Fresno State Athletics
Bulldog Tennis Builds Toward Strong Spring
1/12/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Dec. 28, 2000
FRESNO, Calif. - If the fall season was any indication of how good the men's and women's tennis teams will be once play resumes in the spring, Bulldog fans shouldn't be surprised if both squads make runs at a Western Athletic Conference championship crown.
The two teams recently concluded the fall tournament portion of their season, with non-conference and conference contests scheduled for the spring. Both squads will open their second half schedules at home, the men in early February against Cal Poly and the women in late January against Washington.
The men's squad (24-5 overall last season) finished last season ranked No. 14 in the nation, and will look to build on that mark despite a tough schedule and some team unfamiliarity. Fresno State participated in the Charles Fluitt Invitational, Wathen/Hancock Bulldog Classic and ITA Northwest Regional Championships during the first half of their campaign. The Bulldogs wrapped up its fall season with only five of seven players actually seeing live game action. Senior Peter Luczak is currently 24 wins away from breaking the all-time singles victory mark of 105 held by Bryan Juinio and will also make a serious run at the NCAA singles championship. Luczak has yet to swing a racquet for the Bulldogs this season, as he took a sabbatical during the fall but will return for the spring. Michael Moretti, a 6'5" freshman from Venezuela, has been playing in his home country during the fall and will make his Fresno State debut in the spring.
As for the current lineup, senior David Mullins has enjoyed the most success thus far. Mullins posted an 11-3 singles mark in the fall, and won the Eighth Annual Wathen/Hancock Bulldog Classic singles championship by defeating Oregon's Oded Teig 7-6 (3), 6-3. He also advanced to the round of 16 in singles at the ITA Northwest Regional Championships and teamed with junior Nick Fustar to reach the doubles semifinals of the same tournament. Fustar ended his fall season on a positive note, advancing to the singles quarterfinals of the ITA Regional Championships after a slow start. Senior transfer Sean Cooper concluded his fall season with a 5-3 singles mark and took on a noticeable leadership role in Luczak's absence. The two freshmen on the team, Alex Krohn and Alex Menichini, finished with 3-6 and 4-4 singles records, respectively, and both participated in each of the Bulldogs' fall tournaments. The Bulldogs' schedule doesn't get any easier, with matches against California, Illinois, Kansas, Texas and Stanford looming in the spring.
Much like the men, the women's team (16-9 overall last season) is a blend of battle-tested seniors and new faces. The Bulldogs took part in the St. Mary's Tournament, Riviera Tournament, Wathen/Hancock Bulldog Classic and ITA Northwest Regional Championships in the fall. Senior Liesl Fichtbauer and junior All-American Kim Niggemeyer provided the Bulldogs with a solid 1-2 punch at the top of the lineup. Fichtbauer went 11-2 in singles, including a nine-game win streak, and 4-3 in doubles. She defeated Niggemeyer, who teamed with junior transfer Simon Jardim to win the doubles championship of the Wathen/Hancock Bulldog Classic. Jardim and junior Ewa Grusiecka both finished with identical 6-3 singles records. Chantel Wiggins was 2-3 in singles matches, but continued to solidify her reputation as a strong doubles player, finishing 5-3. Sophomore Kelly Ramirez competed in all but one of the Bulldogs' four tournaments and finished 3-3 in singles. Freshman Courtney Jantz went 9-3 in singles play and opened some eyes with a runner-up finish at the St. Mary's Tournament. The other half of the freshman duo, Lynsie Jones, sat out the fall season due to injury but should be ready for the Bulldogs' home opener. The women will square off against traditional powerhouses such as California, Iowa, Stanford, UCLA, and Washington in the spring.
