Fresno State Athletics
No. 28 'Dogs to play doubleheader in Fresno on Saturday
2/12/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
By Josh Mitchell
jomitchell@csufresno.edu
GoBulldogs.com
FRESNO, Calif. - Fresno State will play its first matches of the season in Fresno, Calif., on Saturday, facing Cal Poly at Copper River Country at 10 a.m. PT, and Santa Clara at 3 p.m. at Fig Garden Swim & Racquet Club.
MATCH INFO
Match #7 & #8 • Feb. 13, 2016
#28 Fresno State (3-3) vs. Cal Poly (1-2)/Santa Clara (2-2)
10 a.m./3 p.m. PT • Fresno, Calif.
Series Record: Bulldogs lead 19-4/Bulldogs lead 9-0
Last Meeting: Fresno State won 5-2/7-0 in 2015
Bulldog Aces
• Fresno State opened the season with five straight matches against teams ranked in the top 30 of the ITA rankings, posting a 2-3 record.
• The Bulldogs are ranked No. 28 in the latest ITA team rankings, moving up two spots after competing in the ITA Women's Team Indoor Championship.
• The team ranking is Fresno State's highest ranking since reaching No. 15 on Jan. 27, 2010.
• Sophomore Mayar Sherif Ahmed is currently ranked No. 26 in singles.
• After a 7-6(9) win over No. 6 Anna Sanford/Miho Kowase of Ohio State, the Bulldog doubles team of Mayar and Rana Sherif Ahmed went from unranked to No. 18.
• Head Coach Ryan Stotland earned his 50th win at Fresno State on Jan. 23 as the 'Dogs upset No. 9 UCLA 4-3 to earn a bid to indoor nationals.
Reaching Indoor Nationals
• The Bulldogs made their third trip to the ITA Women's Team Indoor Championship since 2008.
• The 'Dogs are one of five mid-major programs to earn a spot in the indoor Sweet 16 during the last decade, and the only to go multiple times.
• They were the lowest-seeded team (3) to reach national indoors. Aside from Wisconsin, which is the host, the remainder of the 14 teams in the tournament were either No. 1 or No. 2 seeds during the ITA Kick-Off Weekend.
• On Jan. 22 and 23, the Bulldogs completed back-to-back upsets over then-No. 34 Arkansas (4-1) and then-No. 9 UCLA (4-3) on the ITA Kick-Off Weekend. With the wins, the 'Dogs earned a spot in the ITA National Women's Team Championships in Madison, Wis.
Topping the Top 10
• The win over UCLA was the program's fourth win over a Top 10 team since 2000 and second-ever over the Bruins.
Looking Like 2015
• After garnering seven Mountain West Player of the Week honors in 2015, which was tied for the most in a season by one team, the Bulldogs have already secured two of the first four in 2016.
