April 17, 2001
This Week
Fresh off a sweep of its final two Mountain West Conference matches, the 46th-ranked San Diego State women's tennis team (13-7, 6-1 MWC) looks to keep a seven-match win streak alive, closing out its schedule at home against 31st-ranked Tulsa Friday at 1 p.m. and Oregon Sunday at noon. All home matches are held at the SDSU Tennis Courts, located east of Cox Arena on campus.
Last Week
The Aztecs closed out the league portion of their schedule this past weekend with wins over New Mexico, 6-1, and Air Force, 7-0. Sophomore Lindsey Hedberg played at No. 1 singles for the second straight weekend, earning two wins. Sophomore Silvia Tornier returned to singles action after sitting out the previous weekend due to injury and got two wins at the No. 2. SDSU also sweep doubles in both matches.
Noting the Aztecs
* SDSU is on a seven-match win streak and is the winner of nine of its last 11.
* The Aztecs posted wins in six straight conference matches to finish their league schedule 6-1.
* SDSU has won the doubles point in 11 of its last 12 matches and has a 13-2 record this season when doing so.
* The Aztecs won the doubles point in all but one (Brigham Young) of its conference matches.
* Sophomore Lindsey Hedberg has won 10 of her last 11 singles matches, including four straight at No. 1 and five straight at No. 3. She is 12-6 in dual matches and 14-9 overall and finished league play unbeaten.
* Junior Katey Becker is on a hot streak of her own, posting eight consecutive singles victories, good for a 12-7 dual mark.
* Sophomore Katja Karrento is 14-5 in dual play this season and has won eight of her last nine matches.
* Senior Whitney Wells is 10-8 in dual play this year and has won four straight.
* The doubles pair of Silvia Tornier and Hedberg have posted seven straight wins at No. 1.
* Senior Whitney Wells and junior Julie Chidley boast an 11-1 dual record at No. 2 doubles this season.
* The pair of Becker and Karrento are 5-0 at No. 3 doubles.
Aztecs in the Rankings
The Aztecs are ranked 52nd in the nation and sixth in the West region. Senior Whitney Wells and sophomore Katja Karrento are ranked third in doubles in the region. Representing SDSU in regional singles ratings are Tornier (6), Hedberg (18) and Karrento (23).
About the Golden Hurricane
Tulsa comes to San Diego with a 13-6 record having won three straight, including wins over Oregon, 4-3, and 48th-ranked Kansas, 6-1, this past weekend. Sophomore Aleksandra Durska holds a 14-3 record in duals and 27-8 overall. Senior Jennifer DeSpain follows closely with a 13-6 dual mark and 22-9 overall. The Golden Hurricane faces USD on Thursday before facing the Aztecs Friday. Third-year head coach Paige McMurray is a 1993 graduate of San Diego State.
About the Ducks
Oregon (4-15) looks to put a stop to a two-match losing skid after dropping matches to Tulsa and Texas Christian this past weekend. The Ducks are led by fifth-year head coach Jack Griffin.
Strength of Schedule
Eighteen teams on the Aztecs' spring schedule were ranked entering the season. Four schools on SDSU's docket are currently rated in the top 25: California (9), Washington (13), Southern California (19) and Pepperdine (21). Counting SDSU, four members of the league are currently ranked: Brigham Young (31), New Mexico (39), UNLV (65).
Coaching Staff
SDSU is led by eighth-year head coach Peter Mattera, who has amassed a 117-73 (61.6 pct.) record on Montezuma Mesa. Matera is assisted by Susheel Gulati, who is in her fifth year with the program. Both are graduates of SDSU.
Looking Ahead
The Aztecs next compete in the Mountain West Conference championships April 26-28 in Ft. Collins, Colo., on the Colorado State campus. The winner of the championships receives an automatic bid in the NCAA Championships.