Feb. 15, 2005
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THIS WEEK…
The No. 33 University of New Mexico women’s tennis team (2-3) returns to the Lobo Tennis Club this weekend as it plays host to Montana State (3-6) on Friday, Feb. 18 at 4 p.m. (MST) and No. 24 Oklahoma (5-1) on Saturday, Feb. 19 at noon (MST). Matches will be held in the Randy Briggs/First State Bank Tennis Domes and admission is free.
TEAM NATIONAL RANKINGS…
Despite winning two matches in Louisville, Ky. last weekend, the Lobos dropped from No. 32 to No. 33 in this week’s ITA national rankings.
New Mexico still holds the second highest ranking in the Mountain West Conference with BYU moving up from No. 23 to No. 22 this week. UNLV and San Diego State each moved down one spot from its previous ranking. The Rebels are No. 46 in the nation while the Aztecs are 69th.
New team rankings will be released on Feb. 22 along with the newest individual rankings. For extensive information on how the rankings are calculated by the ITA visit www.itatennis.com, click on the Rankings link in the sidebar, select NCAA Division I Rankings and then click on the link, Information on the Feb. 22 singles/doubles rankings.
The No. 4 doubles team of sophomore Iva Gersic and junior Maja Kovacek. |
LOBOS IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS…
In the first individual rankings of the 2005 season, Maja Kovacek earned the highest singles ranking in UNM women’s tennis history and a personal best with a No. 24 standing. She passed former New Mexico women’s player Chris Hoffee who was ranked No. 33 in 1988. Iva Gersic was also featured in the singles rankings as the 66th-nationally ranked player. As a doubles team, the combined forces of Kovacek and Gersic managed to rank as the No. 4 team in the nation. It was also the highest ranking the UNM women’s tennis program had ever seen. The duo just beat out last season’s 5th-nationally ranked All-American pair of Kovacek and former Lobo Sandy Lukowski.
With the new individual rankings coming out next Tuesday, it will be interesting to see where New Mexico’s top two players, Kovacek and Gersic, will rank. The ITA National Team Indoor in the beginning of the season proved to be a big challenge and the results from that tournament will probably have an impact on where the two are ranked in singles and in doubles.
As a doubles team, Kovacek and Gersic did very well at the national event with wins coming against a No. 27 pair, a No. 56 duo and the biggest win of all coming against the No. 1 doubles team from Northwestern.
In singles, both players faced stiff competition at the indoor tournament and only saw one singles win each.
Kovacek is currently 15-4 overall in singles play while Gersic is 13-4. Together they boast an overall doubles record of 17-4.
A LOOK AT MONTANA STATE…Montana State is currently 3-6 on the season with wins coming against MSU-Billings, Northern Colorado and Montana. Six of its losses have come against Utah State, Mountain West Conference member Utah, San Francisco, UC Davis, Sacramento and Pacific.
The Bobcats enter their match with New Mexico after taking a week off from competition. Prior to its week off, Montana State was struggling with a four game losing streak on the road.
New Mexico holds a 2-0 advantage in the all-time series against MSU.
Montana State features a roster comprised of 11 players including three freshmen, five sophomores, two juniors and one senior.
For more information on the Bobcats visit www.msubobcats.com
A LOOK AT OKLAHOMA…
No. 24 Oklahoma is 5-1 on the season with its one loss coming against MWC competitor BYU.
The Sooners are making a stop in Tulsa, Okla. to face No. 61 Tulsa on Wednesday, Feb. 16 before coming to Albuquerque. Oklahoma is in the middle of a five match road swing that started on Feb. 10 in Utah.
Oklahoma’s top player sophomore Gabby Baker is out for the season after tearing her ACL and MCL in her left knee. As a freshman, Baker was the Big 12 No. 3 singles and doubles position champion last year with a 10-3 singles record and an 8-3 record in doubles in conference play. During the 2004 fall campaign, the sophomore led all Sooners with a 5-2 singles record.
Last season the Lobos defeated Oklahoma 5-2 in an away match. Oklahoma holds a 7-6 advantage in the all-time series against New Mexico.
For more information on the Sooners visit www.soonersports.com
LAST WEEK: UNM FINDS WINS IN LOUISVILLE, KY…
Louisville, Ky.-The No. 32 University of New Mexico women’s tennis team captured its first win of the season, defeating Middle Tennessee State, 4-3, in a neutral match at the University of Louisville’s Bass-Rudd Tennis Center.
Non-ranked Middle Tennessee (2-2) proved to be a much more threatening competitor to the Lobos (1-3) as the Blue Raiders won the doubles point and two of six singles matches before New Mexico rallied back to win four of its singles matches to clinch the victory.
Still struggling with a pulled stomach muscle from last weekend, sophomore Iva Gersic did not play at her usual No. 2 singles position. Taking her place at the second spot was senior Michelle Heidbrink who soundly defeated Middle Tennessee’s Claudia Szabo, 6-0, 6-2. Heidbrink had also captured a win earlier in the day at No. 2 doubles with teammate freshman Lucy Scott. The duo defeated Emily Vest and Ana Maria Cibils, 8-2, for New Mexico’s lone doubles win.
Scott also won her singles match at the No. 4 spot, defeating Vest 6-3, 6-0. Other singles wins of the day came at the No. 1 position where No. 24 Maja Kovacek defeated Jennifer Klaschka 6-4, 6-2 and at No. 6 singles where senior Tiffany Robertson earned her first singles win of the season after beating Jacqui Williams 7-6, 6-1.
(VS. LOUISVILLE): With freshman Lucy Scott winning in a close match at the No. 5 singles position, the No. 32 University of New Mexico women’s tennis team clinched its second win of the weekend with a 4-3 win over No. 75 University of Louisville at the Bass-Rudd Tennis Center in Louisville, Ky.
Louisville (8-3) started the day off strong, taking the doubles point from the Lobos (2-3) with wins at the No. 2 and 3 spots.
In singles competition, No. 24 Maja Kovacek notched a definitive 6-3, 6-4 win at the No. 1 spot over Cardinal Leslie Stewart while sophomore Iva Gersic took control at the No. 2 position with a 7-5, 6-2 win over Robyn White. At No. 4 singles, Nora Quintal pulled out a 6-4, 7-5 victory over Natalie Laszkowski.
The Lobos had some trouble at No. 3 and 6 singles, giving up both matches at each position. With the Cardinals nipping at the heels of the Lobos, the deciding match came down to the No. 5 singles position where Scott faced Suzanna Gracanin. The Lobo freshman stood her ground in the second set tie-breaker and clinched the final point with a 6-4, 7-6(8) score.
Freshman Lucy Scott |
MWC PLAYER OF THE WEEK NOMINEE…
Freshman Lucy Scott has been nominated for the Mountain West Conference Player of the Week for her outstanding performance last weekend at No. 5 singles against Louisville. Her victory in singles clinched the match for New Mexico, making it the second win of the weekend for the Lobos. Scott also performed well the day before against Middle Tennessee State at No. 4 singles. Normally at the No. 5 spot, Scott was moved to No. 4 after Iva Gersic was forced to sit out of No. 2 singles due to an injury. Scott finished the weekend winning both singles matches and one of two doubles matches with teammate Michelle Heidbrink. The freshman currently has an overall singles record of 11-5 and a 9-8 record in doubles.
DOUBLE THE EFFORT…
The Lobos have been known to show great strength in their doubles teams. In 2004, New Mexico only lost two doubles points for the entire spring season.
With two regular doubles players (Sandy Lukowski and Maria Ruiz-Fabrega) gone from last year’s squad, the Lobos are dealing with changes to the doubles lineup and are struggling a little to find that winning edge they had last season. Head coach Kathy Kolankiewicz said it’s something they are definitely working on to improve for future matches.
HOME IS WHERE THE WINS ARE…
The Lobos enjoy the comforts of home court advantage and it showed during the 2004 spring season as it captured its fifth undefeated home record in the last eight years and 18th straight home win after defeating Colorado State 7-0 in its last home match of the 2004 season.
THE LOBO TENNIS CLUB GETS A MAKEOVER…
Last July, the Lobo Tennis Club outdoor courts were completely resurfaced. It was the first time the courts had been fully replaced since they were originally built in the late 1970s.
BURST THE BUBBLE…
Saturday, Feb. 19 is Burst the Bubble at the Lobo Tennis Club. Lobo women’s tennis fans wear your red and fill the bleachers of the Randy Briggs and First State Bank tennis domes in support of the Lobo women’s tennis team as they take on No. 24 Oklahoma.