Feb. 14, 2009

The UMass women's tennis team hosts the University of Albany this Sunday (Feb.15) at the Bay Road Tennis Club on the Hampshire College Campus. The Minutewomen are looking to improve their 3-1 record of the spring. UMass will then travel to Boston on Wednesday (Feb. 18) to take on the Eagles in non-conference play at 5 p.m.

SCOUTING ALBANY
The University of Albany women play at Holy Cross on Saturday before traveling to Amherst on Sunday. Albany heads into Saturday's match against Holy Cross with a 7-0 record. Albany's number one, Susan Ma, has been a force this season with her only two losses coming at No. 1 singles against Selma Babic and No. 1 doubles against the team of Babic/Lahens of Long Island. Kim Weltman, Albany's No. 2 player, goes into Saturday's match holding only one loss, occurring at No. 1 singles, against the undefeated Dominique Liguori of Fordham. All of the Lady Great Danes hold winning records in dual matches this season with the only 3 losses coming at No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles against Long Island and No. 6 singles at Fairfield.

The All-Time series between these two teams is tied at one-a-piece with Albany winning the last meeting in 2008, 4-3. The close match was decided in the singles after UMass took the doubles point by winning at No.1 and No. 3 doubles. UMass came close at No. 5 and No. 6 singles but ended up losing two very close 3 set matches.

MINUTEWOMEN TIDBITS
UMass freshman and No. 1 singles player Magdalena Ploch is coming off an impressive win Tuesday against Boston University's Francine Whu, 2-6, 6-0, 6-4. Candynce Boney and Maude Lecluyse are an undefeated team this spring at the No. 1 doubles spot.

MOVING UP DOUBLES CHART
Two Minutewomen stand among the top doubles winners in program history. In this, only her third season in Amherst, senior Laura Danai is already 10th on the all-time list with 44 wins (to only 19 losses for a remarkable winning percentage). Junior Maude Lecluyse is right behind her with 42 victories. She won her 40th career match against Long Island. Next up is Liesl Sitton with 46.

Doubles Wins
1. Masha Pozar, 84-41, 04-08
t-2. Caroline Steele, 67-31, 94-98
t-2. Susan Hyams, 67-36, 00-04
4. Michele Spiess, 58-25, 04-07
5. Lana Gorodetskaya, 51-18, 94-98
t-6. Jackie Braunstein, 50-27, 95-99
t-6. Dorothy Iwanowicz, 50-41, 02-06
8. Marie Christine Caron, 48-28, 95-98
9. Liesl Sitton, 46-17, 93-96
10. Laura Danai, 44-19, 06-pr.
11. Maude Lecluyse, 42-24, 06-pr.

LAST TIME OUT: WOMEN'S TENNIS DROPS HARD-FOUGHT 5-2 MATCH TO BOSTON UNIVERSITY
BOSTON, Mass. - Despite a tremendous comeback win at No. 1 singles by freshman Magdalena Ploch, the UMass women's tennis team dropped a 5-2 decision to defending America East Champion Boston University on Tuesday. UMass' (3-1) other wins came from Laura Danai at fifth singles along with the first doubles team of Candynce Boney and Maude Lecluyse.

At No. 1 doubles, Boney and Lecluyse posted their fourth win in as many dual matches, 8-5. Danai had her perfect season snapped at No. 2 doubles as her team fell, 8-3. She entered the match a perfect 14-0 on the season (4-0 in singles, 10-0 in doubles). Kaitlyn Carpenter and Ploch loss their first match as a duo, 8-2 at No. 3.

Singles was highlighted by Ploch, who battled back from down a set to top the defending America East Player of the Year, Francine Whu, 2-6, 6-0, 6-4. Danai also won at fifth singles when her opponent had to back out in the second set.

The Minutewomen are back in action on Sunday at 1 p.m. vs. the University of Albany. The match will be played at the Bay Road Tennis Club on the campus of Hampshire College. Please note, Friday's match vs. Temple has been rescheduled to Apr. 11.

Doubles:
#1 Candynce Boney/Maude Lecluyse (UM) def. Francine Whu/Stefanie Nunic (BU), 8-5
#2 Cori Lefkowith/Danielle Abraham (BU) def. Laura Danai/Tanisha Hodgson (UM), 8-3
#3 Elizabeth Corrao/Petra Santini (BU) def. Kaitlyn Carpenter/Magdalena Ploch (UM), 8-2

Singles:
#1 Magdalena Ploch (UM) def. Francine Whu (BU), 2-6, 6-0, 6-4
#2 Petra Santini (BU) def. Candynce Boney (UM), 6-3, 6-1
#3 Cori Lefkowith (BU) def. Kaitlyn Carpenter (UM), 6-2, 6-0
#4 Elizabeth Corrao (BU) def. Maude Lecluyse (UM), 6-0, 6-4
#5 Laura Danai (UM) def. Vanessa Steiner (BU), 2-6, (2-3), Retired
#6 Danielle Abraham (BU) def. Tanisha Hodgson (UM), 6-1, 6-1

Media Guide Now Online
The 2009 women's tennis media guide is now on UMassAthletics.com! Be sure to check out the PDF version of the guide, or you have the option of obtaining a hard copy as well. The guide includes a complete history of UMass tennis, including all-time results, a full season 2009 season preview, a 2008 season review, bios, and more!

SEASON PREVIEW
Heading into the Atlantic 10 Championships, the 2008 UMass Minutewomen were the top seeded team looking for their first A-10 championship since 2001. Unfortunately, the team fell in the semifinals to Xavier, but in the process, picked up invaluable experience for the future. The drive starts all over again in 2009.

The Minutewomen begin the new season with a number of positives. As Head Coach Judy Dixon said, "Clearly this team's strength is that it works hard. There has not been one practice where I've had to encourage the players to work harder, to do more, or to be more intense.

"Another strength of this team is the `team'," she continued. "They understand team above all else, so they're willing to put in the extra time for each other, understanding that the stronger they get individually, the better the team will be."

The lineup is filled with youth, but youth that has been through a complete collegiate tennis season. In total, three sophomores are slated to be in the starting six (Candynce Boney, Kaitlyn Carpenter, Tanisha Hodgson) along with a junior (Maude Lecluyse) and senior (Laura Danai). Freshman Magdalena Ploch is also expected to see considerable time in the starting lineup.

Boney leads the way as the top returnee. An all-conference performer in her rookie season, she finished 42-21 overall (18-10 in singles and 24-11 in doubles). Danai, last year's MVP as voted by her teammates, also had a breakout year in 2007, finishing 34-23 highlighted by going 17-11 in singles and 17-12 in doubles. Lecluyse, last season's most-improved player, looks to play a significant role this season as do second-year players Carpenter and Hodgson.

"It's a team that has more maturity than last year," Dixon said. "Last year, we were young. Now we have just one freshman in the starting six and the sophomores have the all-important freshman year behind them.

The doubles lineup is expected to be pretty similar to singles, but with the potential addition of senior Stephanie Gimenz. Gimenez is expected to be the primary utility player to step in when needed while senior Lauren MacKay, and freshmen Gabriella Jannotta, Maria Vakulskaya, and Mellana Cramer all hope to see action at some point.

Schedule
The 2009 schedule is set to be one of the most challenging slates in recent memory. The team faces some of the top teams in the country, highlighted by four matches against NCAA Tournament teams and one against a Division II Quarterfinalist. In total, the Minutewomen will face 11 different Division I conferences, including the A-10, ACC, America East, Big East, Big 12, CAA, Ivy League, MAAC, Northeast Conference, Patriot League, and Sun Belt Conference.

"Once again, our schedule will be very tough," Dixon said. "We face seven teams in the top 100 in the U. S. as well as the top competition in the conference. "With the schedule, we have not one weekend off from the time we start until the conference championships, so the kids don't get much break," she continued. "This means they have to be fit and they have to stay away from injuries. I will have to build in breaks throughout the season so that they remain healthy and eager."

The spring season begins with four out of their first five matches at home, highlighted by a Feb. 8 tilt vs. A- 10 rival Fordham and a Feb. 13 match against defending A-10 Champion Temple. Sandwiched between the home contests, the Minutewomen will travel to Boston University on Feb. 10 to face the America East Champions.

After a Feb. 15 home match vs. Albany, the Minutewomen embark on an eight-game road swing, which will give them a sampling of a number of major conferences around the nation. The lineup includes Boston College (ACC), Syracuse (Big East), Iowa State (Big 12), Dartmouth, Columbia, and Brown (Ivy), Farleigh Dickinson (Northeast), and Army (Patriot). The Black Knights, coming off an NCAATournament appearance, mark the third conference champion the Minutewomen will face in the first month of the spring season.

UMass returns home to face Hofstra on Mar. 7 before traveling to Siena on the eighth. The team will then make the trek to Florida on Mar. 16 and 17 with challenging matches against Division II power Barry and Florida Atlantic out of the Sun Belt Conference. Barry, a perennial national title contender, made the National Quarterfinals last season after defeating St. Leo, Rollins, and Northwest Missouri State.

The Minutewomen continue with a match at A-10 power Richmond on Mar. 27 and Old Dominion on the 28th. The team closes the regular season with a tilt vs. its fourth NCAA Tournament team, this time traveling to Hamden, Conn. to face five-time defending NEC Champion Quinnipiac. UMass looks to ride the momentum into the postseason when it plays in the Atlantic 10 Conference Championships from Apr. 17-19, looking for its first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 2001.

"This is a difficult schedule," Dixon said. "Not only is it intense - we play top competition in the northeast region - but it's also unremitting in playing every weekend. We have to see what we're made of."

Goals
After finishing fourth last year, their sixth-consecutive A-10 semifinalist appearance (and ninth in the last 10 seasons), the Minutewomen look to take the next step and inch ever-closer to an Atlantic 10 title and a return to the NCAA Tournament.

"Our goal will always be the conference championships," Dixon said. "We want to improve on [last season's finish]."

Temple and Richmond stand out as the teams to beat, but the Minutewomen have as good a chance as any to knock them off.

"Temple is incredibly strong again this year and I'd expect Richmond also to be as strong," Dixon said. "Then there is a group of Xavier, UMass, Saint Louis, and Duquesne. One of us needs to catch Temple or Richmond. We will take it one match at a time and hope we put ourselves in the same situation that we did last year where we had that opportunity."