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ORU Favored to Defend Title in Women’s Tennis
Courtesy: The Summit League
Release: 01/24/2008
Oral Roberts is the unanimous favorite to repeat as The Summit League champion in a preseason poll of the league’s nine head coaches. The Golden Eagles received eight first-place votes on their way to 64 points to garner top honors (coaches are not allowed to vote for their own team).
Western Illinois registered 48 points, including the other first-place vote, to earn second place in the poll. IUPUI finished in third place with 46 points, with IPFW right behind in fourth place with 45 points. Southern Utah finished fifth with 38 points, Oakland placed sixth with 33 points and South Dakota State was seventh with 23 points. Rounding out the polling were Centenary (16) and UMKC (11).
Oral Roberts looks to defend its regular-season and tournament titles by returning its core group from last year and using the experience those players gained by representing the conference in the NCAA Tournament. The Golden Eagles return all but one player from last year’s conference championship team, including reigning Player of the Year Emily Arkell, first-team all-league selection Tayler Pippin and second-team picks Hayden Rush and Rafaela Souza.
Western Illinois head coach Michael Hunt returns four starters - Stephanie Baumer, Courtney Brooks, Kim Lennartsson and Yana Meinert - from last year’s team that fell to ORU in the semifinals of the conference tournament. Lennartsson was a second-team all-conference honoree.
IUPUI, which fell to the Golden Eagles in last year’s championship match, will need to replace first-team all-league selections Jessica Petersson and Jessie Ritchie, along with second teamer Tessa Williams. Still, the Jaguars return five players who have received letters in previous seasons. New head coach Cameron Benjamin looks to return the Jags to The Summit League Championship for the seventh consecutive season.
IPFW returns a wealth of experience and have posted back-to-back winning seasons. Seniors Ashley Coulson, Hanna Hager and Stacy Lish and junior Sachi Janek return and were IPFW’s top four players in 2006-07. Key newcomers include freshman Amy Recht, who went 7-2 in singles and 5-1 in doubles last fall, and Agnes Menger.
Southern Utah returns just two letterwinners - Carmen Blanco and Emmi Nelson-Bulloch - from last year’s squad that went 9-14. Blanco played primarily at No. 1 singles last year, while Nelson-Bulloch, a 2006 all-conference performer, posted a 13-9 overall mark. The team also adds six newcomers to the mix, including Martha Kruk, a transfer from Texas Southern who compiled a 13-10 record in helping TSU to a Southwestern Athletic Conference championship last year.
Oakland returns five letterwinners from the 2006-07 campaign. Leading the way are Lisa Lulgjuraj, Amanda Scheer and Michelle Maxfield. Lulgjuraj saw the majority of her action at the No. 1 position last season.
South Dakota State begins its inaugural season in the Summit League after finishing the 2006-07 season with a 5-10 dual record, including victories over Division I opponents UMKC and Chicago State. The Jackrabbits are led by seniors Jennifer Sondreal and Kate Wylie, who are expected to fill two of the top three singles spots. Sondreal teamed with freshman Nellie Bloomberg for an impressive showing in doubles play during the fall season.
The 2008 Summit League Women’s Tennis Championship will be hosted by IPFW April 25-26. The top four seeds will compete in the tournament.
2008 Women’s Tennis Preseason Poll
Team (1st) Points
1. Oral Roberts (8) 64
2. Western Illinois (1) 48
3. IUPUI 46
4. IPFW 45
5. Southern Utah 38
6. Oakland 33
7. South Dakota State 23
8. Centenary 16
9. UMKC 11
Courtesy: The Summit League
Release: 01/24/2008
Oral Roberts is the unanimous favorite to repeat as The Summit League champion in a preseason poll of the league’s nine head coaches. The Golden Eagles received eight first-place votes on their way to 64 points to garner top honors (coaches are not allowed to vote for their own team).
Western Illinois registered 48 points, including the other first-place vote, to earn second place in the poll. IUPUI finished in third place with 46 points, with IPFW right behind in fourth place with 45 points. Southern Utah finished fifth with 38 points, Oakland placed sixth with 33 points and South Dakota State was seventh with 23 points. Rounding out the polling were Centenary (16) and UMKC (11).
Oral Roberts looks to defend its regular-season and tournament titles by returning its core group from last year and using the experience those players gained by representing the conference in the NCAA Tournament. The Golden Eagles return all but one player from last year’s conference championship team, including reigning Player of the Year Emily Arkell, first-team all-league selection Tayler Pippin and second-team picks Hayden Rush and Rafaela Souza.
Western Illinois head coach Michael Hunt returns four starters - Stephanie Baumer, Courtney Brooks, Kim Lennartsson and Yana Meinert - from last year’s team that fell to ORU in the semifinals of the conference tournament. Lennartsson was a second-team all-conference honoree.
IUPUI, which fell to the Golden Eagles in last year’s championship match, will need to replace first-team all-league selections Jessica Petersson and Jessie Ritchie, along with second teamer Tessa Williams. Still, the Jaguars return five players who have received letters in previous seasons. New head coach Cameron Benjamin looks to return the Jags to The Summit League Championship for the seventh consecutive season.
IPFW returns a wealth of experience and have posted back-to-back winning seasons. Seniors Ashley Coulson, Hanna Hager and Stacy Lish and junior Sachi Janek return and were IPFW’s top four players in 2006-07. Key newcomers include freshman Amy Recht, who went 7-2 in singles and 5-1 in doubles last fall, and Agnes Menger.
Southern Utah returns just two letterwinners - Carmen Blanco and Emmi Nelson-Bulloch - from last year’s squad that went 9-14. Blanco played primarily at No. 1 singles last year, while Nelson-Bulloch, a 2006 all-conference performer, posted a 13-9 overall mark. The team also adds six newcomers to the mix, including Martha Kruk, a transfer from Texas Southern who compiled a 13-10 record in helping TSU to a Southwestern Athletic Conference championship last year.
Oakland returns five letterwinners from the 2006-07 campaign. Leading the way are Lisa Lulgjuraj, Amanda Scheer and Michelle Maxfield. Lulgjuraj saw the majority of her action at the No. 1 position last season.
South Dakota State begins its inaugural season in the Summit League after finishing the 2006-07 season with a 5-10 dual record, including victories over Division I opponents UMKC and Chicago State. The Jackrabbits are led by seniors Jennifer Sondreal and Kate Wylie, who are expected to fill two of the top three singles spots. Sondreal teamed with freshman Nellie Bloomberg for an impressive showing in doubles play during the fall season.
The 2008 Summit League Women’s Tennis Championship will be hosted by IPFW April 25-26. The top four seeds will compete in the tournament.
2008 Women’s Tennis Preseason Poll
Team (1st) Points
1. Oral Roberts (8) 64
2. Western Illinois (1) 48
3. IUPUI 46
4. IPFW 45
5. Southern Utah 38
6. Oakland 33
7. South Dakota State 23
8. Centenary 16
9. UMKC 11