Feb. 26, 2008
SAN DIEGO -
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AZTECS HEAD TO NO. 35 UC IRVINE
The 51st-ranked San Diego State women's tennis team (5-4) will continue its non-conference schedule on the road as it heads to No. 35 UC Irvine for a 1:30 p.m. PT dual match, Wednesday, Feb. 27.
SDSU snapped a three-match losing streak last Saturday, as the Aztecs defeated the University of Hawai'i, 6-1. The Scarlet and Black claimed the doubles point before taking five-of-six singles matches for the victory.
The UH tandem of Sophie Kobuch and Chloe Bihag made quick work of Kathryn Kitts and Sisse Nielsen, as the Aztecs fell, 8-1, at the No. 1 spot. Holly Bagshaw and Eliska Krausova then evened the playing field with a win on court two, before Milana Yusupov and Esther Cadua clinched the point with an 8-4 triumph. Cadua went on to secure the victory for SDSU with a straight-set win at the No. 3 position in singles action.
SCOUTING THE ANTEATERS
UC Irvine (4-4) has won three straight matches and is coming off a recent victory over Nevada. The Wolf Pack took an early 2-0 lead after winning the doubles point and the first singles match, but the Anteaters rallied back to take a 3-2 lead. UCI was able to hold on for the victory with Brooke Bartlett clinching the match at the No. 5 slot.
Senior Becky Bernhard, a two-time all-Big West Conference selection, is the No. 1 singles player for UCI, while classmate Jessica Broadfoot, who plays in the middle of the lineup, has had a solid season with a 4-4 record in dual-match play and an upset win over 43rd-ranked Tinesta Rowe of Fresno State.
Mike Edles is in his 12th year at the helm of the UCI women's tennis program. Edles was selected as the ITA West Region Coach of the Year in 2007, after leading the Anteaters to their first-ever appearance at the NCAA tournament.
SERIES HISTORY VS. UC IRVINE
San Diego State leads in its all-time series with UC Irvine by a 29-6 count, but the Anteaters defeated the Aztecs, 7-0, last year on neutral grounds in Honolulu, Hawaii. In 2006, the Scarlet and Black bounced back after dropping the doubles point to edge UCI, 4-3.
FAMILIAR FOES
This will mark SDSU's fourth match against a Big West opponent this year. The Aztecs defeated UC Riverside and Cal State Fullerton to open the 2008 dual-match campaign before falling to No. 37 Long Beach State on Feb. 9. The Scarlet and Black boasts an impressive 121-11 all-time record against BWC foes.
AZTECS IN THE POLLS
San Diego State is ranked 51st in the nation according to the poll released Feb. 26 by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA). Individually, freshman Julia Trunk remained among the top 100 singles players in the nation, coming in at No. 71.
SDSU LEADERS
Bagshaw, Cadua, Trunk and Olivia Colman are all tied for the team lead with 12 overall singles victories. In addition, Cadua, Nielsen and Yusupov all have five dual-match wins to pace the Aztecs in the spring.
KRAUSOVA IN THE BOOKS
Senior Eliska Krausova ranks 11th on the all-time singles charts with 62 career victories. The Prague, Czech Republic, native is just one win away from breaking into the top 10. Krausova has posted at least 15 victories in each of her three years at SDSU and had a team-high 21 wins in 2006-07.
NIELSEN ON THE VERGE
Senior Sisse Nielsen is three wins away from breaking into SDSU's all-time top 10 with 59 career individual doubles victories. The Alleroed, Denmark, native sits just behind Katalina Romero and current Aztec assistant coach Lindsey Gamp, who each have 62 triumphs to their credit.
Along with former Aztec Dita Hauerlandova, Nielsen is also tied for sixth in the single-season record books with 19 doubles victories.
MATTERA AT THE HELM
Peter Mattera enters his 27th season at San Diego State and 15th as head coach of the Scarlet and Black. In 14 seasons, the Aztecs' mentor has guided SDSU to 10 postseason appearances, compiling a record of 217-146 (.598) in the process. Equally impressive is the fact that 12 of his 14 squads have finished with an overall record of .500 or better, despite playing one of the toughest schedules in the nation on an annual basis.
FALL RECAP
San Diego State had several outstanding individual performances during the fall season, highlighted by Trunk's run at the ITA West Regionals where she defeated a pair of ranked opponents to reach the semifinals. Also, at the second SDSU Fall Classic, Bagshaw captured the Flight 1 singles title while Colman won Flight 4. Both Trunk and Colman concluded the fall with a team-high nine victories.
2006-07 REVIEW
SDSU finished the 2007 dual-match campaign with a 14-12 overall record and a 6-2 mark in the Mountain West Conference. The Aztecs made their 20th appearance in the NCAA tournament and acheived a final ITA ranking of No. 49.
THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME
Since the opening of the Aztec Tennis Center in 2005, SDSU has won 69 percent of its home matches, posting a 29-13 record. All 13 defeats have come at the hands of teams ranked in the top 60.
STAY TUNED
The Aztecs will get an early start next week as they travel to Tucson, Ariz., Sunday, March 2, for a 9 a.m. (PST) match against No. 52 University of Arizona. SDSU will then return home to host 61st-ranked University of Pennsylvania, Saturday, March 8, at noon PT.