Feb. 13, 2001
This Week
The 27th-ranked San Diego State women's tennis team (2-2) has two matches in as many days this week. The Aztecs host Loyola Marymount at 1:30 p.m. Friday at the SDSU Tennis Courts before traveling to 55th-ranked UC Irvine for a noon match Saturday.
Week in Review
The Aztecs look to rebound from a pair of losses last week. The team was defeated 6-0 by 13th-ranked Southern California Wednesday and 6-1 Friday by sixth-ranked California. The USC match was played around a three-hour rain delay. The highlight of Aztec competition against California came in the No. 5 singles spot when junior Julie Chidley defeated Cal's Nicole Havlicek, 6-4, 6-1. SDSU provided good competition in both the No. 3 and No. 6 singles slots vs. the Golden Bears with senior Whitney Wells losing to Jieun Jacobs, 7-6 (6), 6-4, at No. 3 and freshman Erin Polowski losing to Sekita Grant, 7-6 (4), 6-4, at the No. 6 spot.
Aztecs in the Rankings
The Aztecs are ranked 27th in the nation and sixth in the West region. Sophomore Silvia Tornier is ranked 46th nationally in singles play and sixth in the region. Also representing SDSU in the regional singles ratings are sophomores Lindsey Hedberg (18th) and Katja Karrento (23rd). The doubles pair of Karrento and senior Whitney Wells are ranked third in the region and Hedberg and Tornier eighth.
A Year Ago
SDSU closed out its 2000 season with a 16-9 overall record and made its fifth straight, 14th overall, trip to the NCAA tournament advancing to the second round. The Aztecs faced 22 ranked opponents on the year, earning a top seed to the inaugural Mountain West Conference championships.
Recaping the Fall
The Aztecs capped off a successful fall season with their doubles team of Karrento and Wells advancing to the ITA regional semifinals. The pair finished the fall schedule with a 5-2 record. In singles action, Tornier advanced to the quarterfinals of the ITA regional, posting a 6-1 record.
Team Effort
The Aztec men's and women's team participated in the second annual WingspanBank.com/World TeamTennis National Collegiate Championship Oct. 6-8 in Palo Alto, Calif. The tournament was played in the World TeamTennis format and features 16 of the nation's top programs. SDSU was invited thanks to a 2000 final ranking of 19th for the men and 27th for the women.
Strength of Schedule
Eighteen teams on the Aztecs schedule are ranked entering the season. Five schools on SDSU's docket are rated in the top 25: California (6), Pepperdine (9), Southern California (13), Washington (22) and Tulsa (25).
About Loyola Marymount
The Aztecs own a 9-0 advantage over the Lions with the last victory an 8-1 decision last March in San Diego.
About UC Irvine
The 55th ranked Anteaters are 0-3 this season after suffering a 6-1 loss to sixth-ranked UCLA. The team competes at Cal State Fullerton today (Tues.) before hosting Long Beach State Thursday and SDSU Saturday.
Coaching Staff
San Diego State is led by eighth-year head coach Peter Mattera. Mattera is assisted by Susheel Gulati, who is in her fifth year with the Aztec program. Both are graduates of SDSU. Gulati was a member of the Aztecs' All-American 1993 doubles team.
Things to Come
The Aztecs' schedule continues Feb. 24 (Sat.) when ninth-ranked Pepperdine visits Montezuma Mesa for a noon match.