Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
Boise State (WAC Final)
Six-In-A-Row: No. 16 Bulldogs Capture WAC Crown
4/28/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
April 28, 2007
By Curtis Webb
GoBulldogs.com
BOISE, Idaho - Junior Jacqueline Haskett beautifully angled a backhanded drop shot over the net, finishing Boise State's Tiffany Coll 6-3, 6-3 and clinching Fresno State's sixth-straight Western Athletic Conference title. The 16th-ranked Bulldogs breezed to a 4-0 victory over Boise State, proving once again how dominant Fresno State has been over the last six seasons in conference play.
Haskett, who has become a specialist of sorts in the WAC tournament, is 5-0 singles and 4-0 in doubles in her three seasons of conference tourney play. She is the eldest of the Bulldogs and has won a conference title in each of her three seasons. Head coach Simon Thibodeau now owns a conference championship in each of his four seasons at the helm of the Fresno State women's tennis program.
The Bulldogs won their 11th straight and extended their winning streak over conference opponents to 28 straight matches. Fresno State also completed the WAC tournament winning each of its three matches by the score of 4-0.
"We came out really strong in doubles and took the crowd out of it quickly," Thibodeau said. "We also started singles well and most importantly we finished out the match 4-0."
Sophomores Melanie Gloria and Tinesta Rowe gained momentum quickly in doubles and never let up. The 35th-ranked tandem beat Baum and Mackova 8-3 as freshmen Renata Kucerkova and Anastasia Petukhova followed with an 8-2 victory over Ganzha and Kokoulina to clinch the point. It was the 16th consecutive match in which Fresno State has won the doubles point.
"I'm really proud of everyone," said redshirt-freshman Vanessa Heroux. "Since the beginning of the season we've really gained a lot of confidence and it shows in the energy we have on the court. We just need to keep it up as we head into the NCAA tournament."
Gloria won her 19th consecutive match at No. 1 singles, beating Bianca Jochimsen 6-0, 6-3 to give the Bulldogs a 2-0 lead. Petukhova immediately followed with a 6-2, 6-2 defeat of Jana Mackova at the No. 3 position, increasing Fresno State's advantage to 3-0 before Haskett clinched the victory on court No. 6.
"My goal was to come out and play my best tennis," Petukhova said. "As a team, I think we are really playing great, but we want to improve even more."
Sophomore Bruna Paes agrees: "I think we played even better than we did last year. Last year's match was close and it served as a warning that we need to be better prepared. Today we were focused and it showed because we won all the matches easily."
Fresno State captured many postseason awards as well. Thibodeau won his second-straight and third overall Coach of the Year honor. Gloria was named the WAC Player of the Year for the second consecutive season and Kucerkova was awarded the WAC Freshman of the Year.
Gloria, Kucerkova and Petukhova were named to the first-team all-WAC in singles. Gloria and Rowe, and Kucerkova and Petukhova, earned first-team all-WAC doubles honors. Sophomore Danon Beatty was named to the second-team in singles.
The Bulldogs improved to 20-3 overall and anticipate an opportunity to host the NCAA first and second rounds at the Wathen Tennis Center May 12-13. The NCAA tournament and regional locations will be announced on Tuesday, May 1, during a selection show at approximately 11:45 a.m. PT on ESPNEWS.
NCAA Women's Tennis (WAC Tournament Final)
April 28, 2007
Appleton Tennis Center - Boise, Idaho
No. 16 Fresno State def. No. 44 Boise State, 4-0
Doubles (Fresno State wins doubles point)
1) No. 35 Gloria/Rowe (FS) def. Baum/Mackova (BSU), 8-3
2) No. 50 Kucerkova/Petukhova (FS) def. Ganzha/Kokoulina (BSU), 8-2
3) Beatty/Herxou (FS) v. Coll/Wlodarczyk (BSU), 5-4 DNF
Order of completion: 1, 2
Singles
1) No. 3 Melanie Gloria (FS) def. Bianca Jochimsen (BSU), 6-0, 6-3
2) No. 45 Renata Kucerkova (FS) v. Polina Kokoulina (BSU), 6-2, 5-5 DNF
3) No. 74 Anastasia Petukhova (FS) def. Jana Mackova (BSU), 6-2, 6-2
4) Tinesta Rowe (FS) v. Klaudia Wlodarcyzk (BSU), 6-3, 3-6, 0-1 DNF
5) Danon Beatty (FS) v. Stacey Housley (BSU), 7-6, 1-1 DNF
6) Jacqueline Haskett (FS) def. Tiffany Coll (BSU), 6-3, 6-3
Order of completion: 1, 3, 6
Records: Fresno State (20-3); Boise State (17-4)
Players Mentioned
