Why Division 2?
This is excerpted from an article I recently posted on Tennis Recruiting. It is the second in a series of articles about college tennis that I am writing for the Tennis Recruiting web site. To read the whole article go to:
http://www.tennisrecruiting.net/article.asp?id=1754
or to the Tennis Recruiting Home Page and look under Headlines (September 24):
http://www.tennisrecruiting.net/ (the article will be on the home page for a limited time).
– – – – – – – – – –
Many people think of NCAA Division II athletics as a stepping stone that schools take when they want become Division I programs, but Division II is much more than that.
First of all, what are the requirements for a school to be D-II? They have to support a minimum of 10 sports, including at least four men’s programs and at least five women’s programs. Students must take 16 core courses – it was 14 core course until this year – and maintain at least a 2.0 GPA. [1]
Division II’s philosophy calls for a comprehensive program of learning and development in a personal setting. Division II provides growth opportunities through academic achievement, learning in high-level athletics competition and development of societal attitudes in service to community. The balance and integration of these different areas of learning opportunity provide Division II student-athletes with a path to graduation while also cultivating a variety of skills and knowledge for life ahead. [4]
Mark Dolan – Le Moyne College
I have coached at all three levels. The Division II philosophy seems to be geared towards academics being first and foremost and yet we still have many of the same tools Division 1 possess.. In a way, the Division II mentality takes the best of the D-I and D-III and melds them together. For the potential student athlete that has made the decision that academics is first, Division II gives them the level of competition they desire and can be comfortable knowing that their academics will not be overly strained by their commitment to tennis.
[1] About.com – What does NCAA Division I, II or III mean?
[4] Barry University Web Page – Inside Athletics – About Division II
Read the whole article HERE
Why DIII?
This is excerpted from an article I recently posted on Tennis Recruiting. It is the first in a series of articles about college tennis that I am writing for the Tennis Recruiting web site. To read the whole article go to:
http://www.tennisrecruiting.net/article.asp?id=1716&sessionid=2F1FC3B320C202BD
or to the Tennis Recruiting Home Page:
http://www.tennisrecruiting.net/ (the article will be on the home page for a limited time).
Dan Greenberg, coach of the national champion Williams College men’s tennis team, says, “‘When someone asks me, ‘Why D-III?,’ I honestly say, ‘Why not?'”
Greenberg continues:
“Financially, many schools in Division III can provide need- and merit-based aid that exceeds the money available for D-I athletic scholarships. D-III seems like a great option for the majority of high school athletes looking to take their games – and their lives – to the next level.”
Emory‘s Amy Bryant also comments:
“In Division III tennis there is something for everyone. With over 400 schools to choose from, there is a wide spectrum of levels and resources. But, generally speaking, in Division III athletics the overall student-athlete experience is emphasized. So, for example, a D-III student-athlete can typically study abroad, where in D-I or D-II an extended period away from training may be frowned upon.”
Lopez wins 10th match as UAlbany Falls to Presbyterian, 6-1
CLINTON, SC – The University at Albany women’s tennis team dropped their first match of three in Carolina this week. They were defeated by Presbyterian College, 6-1, on Tuesday, March 19. Junior Rocio Lopez got her team-leading 10th singles win of the season at the No. 2 spot.
UAlbany (5-6) won the first match of the day at No. 1 doubles. The combination of Lopez and sophomore Kirsten Scott continued their dominance, defeating the duo of sophomore Greer Ransom and freshman Haley Elliot, 8-1. The Lopez/Scott combo have won their last four matches by a score of 32-3.
The Blue Hose swept the remainder of doubles play. They clinched the first point at the No. 3 spot. Freshman Kayla Stanford and sophomore Caroline deLoach defeated freshman Mireille Hermans and senior Sarah Iannone, 8-5.
In singles play, Lopez improved to 10-2 with a thrilling three set victory over junior Courtney Gardiner. She won the match 6-3, 3-6, 1-0 (12-10). Irene Santos-Bravo was defeated due to injury at the No. 1 spot. The Spaniard graduate student was tied 2-2 before the match was called.
Elsewhere, Iannone and freshman Cat Crummey each took their singles matches to three sets. Crummey was defeated by deLoach in a back-and-forth contest, 5-7, 6-4, 1-0 (10-2). Presbyterian (7-8) clinched the match at the No. 3 singles spot as Scott lost to junior Patricia Alves, 6-4, 6-0.
Inclement weather moved today’s match from Monday to Tuesday. The schedule change gives the Great Danes less than a 24 hour turnaround as they head to the College of Charleston tomorrow. Match time is set for 2 p.m.
Presbyterian College 6, UAlbany 1
DOUBLES
1. Rocio Lopez/Kirsten Scott (UA) def. RANSOM, Greer/ELLIOTT, Haley (PCW) 8-1
2. ALVES, Patricia/GARDINER, Courtney (PCW) def. Irene Santos-Bravo/Cathryn Crummey (UA) 8-6
3. deLOACH, Caroline/STANFORD, Kayla (PCW) def. Mireille Hermans/Sarah Iannone (ALBANY) 8-5 *
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2)
* Clinched doubles point
SINGLES
1. RANSOM, Greer (PCW) def. Irene Santos-Bravo (UA) 2-2 (ret.)
2. Rocio Lopez (UA) def. GARDINER, Courtney (PCW) 6-3, 3-6, 1-0 (12-10)
3. ALVES, Patricia (PCW) def. Kirsten Scott (UA) 6-4, 6-0 $$
4. deLOACH, Caroline (PCW) def. Cathryn Crummey (UA) 5-7, 6-4, 1-0 (10-2)
5. LEAHY, Lucia (PCW) def. Mireille Hermans (UA) 6-4, 6-0
6. STANFORD, Kayla (PCW) def. Sarah Iannone (UA) 3-6, 6-3, 1-0 (12-10)
Singles (1,5,3,4,6,2)
$$ Clinched match
DANES ARE BROKEN BY THE ‘ HEART’, 4-3
(Latham, NY). The UAlbany women’s tennis team let victory slip through their fingers today, dropping a 4-3 decision to Sacred Heart at Tri-City Tennis and Fitness. Sarah Iannone just ‘refused to lose’ and was the only double winner for the Danes, taking #5 singles in straight sets, then teaming with co-captain Fran White to clinch the doubles point for the Danes at #3. Cat Crummey continued to compete well, pulling out a three-set win at #4. And the #1 doubles team of Rocio Lopez and Kirsten Scott steamrolled their opponents, 8-1.
The match was played in reverse order due to court availability, with singles going first, followed by doubles. The Danes grabbed early leads with Lopez (#1), Scott (#2), Crummey (#4) and Iannone (#5), and things were looking up for awhile. But the Pioneers top two singles players fought back strong and both earned key wins to put them over the top in singles, making the doubles matches a mere formality.
The Danes now turn their focus to their spring break trip where they play three teams in 10 days in South Carolina. The College of Charleston, nationally ranked as high as #61 earlier this season, will be a big challenge, and the other two teams (Presbyterian and Coastal Carolina) won’t be much easier. So, this promises to be a good test for the Danes as they prepare for April and what they hope will be a run at the AmericaEast championship.
Coach Graham: “This was a tough loss. Even though we were missing two starters, this was a winnable match.
Wish we had a ‘do-over’.
We will take a lesson from this and get better in practice, coach smarter, and compete tougher next time.”
UALBANY 3 SACRED HEART 4
Singles:
1. Gabi Kaldan (SH) def. Rocio Lopez (UA) 6-3,6-4
2. Katie DeRienzo (SH) def. Kirsten Scott (UA) 1-6,6-1,6-3 $
3. Nicole Rydzewski (SH) def. Mireille Hermans (UA) 6-3,6-4
4. Cat Crummey (UA) def. Paige Olson (SH) 6-1,3-6,6-4
5. Sarah Iannone (UA) def. Lindsey Post (SH) 6-4,6-4
6. Alyssa Migliorini (SH) def. Fran White (UA) 6-0,6-1
Order of finish: 6,1,3,5,4,2
$=Clinched match for Sacred Heart
Doubles:
1. Lopez-Scott (UA) def. Kaldan-Olson (SH) 8-1
2. DeRienzo-Post (SH) def. Crummey-Hermans (UA) 8-5
3. Iannone-White (UA) def. Rydzewski-Migliorini (SH) 8-5**
Order of finish: 1,3,2
**Clinched doubles point for UAlbany
UALBANY RECORDS: 5-6 (overall); 1-0 (America East)
NEXT MATCH: Monday, March 18, 2:30pm vs. PRESBYTERIAN COLLEGE, Clinton, SC
NEXT HOME MATCH: Friday, April 5, 2:00 p.m. vs. BINGHAMTON @ Dutch Quad courts
UAlbany Tennis Wins First Conference Match of 2013 in Weekend Sweep
ALBANY, N.Y. – The University at women’s tennis team won two matches in 14 hours to raise their record to 5-5 on Saturday, March 9. First they defeated crosstown rival Siena, 4-3, before winning their first America East Conference dual match against Hartford, 6-1. Junior Rocio Lopez and sophomore team co-captain Kirsten Scott went undefeated on the day, teaming up for two doubles victories and winning both of their singles matches. The No. 1 doubles duo has now won three straight.
Siena: The Great Danes quickly dealt fatal blows to the Saints (2-3) No. 1 and No. 2 doubles teams to take the doubles point. Three of the singles matches were tough battles. Graduate student Irene Santos fought off multiple set points and came back to win the first set. The Spaniard, Santos, led 2-1, in the second when Lopez clinched the match and Santos was pulled off for health reasons.
Co-captain and sophomore Fran White nearly got her first win of the spring as she turned in a stellar performance at No. 6. White played a solid first set, narrowly losing.
The Great Danes proceeded to romp Siena in the three singles matches needed to clinch the win. Scott got the win first, followed by freshman standout Cat Crummey and lastly was Lopez winning easily.
Hartford: UAlbany (5-5, 1-0 AE) turned around after match one to battle Hartford at Tri-City Fitness. In their first America East dual match of 2013, the Great Danes were victorious. Their only losses were No. 3 doubles and No. 6 singles due to default.
UAlbany went into doubles play with a default loss, therefore needing to win both matches to take the first point of the night. UAlbany took care of business as Lopez and Scott showed veteran leadership at the top spot. They shutout their opponent, 8-0. Crummey returned to the court from injury with freshman teammate Mireille Hermans defeated Jessica Galik and Hannah Goldman, 8-3, to clinch the first point.
In singles play, the Great Danes won their matches in order to cruise to victory. Lopez advanced to 9-1 in singles play on the season with a 6-2,6-2 win over Katina Zampas. Scott and Crummey, both recently off injury, also had strong performances. They won 6-1, 6-0 and 6-0, 6-1 respectively. Crummey clinched the match with the win.
“It was a long day, starting at 7:30 a.m. and ending at 10:30 p.m. It was a bit of a mental gut-check for everyone.” said coach Gordon Graham. “The team responded well with lots of positive energy. We will be fighting hard to keep that rolling.”
The next match for the Great Danes is Wednesday, March 13 as they host the Sacred Heart Pioneers at Tri-City Fitness in Latham. Match time is set for 2 p.m.
UALBANY 4 SIENA 3 (9:00 a.m. at Sportime, Schenectady, NY)
DANES TURN THE TABLES ON THE RAMS, 5-2

UALBANY 5 RHODE ISLAND 2
- Saturday, March 9, 9:00 a.m. vs. SIENA @ Sportime, Schenectady, NY
- Saturday, March 9, 7:00 p.m. vs. HARTFORD @ Tri-City, Latham, NY
Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Names 2013 ITA Men’s Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame Inductees
The Class of 2013 to be inducted on May 22 in Champaign, IL
SKILLMAN, NJ (Mar. 1) — The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) announced today the 2013 inductees for the ITA Men’s Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame. The 2013 class consists of seven inductees: Coaches – Bobby Bayliss (University of Notre Dame), Dennis Emery (University of Kentucky), and John Peterson (Tyler Junior College); Players – Paul Goldstein (Stanford University), Kelly Jones (Pepperdine University), and Harold Solomon (Rice University); and Contributor – Alan Schwartz (Yale University). The 2013 honorees will be inducted at the 2013 ITA Men’s Collegiate Hall of Fame Enshrinement Banquet, which will be held on May 22 during the NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Tennis Championships at the University of Illinois in Champaign, IL.
Bobby Bayliss, head men’s coach at the University of Notre Dame, will be retiring at the end of this season, ending a 26 season stint at the helm of the Fighting Irish men’s tennis program. Entering his 43rd season as a Division I head coach, Bayliss owns 746 career victories, the most by any active tennis coach in the nation which also places him sixth among all-time tennis coaches. He is a three-time ITA Midwest Region Coach of the Year and was honored in 1992 as the Wilson/ITA National Coach of the Year after guiding the Fighting Irish to the NCAA finals. Bayliss also helped the United States win a gold medal at the World University Games in Sheffield, England in 1991.
Dennis Emery was a men’s head coach at two institutions during his 35 year career, spending 30 of those years at the University of Kentucky. He finished his coaching career with 655 wins, 568 of those during his time with the Wildcats. Emery guided Kentucky to two SEC championships (1992, 2012), finished in the Top 25 of the final ITA National Men’s Rankings 23 times, and led the Wildcats to 11 Sweet 16 and four Elite Eight appearances. He was also honored as the SEC Coach of the Year on three occasions, the last coming in 2012.
John Peterson coached the men’s and women’s teams at Tyler Junior College from 1987 to 2011, finishing with an unprecedented 25 National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) tennis championships. With 828 career wins, Peterson is already a member of both the NJCAA Men’s and Women’s Tennis Hall of Fame, the Texas Tennis Coaches Hall of Fame, and was named the Wilson/ITA Junior College National Coach of the Decade.
Paul Goldstein, a 1998 graduate of Stanford University, helped guide the Cardinal to the NCAA Team Championship each of his four seasons from 1995-98. He was a four-time ITA All-American in doubles and an ITA All-American in singles. In 1998, Goldstein reached the NCAA singles final and was named the Pac-10 Player of the Year. He finished his collegiate career with 84 singles victories, fifth most in Stanford history, and three All-Pac-10 selections. Goldstein is an ITA/Rafael Osuna Sportsmanship Award winner and is a two-time recipient of the ITA/Arthur Ashe Jr. Award for Sportsmanship and Leadership.
Kelly Jones, a 1986 graduate of Pepperdine University, played for the Waves from 1983-86. Jones was a three-time ITA All-American in doubles, an ITA All-American singles, and claimed two NCAA Doubles Championships in 1984 and 1985. He also helped guide the Waves to an NCAA finals appearance in 1986. Jones went on to have an outstanding professional career, reaching the mixed doubles final of Wimbledon in 1988, the men’s doubles final of both the Australian and US Open in 1992, and reached the No. 1 spot in the ATP Doubles Rankings.
Harold Solomon played at Rice University from 1971-72, earning ITA All-American honors before turning pro. During his time at Rice, Solomon led the Owls to back-to-back Southwest Conference team championships, while also claiming the 1971 Southwest Conference singles title. In his professional career, Solomon was ranked as high as No. 5 in the world, won a total of 22 singles titles, and reached the finals of the 1976 French Open as well as the semifinals of the 1977 US Open. He was also a member of two winning U.S. Davis Cup teams in 1972 and 1978. He would eventually go on to coach champion players Mary Jo Fernandez, Jim Courier, Jennifer Capriati, Monica Seles and Anna Kournikova, among others.
Alan Schwartz, the former Chairman of the Board & President of the USTA, has played an integral role in developing the growth of tennis throughout the years, and has always been highly supportive of collegiate tennis and the ITA. He served two terms as the president of the National Indoor Tennis Association (NITA), from 1973-74 and again from 1978-79. Schwartz also co-founded the Midtown Tennis Club in Chicago, which is the largest indoor tennis club in the world. Since 2003, Schwartz has represented the USTA internationally through the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and is credited as the co-author of the National Tennis Ratings program. A three-year letterman of his varsity team at Yale, Schwartz served as the captain of the team during his senior year.
About the ITA Men’s Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame
The ITA Men’s Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame, housed at the University of Georgia’s Dan Magill Tennis Complex, was inaugurated in 1983 and has inducted more than 200 players, coaches and contributors. The ITA Hall of Fame museum displays over 2,000 rare photos and memorabilia. Its members include the late Arthur Ashe (UCLA), Jimmy Connors (UCLA), John McEnroe (Stanford) and Coach Dick Gould (Stanford). The ITA Women’s Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame is located at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Va. For a complete list of the Hall of Fame Inductees, please visit www.itatennis.com
DANES SERVE UP DOUBLE DUALS THIS WEEKEND
The UAlbany women’s tennis team takes to the courts again this weekend. Following the pattern of last weekend’s opposition, the Danes take on an Ivy League team on Saturday, followed the next day by a team that beat them 6-1 last year.

- Saturday, March 2, 9:30 a.m. vs. CORNELL at Ithaca, NY
- Sunday, March 3, 1:00 p.m. vs. UNIV. of RHODE ISLAND at Sportime in Schenectady, NY
DANES NARROWLY LOSE TO FORDHAM RAMS

UALBANY 3 FORDHAM 4
Weekend Recap: Lopez Improves to 5-1; UAlbany Drops Two in New Hampshire
HANOVER, NH – The University at Albany women’s tennis team traveled to New Hampshire to play two non-conference away matches last weekend. On Saturday, they competed against Dartmouth University, dropping the match, 7-0. Sunday’s match against Fordham proved to be much more competitive, yet the Great Danes fell just short, 4-3. Sophomore Cheryl Kukkonen made her season debut in No. 3 doubles play while juniorRocio Lopez improved to 5-1 on the season.
The Big Green, who have only one loss on the season to Boston College, improved to 6-1 over the weekend. They swept UAlbany, giving up only eight games in total,. They won all six singles matches in straight sets.
The freshman duo of Cat Crummey and Mireille Hermans took Dartmouth by surprise, winning the first three games of the match. However, Janet Liu and Christina Danosi of the Big Green took eight of the next nine games to win, 8-4.
In singles play, senior Sarah Iannone played a tough match at the No. 6 singles position. She took seven games from Danosi, losing 6-3, 6-4. Hermans managed to pull out five games – losing to Suzy Tan at the No. 4 spot, 6-3, 6-2.
On Sunday, UAlbany (2-4) turned their attention to Fordham. The Rams were also defeated by Dartmouth on Saturday, 6-1. This match proved to have a much more even playing field. The Great Danes showed much improvement after losing to Fordam, 6-1 last season.
The Rams came out strong in doubles play – taking all three matches. The competition’s first point was clinched at the No. 2 spot with Crummey and Hermans falling to Bella Genkina and Anika Novacek, 8-4. The No. 1 doubles team, Spanish teammates Lopez and Irene Bravo, also took four games.
The Great Danes charged back in singles play. They took three matches, coming just one short of upsetting the Rams for the victory.
The match of the day came at the No. 2 spot with Lopez defeating Sarah Ali. The Georgia Tech transfer has been sensational for the Great Danes this season, alternating between the No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 singles spots. Lopez took the first set, 7-5, but then dropped set two 3-6. This created a third set, take-all, scenario. The match went into a tiebreak after a 6-6 stalemate. Lopez took the match, 10-8.
Elsewhere, Kirsten Scott returned from injury to grab her second victory of the season. The sophomore defeated Bella Genkina at the No. 4 spot rather easily, 6-1, 6-2. Bravo, ranked No. 443 by the WTA in 2010, won her match due to injury of her opponent. Angie Dabo clinched the match for Fordham at the No. 3 singles spot. She defeated Hermans, 6-2, 6-3.
“We turned in a good singles performance after dropping the doubles point and nearly got it done against Fordham,” said head coach Gordon Graham. “Santos, Scott and Lopez all won their singles. Lopez’ win was an entertaining match, one of the best UA matches in a long time. The final score shows how much we have improved since our 6-1 loss to them last year.”
The Great Danes will conclude their current four-match roadstand next weekend. They battle Cornell on Saturday in Ithaca, N.Y., match-time set for 9:30 a.m. On Sunday, UAlbany comes home to play Rhode Island at SPORTIME in Schenectady, N.Y. Match-time is set for 11:00 a.m.
UALBANY 0 DARTMOUTH 7 (Saturday, Feb. 23)
Doubles:
1. Okuda-Bessen (D) def. Lopez-Santos (UA) 8-3*
2. Liu-Danosi (D) def. Hermans-Crummey (UA) 8-4
3. Keong-Tan (D) def. Scott-Kukkonen (UA) 8-1
Order of finish: 3,1,2
*= Clinched doubles point for Dartmouth
Singles:
1. Sarah Leonard (D) def. Rocio Lopez (UA) 6-2,6-0
2. Katherine Yah (D) def. Irene Santos (UA) 6-0,6-1
3. Melissa Matsuoka (D) def. Kirsten Scott (UA) 6-0,6-2
4. Suzy Tan (D) def. Mireille Hermans (UA) 6-3,6-2
5. Julienne Keong (D) def. Cat Crummey (UA) 6-1,6-0
6. Christina Danosi (D) def. Sarah Iannone (UA) 6-3,6-4
Order of finish: 2,5,1,3,4,6
$=Clinched match for Dartmouth
DANES DOWN THREE PLAYERS…STILL COME CLOSE TO QUINNIPIAC

UALBANY 1 QUINNIPIAC 6
Siena Women’s Tennis Finds Time to Give Back
On Saturday, January 26 the Siena College women’s tennis team visited the Northeast Regional Food Bank in what has become in annual tradition of giving back to the community. During that visit the team took a guided tour of the facilities and learned how the facility functions day to day, and then helped stock the warehouse.
“It was a very gratifying day,” head coach Andy Christodoulou said. “We worked shoulder to shoulder with some other groups and made new friends.”
The Food Bank collects large donations of food and distributes it to charitable agencies serving the hungry and disadvantaged people in 23 counties. The Food Bank provides over 25 million pounds of food a year to 1,000 agencies.
The women’s tennis team’s responsibility was to get frozen meat from the walk-in freezer and separate it based on type (beef, pork, chicken, etc) in boxes of 40-pounds per box. These boxes were then shipped to various soup kitchens and other agencies that feed the hungry.
The Siena Saints are in action tomorrow in Ludlow, Mass for their dual season opening match against Bryant U. Good luck ladies!! #GOSAINTS
Jan. 31, 2013
Siena men’s tennis team is the MAAC coaches choice to finish fifth in the 7-team league, while the women were picked sixth of eight schools. The Marist men and Fairfield women were the coaches’ choice to win the league.
The Marist men topped the poll with 49 points. The Red Foxes, led by 15th-year head coach and 2012 Coach of the Year Tim Smith, return All-MAAC Player of the Year Lorenzo Rossi, All-MAAC Rookie of the Year Joseph Dube and All-MAAC First Team performers Dalen Klassen and Will Reznek. Fairfield finished second in the poll with 40 points, followed by Niagara (37), Saint Peter’s (25), Siena (20), Loyola (18) and Rider (8).
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The Fairfield women, who won the MAAC Championship in 2012, received 61 points in the preseason poll. Fairfield is led by head coach Ed Paige and returns All-MAAC First Team selections of Monica Yajima, Sharissa Ryan, Carolina Koladzyn and Nikki Jackson. Yajima was named 2012 Player of the Year. Loyola was second (54), followed by Marist (53), Niagara (33), Saint Peter’s (31), Siena (29), Manhattan (19) and Rider (8).
The 2013 MAAC Men’s and Women’s Tennis Championships will take place at Mercer County Park in West Windsor, New Jersey from April 27-28.
DANES RUN OVER THE STAGS IN ‘THE BUBBLE’, 5-2

Will any other top pro’s ever come out of Women’s College Tennis?
Ben Rothenberg – The New York Times Tennis Columnist writes:
Path to Pros in Tennis Rarely Crosses Campus
“CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Although she stands a foot and a half shorter, at 5 feet 3 inches, it seemed fair to wonder if Robin Anderson might one day become the John Isner of the women’s game.”
Robin – a USTA Eastern player – has played many tournaments in our area. I rmember seeing her at the first National Open we held at Capital Region back in November of 2003. Robin finished fourth.
The article points out that “no one in the current WTA top 100 played college tennis.” John Isner, who played 4 years at Georgia is #16 on the Men’s Tour.
nderson, a sophomore who plays for U.C.L.A., blasted through her opposition at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Division I national women’s team indoor championship here this past weekend. Anderson won her first 22 games at the event, hitting powerful serves and ground strokes that might not be expected from a player her size.
“There are five women who played college tennis inside the top 200. Three of the four are rising quickly and have rankings that are career highs: the 2011 Southern California graduate Maria Sanchez is No. 114, the former Stanford player Mallory Burdette is No. 126, and the Stanford junior Nicole Gibbs is No. 199. No. 132 Julia Cohen, who has a career-high ranking of 97th, played at three different colleges. Irina Falconi, who spent two years at Georgia Tech, is ranked No. 140, down from a career-high No. 73 in 2011.”
Falconi is another USTA Eastern player.
Read the whole article – HERE