April 9, 2008
SAN DIEGO -
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SDSU LOOKS TO HALT FIVE-MATCH SKID; RETURNS HOME TO HOST FINAL MWC WEEKEND
The San Diego State women's tennis team (7-12 overall; 0-5 MWC) will look to end a five-match losing streak and pick up its first league victory as it returns to the friendly confines of the Aztec Tennis Center to host a three-day Mountain West Conference weekend. The Scarlet and Black will begin play with a 2 p.m. (PDT) showdown against Air Force on Friday, April 11, before squaring off with Wyoming on Saturday (April 12) at 10 a.m. (PDT). SDSU will then conclude its conference slate on Sunday when it battles Colorado State in another morning match-up at 10 a.m. PDT.
LAST TIME OUT
Facing three ranked MWC opponents in as many days, San Diego State was unable to get in the win column last weekend in Las Vegas, Nev. The Aztecs opened their second conference road trip with a 4-3 loss to No. 55 New Mexico. The Lobos won the doubles point and then clinched the match with three singles victories before Eliska Krausova, Esther Cadua and Sisse Nielsen closed out the contest with wins of their own.
The following day, SDSU faced 24th-ranked TCU and came out on the wrong end of a 5-2 score. Once again the Aztecs picked up their points in singles action with Cadua and Milana Yusupov coming out victorious in their respective matches. The Scarlet and Black saw the same results against host No. 58 UNLV on Sunday, this time with Yusupov and Nielsen getting the Aztecs on the scoreboard. Cadua saw her seven-match win streak come to an end as she suffered a heartbreaking 7-6, 6-7, 10-7 loss.
SCOUTING THE FALCONS
Air Force (5-17 overall; 0-5 MWC) is also looking for its first conference win as it fell, 6-1, to BYU before being swept by Utah last week. The Falcons, who have lost six straight matches, are led by their No. 1 singles player Christine Abayan. Also in the mix is Lauren Wilson, who has played most of the season in the No. 2 slot. The Air Force women's tennis team is in its ninth year under the tutelage of head coach Kim Gidley.
SCOUTING THE COWGIRLS
Wyoming (10-9 overall; 1-4 MWC) is also coming off a pair of losses to BYU and Utah. The Cowgirls dropped a 4-2 decision to the Cougars before falling to the Utes, 4-1. Wyoming's lone conference win came against Air Force back in early February. The Cowgirls are led by their one-two duo of Corina Lazar and Rebecca Berger. Krissy Hall is in her third year as Wyoming's head coach.
SCOUTING THE RAMS
Colorado State (6-8 overall; 0-4 MWC) lost to both BYU and Utah by a 5-2 margin last weekend. Hilary Tyler and Lauren Strasburger have split time at the No. 1 spot for the Rams, and both have racked up 11 overall singles victories. Leading CSU in the win column is Caitlin Fluegge, who has totaled 15 triumphs, and a perfect 5-0 record at No. 6 singles. Jon Messick is in his 15th season as the Rams' mentor.
CADUA ON THE RISE
Junior Esther Cadua extended her season-long winning streak to seven matches before dropping her first league contest against UNLV last Sunday (April 6). Playing mostly at the No. 4 spot, the San Diego, Calif., native began her run with a 6-0, 6-0 blanking of Penn's Michelle Mitchell. She went on to defeat Wake Forest's Emily Malvehy and Stephanie Schnitter of Harvard before opening MWC play with four straight victories. Cadua downed Erin Monson (Utah), Dolly Chang (BYU) and Emma Hayman (New Mexico) in straight sets and outlasted Katariina Tuohimaa of TCU in a 3-6, 7-6(3), 10-7 comeback win before falling to UNLV's Anna Maskaljun, 6-7, 7-6, 10-7.
KRAUSOVA IN THE BOOKS
Senior Eliska Krausova picked up an individual win last weekend, taking sole possession of sixth place on the SDSU all-time charts with 66 career singles victories. The Prague, Czech Republic, native has posted at least 15 triumphs in each of her three years on The Mesa and had a team-high 21 wins in 2006-07.
NIELSEN ON THE VERGE
Senior Sisse Nielsen is two wins away from cracking San Diego State's all-time top 10 with 60 career individual doubles victories under her belt. The Alleroed, Denmark, native sits just behind Katalina Romero and current SDSU assistant coach Lindsey Gamp, who each have 62 triumphs to their credit. Along with former Aztec Dita Hauerlandova, Nielsen is also tied for sixth on the single-season charts as the duo recorded 19 wins in 2005-06.
MATTERA AT THE HELM
Peter Mattera enters his 27th year 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.
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 31-14 record. All 14 defeats have come at the hands of teams ranked in the top 60.
STAY TUNED
San Diego State will close out its regular season on Tuesday, April 15 when it hosts the University of San Diego at the Aztec Tennis Center. First serve is slated for 4 p.m. (PDT).