April 29, 2004
Live Men's Results
Live Women's Results
SoonerSports.com Tournament Page
Norman, Okla. - Apr. 29-May 2, 2004
Headington Family Tennis Center
Tickets: Available by calling 405-325-2424 or toll free 1-800-456-4668.
Special youth and all-tournament packages are available.
NORMAN, Okla.--Baylor's men's tennis team, winner of
four of the last five Big 12 championships, and the Texas women,
champions or co-titleists of seven of the first eight Big 12 seasons,
wear large favorite's crowns entering the Thursday-Saturday Big 12
postseason tournaments.
BU (23-2 overall, 7-0 Big 12) has been ranked No. 2
nationally for much of the 2004 season while the Longhorns (20-4, 11-0
Big 12) have been edging toward the women's ITA Top 10 (No. 11 last
week) for the better part of April.
Coach Matt Knoll's Bears advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals in 2003 and
have been a composite 51-4 over the last two springs in dual match play.
Baylor's only two defeats in '04 have been 4-3 to No. 5 nationally and
Southeastern Conference power Mississippi on Mar. 6 and at No. 4
Southern California 4-3 on Feb. 28 before rolling to 15 consecutive dual
victories.
Coach Jeff Moore's Texas squad had to overcome triple
challenges from defending Big 12 co-champions Texas A&M (19-7, 10-1 Big
12 in 2004, No. 17 in the country last week) and Baylor (12-10, 8-3 Big
12) along with ITA No. 19 Oklahoma (20-3 for the Big 12's best dual
match percentage mark at .870 prior to the tourney, 9-2 conference) to
finish the season unscathed. The current UT women's edition follows a
long trend of consecutive undefeated teams in conference play (all 11-0
from 1997-2000 and 2002). Moore's charges tied Oklahoma State for the
women's championship in 2001 with 10-1 record and placed third (again
tied with eventual Big 12 tourney winner OSU at 8-3) last season.
All 20 competing teams will be entering a new postseason
venue. Oklahoma's Headington Family Tennis Center was dedicated in
March, 2004, and has been rated as one of the most up-to-date facilities
of its kind. It's also the first time for the Oklahoma men and women to
host the postseason meet after Austin, Texas (1997), Lincoln, Neb.
(1998), College Station, Texas (1999 and 2002), Kansas City (2000 and
'03), and Waco, Texas (2001) were earlier sites.
The four-day women's and three-day men's tournaments
again feature several nationally-ranked teams and individuals. Returning
Coaches All-Big 12 choices from 2003 on the men's side are three Baylor
standouts-Benjamin Becker, Benedikt Dorsch and Matias Marin-from the
previous men's tourney winners (4-0 over Oklahoma State) along with the
likes of Oklahoma State's Yevgen Bondarchuk and Mark Van Elden. Texas
A&M's Lester Cook and Ante Matijevic again grace the field while Jose
Zarhi of Texas was an all-league singles choice last year.
While the final men's conference standings were virtually "seamless"
without a tie in the Nos. 1-8 team finishes, Baylor is not expecting a
cakewalk. Second-place Texas A&M (19-7, 6-1 Big 12) has been in or
around the ITA Top 25 (23rd last week) throughout the campaign and has
captured eight of its last nine matches sandwiched around a 5-2 loss to
Baylor at College Station on Apr. 3. Texas (13-10, 5-2 Big 12) hopes to
shake off some rust after not competing since Apr. 17 (an Apr. 24 match
at SMU was cancelled by rain). Oklahoma State (16-4, 4-3 Big 12) appears
poised to contend again while Oklahoma improved from a final dual mark
of 14-10 in 2003 to 16-6 (3-4 Big 12) prior to hosting the '04
tournament. Texas Tech (11-11, 2-5 Big 12) has had some bright moments
while Colorado ((7-15, 1-6 Big 12) comes off a 6-1 intersectional
victory over Wichita State. Nebraska (9-12, 0-7 Big 12) played 14 of its
matches this spring away from Lincoln and has solid road experience.
Besides the "Big Four" on the women's side, Nebraska
already sports a three-victory improvement overall (from 12-11 to 15-8
before this week's joust) since the 2003 season and was just one league
match behind 6-5 each Colorado and Missouri. The Buffaloes (11-9
overall) edged Missouri (13-8, 6-5 Big 12) for the fifth seed by downing
the Tigers 4-3 at Boulder, Colo., on Feb. 21 in head-to-head play.
Eighth-seeded Texas Tech (11-9, 4-7 Big 12) rebounded under first-year
head coach Cari Groce while fellow Big 12 initial mentor Amy Hall of
Kansas (6-15, 4-7 Big 12) took her squad to within two Big 12 wins of
the first division. Rebuilding Oklahoma State (defending tournament
champ after beating Texas A&M 4-1 in the '03 finals) is 7-14 overall
(2-9 Big 12) and coming off a 6-1 league win over Iowa State. OSU pushed
homestanding Oklahoma to the wire before falling 4-3 on Apr. 22 and
always is tournament tough. Kansas State (5-14, 1-10 Big 12) suffered
several senior losses after making its first ever NCAA Sweet 16
appearance last year while Iowa State (5-13, 0-11 Big 12) needs one dual
victory at Norman to post its highest overall win tally since the 2001
Cyclones closed 6-11.
2003 All-Big 12 coaches team returnees Courtney
Steinbock of Kansas, Urska Juric of Missouri, Katka Sevcikova of MU,
Nebraska's Gitte Ostermann, '03 Player of the Year Anda Perianu (11-0 in
conference singles this season) of Oklahoma, Texas' Kendra Strohm, and
four-time Big 12 Women's Player of the Week Jessica Roland of Texas A&M
bolster an all-star women's field. MU's 2003 All-Big 12 doubles team of
Juric-Sevcikova looms as a major factor while Oklahoma returns to potent
duo of Perianu-Heather Saluri to challenge the league's solid doubles
tandems of Strohm-Katie Ruckert of Texas and Kansas State standouts
Paulina Castillejos-Maria Rosenberg.
With automatic NCAA berths in the offing for the winning
men's and women's teams, the conference enjoyed a strong NCAA presence
last year. Eight women's teams capped bids after the Big 12 tourney as
KSU advanced to the NCAA Championships at Gainesville, Fla., before
falling 4-0 to Southern California. A Big 12-most four men's squads
moved on to the NCAA Championships at Athens, Ga., where Baylor stopped
Alabama 4-1 in the first round. Eventual NCAA runnerup (to Illinois)
Vanderbilt edged the Bears 4-0 to end Big 12 tennis activity in 2003.
2004 Big 12 Men's Tennis Position Champions
No. 1 Singles--Lester Cook, Texas A&M
No. 2 Singles--Ante Matijevic, Texas A&M
No. 3 Singles-Matias Marin, Baylor
No. 4 Singles-Matija Zgaga, Baylor
No. 5 Singles--Daniel Byrnes, Oklahoma State
No. 6 Singles--Juan Felipe Diaz, Oklahoma State
No. 1 Doubles--Antonio Ruiz-Jose Zarhi, Texas
No. 2 Doubles-(tie) Benjamin Becker-Matias Marin, Baylor; Daniel Byrnes-Mark Van Elden, Oklahoma State
No. 3 Doubles-(tie) Ivor Lovrak-Reiner Neurohr, Baylor; Lee Gregg-Marek Velicka, Oklahoma
2004 Big 12 Women's Tennis Position Champions
No. 1 Singles--Anda Perianu, Oklahoma
No. 2 Singles--Helga Vieira, Texas A&M
No. 3 Singles--Kendra Strandemo, Colorado
No. 4 Singles-Lauren Walker, Texas A&M
No. 5 Singles--Nicki Mechem, Texas A&M
No. 6 Singles--Anna Lubinsky, Texas A&M
No. 1 Doubles--Paulina Castillejos-Maria Rosenberg, Kansas State
No. 2 Doubles--Petra Dizdar-Mia Marovic, Texas
No. 3 Doubles--Gabby Baker-Bethany Griffin, Oklahoma
Notes About 2004 Big 12 Tennis...
A Big 12 school has participated in every NCAA tournament
since 1977 (women's since 1982).
The Big 12 Conference has won two team championships, four
NCAA singles champions and six doubles championships since 1923.
Over the last three years (2001-03), 22 total Big 12 teams
have vied in men's and women's NCAA events. Men's teams from Baylor,
Oklahoma State, Texas, and Texas A&M made it to the NCAA Sweet 16 in '03
while Big 12 women's tennis teams from the same four schools have earned
invitations to one or all of the 2001-03 NCAA tourneys. Last year's NCAA
women's field included eight Big 12 squads-the most eight teams from the
current configuration advanced in 1996.
Missouri became the ninth Big 12 women's team to receive an
NCAA bid in history after the 2003 regular campaign.
Texas leads league members in NCAA tourney appearances with
the men's team playing in 21 tournaments (including the last 12 in
succession) and the women's team playing in 21 consecutive tournaments
dating back to 1983 for 42 invitations between the teams.
In the first eight years of Big 12 men's tennis, there have
been seven champs undefeated in conference play-Texas (9-0) in 1997,
Texas (8-0) in 1999, Texas A&M (8-0 in 2001), and Baylor (8-0 in 2000,
7-0 in 2002-04). The 1997-2000 and 2002 Texas women's teams were 11-0
finishers while in 2001 Oklahoma State and Texas closed at 10-1 as
co-champions. Texas A&M broke a 52-match league winning streak by coach
Jeff Moore's UT squad on Apr. 18, 2001, with a 4-3 triumph. In 1997-03
women's intraconference play the 'Horns are 84-4 for a .955 victory
rate.
Prior to the 2002, '03 and '04 conference tournaments,
Baylor's men's team has been a composite 67-4 (.944) in dual match play.
Coach Matt Knoll's 2002 and '03 teams were exactly 22-1 overall and 7-0
entering those Big 12 tournaments in 2002 and 2003. The Bears are 78-6
overall from Feb., 2002-Apr. 28, 2004, for a .929 winning percentage.
BU's latest three editions have only two losses each in dual play.
Texas women's team captured the first six Big 12 postseason
tournaments and edged co-champ Oklahoma State 4-3 in the dramatic 2001
finale at Waco, Texas. Last year's 5-0 tourney title win over
homestanding Texas A&M was a little less dramatic. 2003 was the first
time in Big 12 competition that the Longhorns' women's unit has not been
the tournament's No. 1 seed, and Oklahoma State became the first
non-Texas women's tourney winner with a 4-1 triumph in 2003 over Texas
A&M at Kansas City's Plaza Tennis Center.
The Texas men have won three consecutive Big 12 championships
from 1997-99 before Baylor started a 4-for-5 run from 2000, 2002-04.
Texas A&M captured the 2001 men's championship by a two-game margin (8-0
to 6-2 in league play) over Baylor and Texas. Baylor's 2002 team edged
Texas (6-1) and Texas A&M (5-2) for league honors. BU is unbeaten in Big
12 round-robin play (22 straight dual matches) since falling to Texas
A&M 5-2 on Apr. 19, 2001.
A record 12 Big 12 men's and women's teams have been ranked in
the ITA Top 50 in 2004. In both 1998 and '03 a previous-high nine teams
received Top 50 recognition. The eight women's teams in the '04 ITA
preseason first 50 included No. 24 Texas A&M, No. 27 Texas, No. 32
Baylor, No. 33 Kansas State, No. 35 Oklahoma, No. 37 Oklahoma State, No.
38 Missouri, and No. 44 Colorado. Nebraska (No. 68) and Kansas (No. 73)
gave the league 10 women's schools among the Top 75 nationally.
Since 1982 Oklahoma State's women's teams have competed in 13
NCAA events and received their first Big 12 automatic berth in '03 after
winning the conference tournament. Texas A&M (nine NCAA trips), Baylor
(seven) and Kansas (seven)-most recently in 1999-follow OSU and Texas
(21 NCAA bids) in league ladders.
Texas leads all Big 12 men's teams with 21 NCAA treks while
Oklahoma State follows with 11. Texas A&M has 10 NCAA postseasons, and
Kansas (program was dropped after 2001) is next with eight. Baylor has
been to six consecutive NCAA tournaments under coach Matt Knoll and is
almost a lock for a seventh straight berth in '04 with 23 wins its first
25 matches.
Some recent top team finishes by Big 12 in NCAA tournaments
include Baylor's quarterfinals' trip, three Big 12 men's teams (Baylor,
Texas and Texas A&M-all tied for 9th) in the 2003 NCAA Championships,
Texas' women in the 2001 semifinals (4-2 loss to Duke), and Texas A&M's
men in the '01 quarterfinals (loss to TCU). In 2000 Big 12 third-round
contenders were the Baylor, Texas and Texas A&M men along with women's
teams Baylor (second round), Texas (third round) and Texas A&M (second
round) in '00.
Most highly-rated Big 12 singles and doubles teams in the ITA
national rankings on the week before the Big 12 meet include No. 3
Benedikt Dorsch of Baylor, No. 10 Benjamin Becker of BU, the Bears' No.
90 Matias Marin, and BU's Matija Zgaga at No. 102 in singles. Texas
A&M's No. 2 nationally doubles team of Lester Cook-Ante Matijevic is a
natural fit for the twosome's high national singles ratings-Cook at No.
14 and Matijevic at No. 20. No. 29 Mark Van Elden of Oklahoma State also
started his fall, 2003-spring, 2004, campaigns with a 15-1 record. Texas
Tech also chimes in with No. 75 and top singles man Jakob Paulsen,
capable of some major upsets. Some ITA women's stars include No. 5 Anda
Perianu and the No. 17 nationally doubles team of Perianu-Heather
Saluri. Baylor's No. 50 Craolin Walter is up there with Texas A&M's No.
23 Jessica Roland and rising Helga Vieira (currently No. 116 but downed
Texas' No. 110 Katie Rucket in their last singles match). Texas fabulous
freshman Petra Dizdar was No. 18 nationally in Apr. 20 ITA ratings.
The conference enjoyed one of its top overall performance
against non-conference opponent prior to the NCAA draw. Big 12 men's
teams were 86-36 (.705) against outsiders through May 9 while the
women's teams advanced from a final non-league mark of 66-54 in 2003 to
a 78-44 (.639) outside record before this season's postseason play.
About the 2004 Men's Teams...Big 12 Tennis Tournament - Apr. 30-May 2, 2004
BAYLOR
The Bears appear to be in a league of their own after
going 7-0 in round-robin contests during each of the last three seasons.
Versatile standouts Benedikt Dorsch and Benjamin Becker have been
virtually unbeatable in the first two singles positions while returnees
Matias Marin and Ivor Lovrak join Reiner Neurohr to give coach Matt
Knoll's veteran team almost unbeatable doubles combinations. BU has wins
over 14 different ITA Top 50 teams in playing a demanding slate.
COLORADO
After losing the nucleus of its 6-16 team in 2003, the
Buffs have fought hard against one of the nations' most demanding
schedules. Newcomers Peter Bjork and Marek Dvorak have captured some
critical wins in the Top Three singles slots while Marko Bundalo and
Bjork have played a veritable all-star lineup between Nos. 1 and 2
singles. Cu was just under .500 (6-9) outside the Big 12 in dual
matches.
NEBRASKA
NU has a chance to be the spoiler in the '04 tourney
behind soph Joerg Barthel of Friedrichsdorf, Germany, and newcomer
Gerhard Posch. Veterans Barthel-Jose Rivera in doubles have a chance to
help the Huskers get the doubles point, and late season 4-3 win at
Texas-Arlington could be the momentum builder that NU needs to give
top-seeded Baylor a good run in the opening round.
OKLAHOMA
Coach Paul Lockwood's host Sooners start the tourney on
a bit of a roll with four Big 12 conference wins in six matches since
Apr. 4. Plus, OU gained valuable tournament experience by sweeping
through the UNLV tourney for first place with wins over Weber State,
host UNLV and Texas-Arlington. Sophomore Lee Gregg teamed with freshman
Marek Velicka to go 5-0 at No. 3 doubles in Big 12 play, and they hope
to be a force in their first Big 12 postseason flurry.
OKLAHOMA STATE
OSU has been among national leaders with a final mark of
18-5 last year and a 16-4 start in '04 after finishing the 2002 season
at 11-8. Coach James Wadley's 2003 team, seeded third, battled into the
tournament finals before falling 4-0 to Baylor. Superstar Mark Van Elden
joins Yevgen Bondarchuk as two experienced hands while newcomers Daniel
Byrnes and Juan Felipe Diaz were a combined 22-10 to open the 2004
spring campaign.
TEXAS
The always-competitive Longhorns have one of the
nation's top-ranked doubles teams in Antonio Ruiz-Jose Zarhi with a 6-0
record at No. 1 doubles in Big 12 regular season activity. A rugged
schedule including Rice, Southern California, Duke, Arkansas, and other
Top 25-30 entries set up the team for the Big 12 tournament while senior
returnee Jimmy Haney (earlier transfer from Kansas) is a key component
in the Nos. 4-6 singles posts.
TEXAS A&M
A&M was 23rd nationally in the Apr. 20 ITA poll but has
played much tougher in the final third of the season. Coach Tim Cass'
contingent has eight wins its its last nine matches with only a 5-2 loss
against Baylor to mar the near-perfect finish. Lester Cook and Ante
Matijevic seem to play their best tennis when the competition is
toughest, and Mohamed Dakki has been a key addition from Western
Michigan to the mix.
TEXAS TECH
Junior Jakob Paulsen of Idestrup, Denmark, via Lamar
University is another welcome newcomer for the Red Raiders, who return
seasoned Esat Tanik and Michael Innerebner from post tournament
challengers. Tech slipped just a bit in the pre-tourney dual match
record column from 13-8 in 2003 to 11-11 in 2004, but the more national
glint to the current schedule should offer more adequate postseason
preparation.
About the 2004 Women's Teams...Big 12 Tournament - Apr. 29-May 2
BAYLOR
After sharing the 2003 Big 12 title with Texas A&M, the
Lady Bears have been almost as competitive with a 8-3 league record in
'04-just one win off last season's worksheet. Coach Joey Scrivano has
resorted to talented newcomer Carolin Walter at No. 1 (No. 50 in ITA
rankings last week) along with consistent returnee Daria Potapova to put
together a strong run at an NCAA advancement.
COLORADO
With three consecutive 10-plus-win seasons under coach
Nicole Kenneally (returning to the campus where she starred on the
courts at Oklahoma), the Buffaloes ride some momentum into Norman. No. 3
Big 12 singles medalist Kendra Strandemo complements one of the nation's
top freshmen, No. 1 singles standout Lynzee Kever of Oklahoma City, in a
nostalgic trip for several CU netwomen.
IOWA STATE
Led by lone senior Sabrina Evers, the Cyclones have made
some progress with four victories over a six-match stretch early in the
season. Two of those triumphs were over Northern Colorado and Saint
Louis (ISU's most recent triumph on Mar. 27), and the team had to bunch
five matches over 10 days late in the year due to some postponements.
Soph Charlotte Ljungkrantz has pulled some key upsets for ISU.
KANSAS
A 4-3 victory at Nebraska on Apr. 17 show some of the
potential that coach Amy Hall's squad has working as it heads down the
home stretch. Wins over Hawai'i 5-2 at Honolulu, Iowa State and NU
provide impetus for twins Courtney and Kristen Steinbock, who have been
team leaders since the 2001 campaign. Senior Emily Haylock has been in
on her share of upsets and adds another four-year element.
KANSAS STATE
Coach Steve Bietau guided the Wildcats to their first
Sweet 16 appearance in history last year and has harnessed his '04 squad
into a competitive group against a plethora of rugged opponents. The
probable All-Big 12 doubles team of Paulina Castillejos-Maria Rosenberg
has been virtually automatic at No. 1 doubles and gives K-State a chance
against a Missouri team which edged the Wildcats 4-3 on Mar. 31.
MISSOURI
Senior Urska Juric of Placar, Slovenia, is almost an
annual All-Big 12 preseason and postseason choice for coach Blake
Starkey's forces along with junior Katka Sevcikova in singles and
doubles. Freshman Yelena Olshanskaya is a previous Big 12 Women's Player
of the Week and a talented first-year contributor to the effort. MU's
chances on a second NCAA bid could be helped by a winning Big 12 tourney
performance.
NEBRASKA
The Huskers are en route to their best season since the
2001 squad closed 19-6 overall and jumped three victories from 2-9 to
5-6 in the Big 12 win column from '03 to '04. NU's 15-8 mark entering
the league joust has been buoyed by junior No. 1 singles contender Gitte
Ostermann, senior Leslie Harvey with 11 wins in her first 16 singles
matches in the spring, and doubles trendsetter Milena Schulz-Gartner
(9-2 with Anna Oehme at No. 3 doubles).
OKLAHOMA
This might just be the year for the homestanding Sooners
as they continue the dedication year of the Headington Family Tennis
Center. 2001 Big 12 Newcomer of the Year and All-America Anda Perianu
leads a parade of talented student-athletes along with time-tested
Heather Saluri, freshman star Gabby Baker, freshman Irina Lykina, and
reliable junior Jessica Braver for the 20-3 Sooners-tied with the Texas
women for the most total wins among Big 12 members.
OKLAHOMA STATE
Tourney championship ring holder Katya Kolodynska had a
lot on her shoulders as the key returning cog for 2004 and has observed
the growth of promising freshmen Lauren Simmons and Jennifer Poskitt in
OSU's 2004 rebuilding phase. The Cowgirls toppled New Mexico State 4-1
on Apr. 10 and scored 12 points in their latest three matches against
Oklahoma, Nebraska and Iowa State to seek to get onto a tournament roll.
TEXAS
One has a hard time fathoming Texas' women's tennis
success for almost three decades and the last 23 seasons under head
coach Jeff Moore, the second-winningest active women's tennis mentor in
NCAA Division I. The ingredient of fabulous frosh Petra Dizdar was just
what the Longhorns needed along with all-stars Kendra Strohm, Katie
Ruckert, Kelly Baritot, and Ristine Olson (who was 8-0 at No. 6 singles
in the Big 12).
TEXAS A&M
Under 2003 Big 12 Coach of the Year Bobby Kleinecke, the
2004 Aggies barely missed a beat in capturing 19 of their first 26
matches. The team has been 17-3 since a 7-0 win over Rice on Feb. 14 and
appears to be peaking behind All-America candidate Jessica Roland at No.
1 singles and four Big 12 singles position winners--No. 2 Helga Vieira;
No. 4 Lauren Walker, No. 5 Nicki Mechem, and No. 6 Anna Lubinsky.
TEXAS TECH
Coach Cari Groce changed attitudes and competitiveness
throughout the 2004 tennis lineup as Tech stayed in the fray even in
some close defeats this season. The Red Raiders opened at 8-3 in dual
play before running into the grinding Big 12 slate but still received
ample production from No. 103 ITA Irina Tereschenko and singles
stalwarts/doubles savvied Tara Browning and Kendall Brooks.