Women's Tennis Prepares For UMBC In First Round
May 09, 2000 | Women's Tennis
May 9, 2000
This Week -- The 12th-ranked USC women's tennis team (15-8 overall, 4-4 Pac-10) received their 17th all-time bid to the 2000 NCAA Championships. This week, the Women of Troy will host the NCAA Regionals at Marks Tennis Stadium, May 13-14. USC will face Maryland-Baltimore County in the first round on Saturday at 3 p.m. If the team advances, the Trojans will face either New Mexico or Arizona on Sunday at 1 p.m. The Trojans also received two individual invitations to the NCAAs. Senior Veronika Safarova and freshman Jewel Peterson will compete in the singles championships in Malibu.
2000 NCAA Regionals
Marks Tennis Stadium
Saturday (May 13)
11:30 a.m. - New Mexico vs. Arizona
3 p.m. - USC vs. UMBC
Sunday (May 14)
1 p.m. - New Mexico/Arizona vs. USC / UMBC
2000 NCAA Championships -- The NCAA selected 64 teams to participate in the 2000 NCAA Tennis Championships. First and second round matches will played at 16 host sites on May 13-14, and the winner of each site will advance to the finals. The championships will be held in Malibu, Calif., May 18-26, and will be hosted by Pepperdine University. Individual championships will consist of 64 singles players and 32 doubles teams, and will take place during the team championships.
Last Year At NCAA Championships -- USC made one of its best showings in recent years at the 1999 NCAA Championships. The 21-9 team pushed its way to the quarterfinals after defeating Miami in a match that lasted nearly eight hours, and because of heavy rains in Gainsville, Fla., the teams were forced to compete at 3:30 a.m. The Women of Troy were then eliminated by Stanford, 5-1, two steps before the championship. USC's 1999 All-American Ditta Huber narrowly missed the singles championship after falling to San Diego's Zuzana Lesenarova in the semifinals.
Team Tournament
Regional First Round: defeated Drake, 5-0.
Regional Second Round: defeated San Diego, 5-1.
Third Round: defeated Miami (Fla.), 5-4.
Quarterfinals: lost to Stanford, 5-1.
Singles Championship
Jacqui Boyd
First Round: lost to Janet Bergman (Wake Forest), 6-0, 6-0
Ditta Huber
First Round: defeated Kris Sell (Kansas), 6-3, 6-2
Second Round: defeated Callie Creighton (Vanderbilt), 6-3, 6-3
Third Round: defeated Aarthi Venkatesan (Georgia), 6-2, 4-6, 7-6
Quarterfinals: defeated Sandy Sureephong (Texas), 6-3, 6-1
Semifinals: lost to Zuzana Lesenarova (San Diego), 6-1, 3-6, 6-0
Kara Warkentin
First Round: lost to Vanessa Castellano (Georgia), 7-5, 6-2
Doubles Championship
Huber/Warkentin
First Round: lost to Lesenarova/Valkyova (San Diego), 6-2, 6-3
Women of Troy History at NCAA Championships -- With its ninth consecutive (17th overall) bid to the NCAA Tournament, USC has long been a force in collegiate women's tennis. Since the inception of the NCAA postseason in 1982, the Women of Troy have earned two national titles (1985, 1983), to compliment four previous AIAW titles. The Trojans have twice played in the NCAA championship match (runner-up - 1984, 1886) and have reached the quarterfinals four times (1982, 1989, 1990, 1999).
Opponents Maryland-Baltimore County: Though unranked, Maryland-Baltimore County finished the season with a 20-6 record and went on to win the Northeast Conference (NEC) Championship. In route to the league tournament title, the Retrievers defeated Sacred Heart, 6-0, Central Connecticut, 5-0, and Quinnipac, 5-0. Junior Nicole Russo has led the team this season with a 15-9 record at the No. 1 position, and Anita Pushpanathan owns the team's best record with a 22-3 mark mainly at No. 4. USC and UMBC have never faced each other.
Arizona: Conference rival Arizona enters the tournament ranked 22nd after posting a 9-11 overall record and 3-5 mark in the Pac-10 for a sixth-place tie in conference play. To finish the season, the Wildcat's ninth-ranked doubles team of junior Michelle Gough and sophomore Lindsay Blau captured the doubles title at the 2000 Pac-10 Tournament by defeating USC's Brymer and Warkentin. Blau also owns the team's highest singles ranking at No. 56. The Women of Troy defeated Arizona twice this season with a 9-0 sweep in Tucson, Ariz., and 6-2 victory at home. USC owns a 29-15 all-time record against the Wildcats.
New Mexico: The 49th-ranked Lobos finished the season with a 15-11 overall record and 5-3 record in the Mountain West Conference. After defeating Wyoming in the first round of the conference tournament, New Mexico was eliminated with losses to BYU and San Diego State. Senior Ana Friganovic has led the team this season with a 13-11 record at the top position. The Trojans and Lobos have met only once in program history. In 1993, USC swept New Mexico, 9-0, in a regular season match.
Final Pac-10 Standings -- Stanford captured both the men's and women's team titles in 2000, with the Cardinal women posting an undefeated 8-0 record in Pac-10 play. This also marks the seventh-straight year that Stanford has won the women's title.
USC's fourth-place finish this season is a disappointing finish for the Trojans after completing 1999 with an 8-1 mark for second place. The Trojans have finished fourth on two other occasions, in 1987 and 1996 after posting identical 4-6 conference records. In the last decade, the Women of Troy have five times finished in sixth place, twice in fifth place, and once in fourth, third and second place.
School Conference W-L Overall W-L Rank
Stanford 8-0 25-0 No. 1
California 6-2 17-6 No. 5
UCLA 6-2 14-8 No. 9
USC 4-4 15-8 No. 12
Arizona State 4-4 12-7 No. 10
Arizona 3-5 9-11 No. 22
Washington 3-5 12-9 No. 25
Washington State 1-7 10-12 No. 60
Oregon 1-7 6-14 No. 50
The Nation's Toughest Conference -- Once again, the Pacific-10 conference proved to be the toughest tennis conference in the country. All nine of the Pac-10's universities which sponsor women's tennis were ranked among the top-100 - five of which have consistently remained in the top-15. In singles, seven of the top 15 competitors are from the Pac-10, and six among the top-15 in doubles. There are 24 total singles players who represent the conference in the top-100, and nine doubles pairs.
At the 2000 Pac-10 Championships -- This year's conference tournament was highlighted by the surprising play of the USC doubles teams. The Women of Troy advanced to the championship doubles match of both the Pac-10 Tournament and Invitational. Of the two, partners Jacqui Boyd and Jewel Peterson claimed the Invitational title with a victory over Heiser and Pestieau of Stanford. In singles, senior Kara Warkentin made her best showing in Ojai, reaching the quarterfinals before suffering a narrow loss to Lauren Kalvaria of Stanford.
Singles
Pac-10 Tournament
Jewel Peterson
First Round: def. Michelle Gough (Arizona), 6-1, 6-3
Second Round: lost to Keiko Tokuda (Stanford), 6-4, 4-6, 0-6
Jacqui Boyd
First Round: def. Lindsay Blau (Arizona), 6-2, 6-2
Second Round: lost to Sara Walker (UCLA), 1-6, 1-6
Kara Warkentin
First Round: Monika Gieczys (Oregon), 6-2, 4-6, 6-3
Second Round: def. Faye DeVera (Arizona State), 6-3, 6-3
Quarterfinals: lost to Lauren Kalvaria (Stanford), 6-2, 1-6, 6-7
Pac-10 Invitational
Anita Loyola
First Round: def. Jenny Lee (Cal), 6-3, 6-4
Second Round: lost to Laresa Marino (Arizona), 4-6, 2-6
Krissy Hamilton-Heinberg
First Round: def. Zuzana Stunova (Washington), 6-3, 6-2
Second Round: def. Celena McCoury (Arizona State), 6-4, 6-2
Quarterfinals: lost to Eizabeth Schmidt (UCLA), 3-6, 0-6
Tiffany Brymer
First Round: def. Emeka Mayes (Cal), 7-5, 6-4
Second Round: def. Zeta Wagner (Washington), 6-2, 6-1
Quarterfinals: lost to Jen Heiser (Stanford), 3-6, 0-6
Doubles
Pac-10 Tournament
Brymer/Warkentin
First Round: def. Filipovic/Pine (Washintgon State), 8-2
Quarterfinals: def. Cooper/Marinova (UCLA), 9-8
Semifinals: def. Bradshaw/McCoury (Arizona State), 4-6, 6-2, 6-2
Finals: lost to Blau/Gough (Arizona), 4-6, 6-3, 5-7
Pac-10 Invitational
Hamilton-Heinberg/Christian
First Round: lost to Gray/Stunova (Washington), 4-8
Peterson/Boyd
First Round: Bye
Quarterfinals: def. Fusano/Mayes (Cal), 8-6
Semifinals: def. Van de Ven/Piernaar (Washington State), 6-2, 6-3
Finals: def. Heiser/Pestieau (Stanford), 6-4, 7-6
Fantastic Finish -- Freshman Anita Loyola completed her first regular season at USC with the team's best overall record. Winning her last four-straight, Loyola recorded a 19-5 mark in dual matches, and 30-9 overall record this season.
Double Trouble -- Despite exceptional individual performances from the Women of Troy this season, USC has maintained one weakness - doubles play. The lack of consistency in this area has cost the Trojans numerous matches. On March 1, USC dropped a 5-4 decision to then-ranked No. 1 UCLA despite owning a 4-2 lead after singles. The same occurred at Stanford on April 21 when the Trojans held a 3-3 tie after singles, but lost the match in doubles play. Head coach Richard Gallien attributes this "double-trouble" to team chemistry, not being able to find strong and stable doubles pairings. Entering the NCAA tournament, the USC lineup will feature three new pairings.
USC News & Notes -- Senior Jacqui Boyd owns the team's longest win streak of the season in dual matches, having won 11-straight singles matches between Jan. 18 and Feb. 26... USC advanced to the USTA/ITA championship quarterfinals for the first time since 1997... The Women of Troy are 2-8 against top-25 opponents this season.
Head Coach Richard Gallien -- Richard Gallien is in his fifth season at the helm of the USC women's tennis program. After guiding the 1999 Trojans to a 21-9 overall record, and a quarterfinal appearance at the NCAAs, he was named Pac-10 Co-Coach of the Year. Gallien began his career at Pepperdine, coaching the men's team for three years, before joining the Trojan family. Over the last nine years, he has compiled a 137-77 (.640) overall record and his teams have made five appearances in the NCAA tournament.
Player Profiles
Jacqui Boyd
20-8 Overall / 15-5 Dual Matches
During the fall season, Jacqui Boyd displayed her best performance at the Riviera All-American championships where she advanced to the quarterfinals before falling to Adria Engel of Wake Forest. Boyd began the spring playing at the No. 2 position, and by season's end saw playing time at the No. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 spots. She owns the team's longest winning streak in dual matches after claiming 11 consecutive victories from Jan. 18 through March 1. Her streak was brought to a halt when she injured her right hand/wrist and missed four matches. Since her return on March 1 against UCLA, she has won four of seven to close out the regular season. Boyd reached the second round of the Pac-10 Tournament, and claimed the Invitational doubles championship with partner Jewel Peterson.
Tiffany Brymer
20-11 overall / 16-6 Dual Matches
As a freshman, Tiffany Brymer made a strong run in singles play during midseason. Beginning on Jan. 18, Brymer won 14-of-15 matches mainly at No. 6. She has played five matches at No. 5 and one at No. 4. Her longest win streak began on Feb. 19 against Kimberly Guy of Notre Dame, and extended through eight matches. But Brymer's midseason success was brought to an end on April 1. Since then, she has struggled in the team's final six matches, earning only one victory. With partner Kara Warkentin, Brymer played at the No. 1 doubles position throughout the season and the duo recorded a 6-10 overall record. In singles, Brymer advanced to the quarterfinals of the Pac-10 Invitational before falling to eventual champion Jen Heiser of Stanford. In doubles, she and Warkentin lost in the championship match of the Tournament.
Anita Loyola
30-9 overall / 19-5 Dual Matches
With the team's best individual record this season, Anita Loyola has undoubtedly been the Trojans' most consistent player. In her first outing with the Women of Troy, Loyola claimed the back draw championship at the fall ASU Tournament. After falling into the back draw of the ITA Regionals in November, she again went on to win the championship by defeating Elizabeth Schmidt of UCLA. In dual match play, Loyola played once in the No. 3 position, and alternated between No. 4 and 5 for the majority of the season. From Jan. 18 to Feb. 26, she won 10-straight matches, including three wins at the ITA Team Championships. During a first-round victory in the Pac-10 Invitational, Loyola suffered a sprained ankle. Falling in the second round, she was forced to scratch from doubles competition.
Jewel Peterson
29-14 overall / 12-10 Dual Matches
USC's most highly acclaimed freshman, Jewel Peterson broke into collegiate tennis as one of the nation's top players. She began the fall season ranked No. 4 when she claimed two tournament titles in her first two outings. She defeated Amy Jensen of Cal to win the ASU Tournament on Oct. 9, then defeated Cintia Tortorella of Pepperdine on Nov. 15 to win the ITA Regionals and earn an automatic bid to the championships. Positioned to play at the No. 1 position, Peterson struggled at the start of the dual match season and was moved to the No. 2 spot where she accounted for seven straight wins at one point. Peterson spent the last four matches of the regular season playing at the No. 3 spot and posted a 2-2 record. Peterson reached the second round of singles competition in the Pac-10 Tournament and went on to win the Invitational doubles championship with partner Jacqui Boyd.
Veronika Safarova
24-8 overall / 18-5 Dual Matches
Veronika Safarova has experienced a very successful senior campaign where she has been often overlooked. Since the fall, she has only lost eight matches and twice advanced to tournament quarterfinals at the ITA Regionals and NCTC Tournament. She has played at the No. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 positions, only posting five total losses in dual matches. On April 14, Safarova was moved to the No. 2 spot and finished the season winning five of six, as the remainder of the team struggled against top opponents (Cal, Stanford, Washington State and Washington). Her best run occurred from Feb. 19 through March 29 where she won eight consecutive matches. Safarova did not compete at the Pac-10 Tournament. She was selected as a the Princess of the Czech Republic for the Azalea Festival honoring the countries of N.A.T.O. which took place on the same weekend of the tournament in Norfolk, Vir.
Kara Warkentin
18-13 overall / 12-10 Dual Matches
With the exception of a few matches in midseason, Kara Warkentin has led the team at the No. 1 position throughout the year. At the fall ITA Regionals, she advanced to the third round before falling to ASU's Faye DeVera. In the first half the spring season, Warkentin proved successful at her position, winning six straight matches from March 10 through April 1. The second half of the season was not as generous to the senior. Warkentin entered the Pac-10 tournament on a six-match losing skid which began on April 7 against Cal's Anita Kurimay and continued in matches against Stanford, Washington and Washington State. Warkentin, along with partner Tiffany Brymer, played at the No. 1 doubles spot throughout the season and posted a 6-10 record in dual matches. Breaking out of her slump, she displayed her best performances at the Pac-10 Tournament. Warkentin advanced to the quarterfinals of singles competition, and the championship doubles match with partner Tiffany Brymer. Unfortunately, both were narrow losses decided in tiebreakers.
