Fresno State Athletics
'Dogs Prepare For WAC Tournament
4/22/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
April 22, 2009
FRESNO, Calif. - This week, No. 16 Fresno State will be looking to add its eighth-straight WAC Championship trophy to the collection, but they have to first have to wait to see who they will face on Thursday for the opening round of the WAC Tournament.
The Bulldogs will face the winner of the play-in match between Louisiana Tech and San Jose State. Fresno State beat both teams, 7-0, in the regular season. The Lady Techsters and the Spartans meet on Thursday at noon PT and the victor will play the Bulldogs later that day at 6 p.m. PT.
Louisiana Tech is 2-18 overall and 0-8 in the WAC, and faced Fresno State for the first time in school history this year. San Jose State is 12-13 on the year and 1-6 against WAC opponents. The Spartans' only conference win was a 7-0 shutout against the Lady Techsters. The Bulldogs are 9-0 all time against San Jose State.
Fresno State is the defending seven-time WAC Champions with the most stacked lineup in the conference. The Bulldogs not only feature three-time WAC Player of the Year Melanie Gloria, but four other players that went undefeated individually in conference action. No. 16 Gloria, No. 25 Anastasia Petukhova, No. 66 Renata Kucerkova, Tinesta Rowe and WAC Freshman of the Year candidate Laura Pola posted 8-0 records against WAC opponents in the regular season.
The Bulldogs may have been even more dominant in doubles action. Fresno State boasts the No. 1 team in the country of Petukhova and Kucerkova and the 13th-ranked team of Gloria and Rowe. The Bulldogs' No. 3 team of Pola and Beatty have been solid all year with a 13-7 record.
Fresno State put together a 19-5 overall record and was 8-0 in the WAC, and outscored its conference opponents 54-2 in the regular season.
If the Bulldogs win, they will play the winner of Hawai'i and New Mexico State on Friday at 6 p.m. PT. The WAC Championship will be on Saturday at 3 p.m. PT.
"Join the State - Fresno State" - Support the Bulldogs as they travel to Honolulu, Hawai'i, for the WAC Championships from April 23-25. Follow the 'Dogs throughout the season on www.gobulldogs.com.
