCLA dropped a 4-3 decision at USC. In their last five matches, the Bruins have gone 1-4, but those four losses came to top-ranked Stanford, the No. 3 Women of Troy and 13th-ranked California. Sandwiched between the four losses was a win over Oregon, 7-0, in Los Angeles.
In singles, UCLA has an impressive lineup that includes 21st-ranked Laura Gordon, No. 46 Tracy Lin, No. 54 Riza Zalameda, No. 56 Alex McGoodwin and No. 94 Ashley Joelson. Joelson is coming off a victory in the Pac-10 Invitaional singles championship match in Ojai, Calif., April 30, over top-seeded Jessica Nguyen of Stanford, 6-3, 2-6, 6-3. The Bruins also have a pair of ranked doubles teams in 12-th ranked Gordon-Zalameda and No. 47 McGoodwin-Elizabeth Lumpkin.
Series History vs. the Bruins
SDSU and UCLA have not faced in over 12 seasons even though players from each side often play against one another during the fall season. Overall, since 1972, the Bruins hold the all-time series lead at 25-7.
Scouting Pepperdine
The Waves, the tournament's No. 13 seed and 13th-ranked squad in the country, are fresh off its fourth consecutive WCC crown after blanking LMU, 4-0, at the league championships in Santa Clara, Calif. Pepperdine has won six straight going into its first-round match with Wichita State and 11 of its last 12. Its only loss during the stretch was a 4-3 defeat to No. 1 Stanford on March 29. The Waves singles lineup consists of three nationally-ranked players in No. 22 Bianca Dulgheru, No. 67 Sylvia Kosakowski and No. 105 Eva Dickes. In addition, two of Pepperdine's three doubles squads hold a national rank (No. 17 Kosakowski-Merve Asimgil and No. 30 Dickes-Dulgheru).
Series History vs. the Waves
The all-time series between SDSU and Pepperdine has been a close one as the Waves hold a slight edge over the Aztecs with a record of 22-18. Earlier this season, San Diego State dropped a heartbreaking 4-3 decision to then 23th-ranked Pepperdine at Ralphs-Straus Tennis Center.
Scouting Wichita State
The Shockers are making their first NCAA tennis championship appearance after claiming the Missouri Valley Conference title for the first time since 1998. WSU is coached by MWC coach of the year, Chris Young, who is in his first year at the school. Wichita State is led by its No. 1 singles and doubles player Madina Rakhim. For the year, Rakhim, who held a singles ranking for 11 weeks, compiled a Valley-best 21-3 singles record and with partner Wendi Webster lost only twice in the regular season en route to a 20-plus win campaign.
Series History vs. the Shockers
If the Aztecs and Shockers face in the second round, it will the first-ever meeting.
Aztec Duo Chosen as Alternates for NCAA Doubles Championship
Dita Hauerlandova and Sisse Nielsen were selected as second alternates for the NCAA doubles championship taking place at Stanford University, May 23-28. Should two teams in the 32-team field pull out of the doubles tournament, the Aztec duo will be inserted into the field. Pairings will be announced later this month.
All-Conference Selections
Two Aztecs were honored for their performance during the Mountain West Conference season at the annual MWC championship banquet April 26. Dita Hauerlandova earned her third consecutive all-singles award after playing the entire season at the top position and posting a 5-3 record. Of her five league victories, two of them came against No. 18 Olga Boulytcheva of BYU and No. 121 Emily Kirchem of Colorado State.
Hauerlandova also picked up her second straight all-conference doubles award thanks to her performance with partner Sisse Nielsen. The pair notched a 6-2 record during league action while playing at No. 1. Their most impressive win came against third-ranked Iva Gersic and Maja Kovacek of New Mexico in Albuquerque.
Players of the Week
This season, the Mountain West Conference handed out two player of the week awards to the SDSU women's tennis program. Alesya Vidov garnered her first career honor on March 9 behind the strength of four combined singles and doubles victories against Idaho and No. 38 Washington in Seattle. The MWC later recognized Dita Hauerlandova as she helped the Aztecs sweep Colorado State, Wyoming and Air Force, during the weekend of April 7-9, with her 6-0 combined singles and doubles mark. The award was the second of her career.
Underclassmen Contributions
The Aztecs are getting the most out of their underclassmen this season with four currently holding positions in the singles and doubles lineup. The quartet owns a singles record of .500 or better with sophomore Eliska Krausova owning an 16-5 record, while winning 13 of her last 15 matches. Freshman Esther Cadua is 14-10 overall with an 12-6 mark at No. 6, while classmate Milana Yusupov is also 14-10 in her first season. Sophomore Sisse Nielsen, who had a great fall, has won 12 of her last 15 and is 15-8 in the spring. Altogether, the underclassmen have a singles record of 59-33. In doubles, the quartet has played at all three positions with different partners over the course of the season.
Strong Play at No. 3
Eliska Krausova had her nine-match winning streak snapped at UNLV (March 26), but has won 13 of her last 15 matches. Krausova, who plays the majority of the time at No. 3 singles, currently is 16-3 at the position with her only losses coming at Long Beach State, at UNLV and vs. TCU. For the season, the sophomore is 16-5 with her other two losses coming at No. 2 against opponents who were ranked inside the top-20 nationally at match time (No. 3 Amanda Fink (USC) and No. 19 Suzi Fodor (California)).
Hauerlandova-Nielsen Connection
Dita Hauerlandova and Sisse Nielsen have been on quite a roll during the last two months of the season, winning 10 of their last 13 matches. Included in that streak have been wins over North Carolina State's No. 30 ranked duo, New Mexico's third-ranked tandem and the No. 44 ranked team from San Diego. For the season, the two are 15-8 in the spring at No. 1 doubles and 19-11 for the 2005-06 school year.
Krausova-Vidov Connection
After finishing 0-2 in the fall, Eliska Krausova and Alesya Vidov had never played a match this season in the spring together. All that changed vs. No. 67 UC Irvine (Feb. 25), when the two were paired against Inna Agababian-Heidi Kaloi. Although the Aztecs lost the doubles point, the move paid dividends as the duo posted an 8-5 win. Since then, the tandem has powered through its opponents en route to a 8-4 record at No. 2.
Doubles Advantage
Winning the doubles point has been a measure of success for the Aztecs as they have gone 12-1 when winning the doubles point this season. On the flip side, San Diego State is 4-7 when dropping the point.
200-Win Club
Head coach Peter Mattera reached the 200-win plateau on April 8 with SDSU's 6-1 victory over Wyoming. Mattera, in his 13th season on Montezuma Mesa, currently has a record of 203-123 with this season being his 11th with double digit victories. Mattera still has a long way to go to catch his predecessor, Carol Plunkett, as she has 299 career wins. In his previous 12 years, the Aztecs have never finished outside of the ITA rankings and only twice has SDSU not finished the season with a record of .500 or better. Adding to his already impressive resume is the fact that he has guided nine Aztec teams to the NCAA Tournament.
Eight-Match Winning Streak
San Diego State's eight-match winning streak earlier this season was the school's longest since the 2003 season. That squad also posted eight straight victories en route to a 22-6 record, the MWC Championship title and a berth in the NCAA Tournament. Ironically, that team started MWC play with a 2-0 record and similar to this year's squad, had its winning streak snapped by UNLV in Las Vegas. Following the loss to the Rebels in 2003, the Aztecs lost only once more before losing in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Nice Win
Dita Hauerlandova put the finishing touches on the Aztecs' win over Brigham Young on March 25 when she defeated No. 18 Olga Boulytcheva in three sets, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4, at No. 1. The win not only gave San Diego State the match, 4-3, it represented the senior's first win over a nationally-ranked opponent during her two-plus seasons at SDSU.
Climbing the Polls
At the beginning of March, the Aztecs were the No. 54 team in the nation and defeated unranked Idaho, No. 38 Washington and No. 36 Oregon. As a result of those three wins, the ITA moved SDSU up 14 spots to No. 40 the following week and promptly beat 38th-ranked North Carolina State and Wisconsin. Following two more victories, SDSU moved up to 29th nationally in the poll released March 14. That ranking is the Aztecs' best since being ranked No. 25 last season after defeating No. 28 Michigan and No. 8 Washington in consecutive matches. The latest poll released May 1 has San Diego State tabbed 34th.
Last Time Out
Fourth-seeded San Diego State dropped a 4-3 decision to fifth-seeded New Mexico in the quarterfinal round of the MWC Championship Friday morning, April 28, at Aztec Tennis Center. The match originally scheduled for 2 p.m. Thursday, April 27, at Barnes Tennis Center, did not get underway until Thursday evening at approximately 5:30 p.m. due to two rain delays and a change of venue. The contest was called at 9:23 p.m. Thursday night because of rain with the match deadlocked at 3-3. Play resumed Friday morning with the Lobos taking the remaining match at No. 4.
When play was suspended Thursday night, Milana Yusupov and Ola Abou-Zekry were engaged in a back-and-forth thriller. Abou-Zekry posted a 6-3 win to begin the evening only to have the Aztec freshman fight back and pocket a 7-6(3) decision. In the final set, Abou-Zekry jumped out to a 5-0 lead as the rain began to fall. After a five-minute delay, officials suspended the match until Friday morning.
The match commenced Friday with Abou-Zekry serving and trailing 30-40 in the game. Both players exchanged numerous shots until Yusupov hit one down the left side to cut her deficit to 5-1. After a brief timeout, Yusupov dug herself an early hole, but fought back to 30-40. In the end, Abou-Zekry hit a shot that Yusupov could not reach giving the Lobos the victory.
On Thursday, New Mexico opened the evening by taking the doubles point behind the strength of their victories at No. 1-2. Fifth-ranked Maja Kovacek and Iva Gersic were first off the court as they posted an 8-2 win over No. 46 Dita Hauerlandova and Sisse Nielsen at first doubles. Later, New Mexico secured the point when Lucy Scott and Abou-Zekry tallied an 8-5 victory over the SDSU duo of Eliska Krausova and Alesya Vidov. With the point decided, the match at No. 3 doubles was abandoned with the Aztecs' Esther Cadua and Yusupov leading 7-4.
In singles, Vidov dropped a straight-sets decision to No. 75 Iva Gersic at No. 2, but Krausova notched SDSU's first point when she cruised to a 6-1, 6-0 victory over Nora Quintal at No. 3.
Cadua tied the match at two apiece when she posted a tough, 6-3, 7-5, win at No. 6 over Mackenzie White.
Then the rain came again.
After a 14 minute rain delay, No. 88 Hauerlandova posted her third win of the season against a nationally-ranked player when she beat 31st-ranked Kovacek, 7-6(3), 6-3, at first singles. The decision came just minutes after play resumed and gave the Aztecs a 3-2 lead with two matches still in progress.
Nielsen, at No. 5, battled back from a 6-2 first-set loss and won the second by a score of 6-4 over UNM's Scott. Unfortunately, for Nielsen, she could not ride the momentum into the third set as she fell, 6-1, leaving the deciding match at No. 4.