Undefeated Women's Tennis Competes In Three Matches This Week
3/6/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
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UPCOMING MATCHES: The Lady Chanticleers travel to Hilton Head, S.C. March 7, to face Connecticut at 1 p.m. CCU will then host UNC Asheville Thursday, March 9 at 1 p.m. and Libert Saturday, March 11 at 10 a.m.
SERIES WITH CONNECTICUT: The Lady Chants have not faced UConn in the past three seasons. The Huskies are 0-5 for the season after falling to Stoney Brook, Feb. 26, 1-6.
SERIES WITH UNC ASHEVILLE: CCU is 3-0 with UNC Asheville in the past three seasons. Asheville is 1-1 for the current season and 0-0 in Big South play.
SERIES WITH LIBERTY: Coastal is 3-0 with Liberty during the past three seasons. Liberty is 1-1 for the season and 0-1 in Big South play.
PERFECT 10: Coastal Carolina’s women’s tennis remains undefeated as they won their 10th match of the season Saturday, March 4, defeating Chattanooga, 5-2.
CCU swept the doubles with a 8-6 win by Virginie Dinh and Hayley Rudman, defeating the nationally-ranked team of Anastasia Zhukova and Lindsey Ballard. Petra Jantti and Amy Pazahanick also won their doubles match versus the Lady Mocs.
Pazahanick won her 10th straight singles match as she defeated Chattanooga’s Beata Knizat, 6-0, 6-3. Jantti, Sofie Ahlberg, and Sarize Coetzee also brought in singles wins for the Lady Chants.
10-LOVE: Sophomore Amy Pazahanick has recorded 10 straight singles wins for the current season.
CLIMBING TO THE TOP: Senior Petra Jantti has 70 career singles wins placing her in the fifth spot on CCU's all-time records. Virginie Dinhhas 48 total singles wins, being placed in the 10th spot on CCU's all-time.
DOUBLE TROUBLE: Petra Jantti and Amy Pazahanick have won all nine doubles matches for the season. Jantti is now fourth on CCU's all time with 67 wins. Virginie Dinhholds the seventh spot with 49 doubles wins.
COASTAL PICKED SECOND IN BIG SOUTH POLL: Coastal Carolina’s women’s tennis team received 107 points, including three first-place votes, to grab the second spot in the Big South Conference’s annual preseason poll, the conference office announced Thursday, Jan. 19. Winthrop finished first with 13 first-place votes and a total of 125 points. The Lady Chanticleers are coming off a season where they finished 17-6 overall, including 6-1 in the Big South Conference, and advanced to the Big South Tournament Finals. The 2006 squad returns six letterwinners including senior Petra Jantti and adds two transfers, junior Hayley Rudman from Mississippi State and sophomore Amy Pazahanickfrom Georgia Southern. The 2006 Big South Women’s Tennis Preseason Poll is voted upon by the conference’s head coaches and sports information directors.
2006 PREVIEW: After another second place finish in the Big South, the Coastal Carolina women’s tennis team looks for more in 2006. With the graduation of Marie Matrka, last year’s Big South Conference Player of the Year, the 2006 edition of the Lady Chanticleers will have large shoes to fill. The positive side is that there are six players returning from last year’s 18-5 squad. The runner-up finish in the conference tournament should provide plenty of motivation for this 2005-06 squad.
"Our lineup this spring could have many faces in different places," Coastal head coach Jody Davissaid. "We will be looking at many different combinations early in the spring, and hopefully by April, our lineup will be solid with great depth."
Seniors Virginie Dinh and Petra Jantti should play near the top of the lineup. Both of these seniors will be relied on to use their match previous match experience to help lead the team during the spring. The other lone senior, Rosemary Younger, will provide valuable help in the doubles lineup and will play in some singles matches as well.
"Both Virginie and Petra made all-conference last year," Davis said. "If they can repeat that performance again this year, it will make us a much stronger team."
Juniors Sarize Coetzee and Nicole Lemmerer will use their experience to help the Lady Chants fight for the Conference title. Sophomore Sofie Ahlberg was voted the Big South Rookie of the Year last year, playing mainly at the fourth position in the lineup. This year, she could move up and be another key to Coastal’s success.
"Sarize will play a very important role on our team this year in that we are counting on our positions 3-6 to bring home many wins in these upcoming dual matches," Davis commented. "Nicole has improved all fall and I really expect her to continue this through the spring season.
"Sofie had a great fall and really produced some quality wins," Davis continued. "We are really looking for some big things out of her this spring."
Two transfers will add even more depth to the roster. Junior Hayley Rudman, a transfer from Mississippi State, will play in the middle to top half of the lineup and her experience of playing in the Southeastern Conference should bring more toughness to this team for the spring. Sophomore Amy Pazahanickplayed last season at Georgia Southern and could be a significant force this fall.
"This is by far the deepest team I have ever coached," Davis concluded. "Hopefully, we can peak at the right time and bring home the Big South Conference championship."
The Lady Chants open at Billy Nichols Center Feb. 4 with matches against Savannah State and Newberry. CCU will host 17 home matches during the season. Not only will Coastal battle in the highly-competitive Big South, they will also face other solid programs such as Memphis, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), Binghamton, Bucknell, Appalachian State, and East Carolina.
