Fresno State Athletics
Rising to the Next Level
1/29/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Jan. 29, 2008
FRESNO, Calif. - Two straight NCAA Round of 16 appearances. Hosts of the NCAA First and Second Rounds in 2007. Six Consecutive Western Athletic Conference Titles. Regional titles and high individual national rankings. Think the Bulldogs are satisfied?
The Fresno State women's tennis team is hungry for more and is on a quest to advance even further into the NCAA tournament while cementing itself as the top team in the WAC once again. The Bulldogs return the entire team from last year's squad that went 22-4 overall and finished the season ranked No. 14 in the country.
Junior All-American Melanie Gloria figures to be one of the top players in the country again. She earned a No. 3 preseason ranking in the fall and is the two-time reigning WAC Player of the Year. She has participated in all three of the major championships during the college tennis season and has once been a finalist at the ITA All-American. "Melanie has high expectations in every national event that she plays in," said head coach Simon Thibodeau said. "Her goal is always to win, whether it's in a national final or playing at the No. 1 spot during a dual match."
Sophomore Anastasia Petukhova was stellar during the fall season and will be tough competition for any opponent she faces this year. Petukhova earned a No. 47 preseason ranking, went 13-2 in the fall and won the Bulldog Classic title in impressive fashion. Her biggest win came after defeating 2006 NCAA Champion and No. 4-ranked Susie Babos of Cal during the ITA Northwest Regional Championships.
Sophomore Renata Kucerkova, last year's WAC Freshman of the Year, will again be a force at the top of the lineup. She earned a No. 43 fall ranking and went 7-3 with wins over ranked opponents.
Junior Tinesta Rowe had a fine fall season, going 9-3 in singles and 13-5 in doubles. She won eight straight in singles during one stretch, which included a three-set victory over No. 9 Celia Durkin of Stanford. Rowe has won some crucial matches in her career and will have many opportunities to make significant contributions this season.
"Tinesta really gives us some firepower," Thibodeau said. "She solidifies our No. 4 spot in the singles lineup. I believe she can compete with anyone in the country at that position."
Senior Jacqueline Haskett enters her final season with the Bulldogs and wants to make it count. She has won a WAC title in each of her previous three seasons and is a perfect 9-0 in both singles and doubles during WAC tournament play.
Juniors Danon Beatty and Bruna Paes and sophomore Vanessa Heroux will all provide depth at the bottom of the lineup. Paes won six straight matches during one juncture of the fall, including an upset of a ranked opponent at the Cal Invitational.
"Our team has matured and they want it more," said Thibodeau. "They all know what to expect and I believe they will come together sooner than they did last year. Our goal is to advance further than we did last year and that would be the round of eight."
In doubles, the Bulldogs are deep and experienced. Gloria and Rowe, winners of the ITA Northwest Regional Championship, earned a No. 11 national ranking to start the fall. They were 9-2 in the fall with six wins over ranked opponents.
Kucerkova and Petukhova are very talented as well. The duo earned a No. 18 national ranking and went 12-4 in the fall with wins over three ranked opponents. Beatty and Heroux were also solid last season at the No. 3 spot, giving the Bulldogs three talented doubles teams.
The Bulldogs will play a challenging schedule as usual. Fresno State battles three teams from the Pac-10 conference, three from the Big-12, and perennial powers William and Mary and TCU. The Bulldogs host 11 home matches during 2008, including contests against Pepperdine, BYU, Denver and William and Mary. Fresno State will also participate in the 16-squad ITA National Team Indoor Championships in Madison, Wis., Feb. 7-10.
