Jan. 26, 2007

Columbia, Mo. - The University of Missouri women's tennis team travels to St. Louis Saturday to face off against in-state rival Saint Louis University to open the spring season.

The Tigers begin the 27h season of women's tennis at Mizzou by playing the Billikens at 5:30 p.m. on the Sunset Tennis Center's indoor courts.

Mizzou is coming off a productive fall season, highlighted by the success of the doubles team of Amanda Pratzel and Erika Josbena. The duo won the Billiken Fall Classic and the Gopher Invitational doubles tournaments. A full four-part fall recap and spring preview can be found on MUTigers.com

Previewing SLU

The Billikens will open their spring season Friday night when they host the Bradley Braves. Head Coach Jonathan Zych returns most of his lineup from last season, led by senior Katerina Lozanova, last season's No. 2 singles player. Last season, Lozanova was 7-5 at No. 2 singles and 14-13 overall. She was 4-3 in the fall. The Billikens also return senior Ana Renda, juniors Rachael McCullagh and Tara Grant, as well as sophomores Jo Becker and Caitlin Bokulic. The Saint Louis web site is reporting last season's No. 1 singles player, Amanda Hellberg, will miss the match due to an illness in the family.

Tiger Notes

Homecomings

St. Louis natives Amanda Pratzel and Raquel Wagner return to their hometown for the opening match of the 2007 season. Pratzel attended Parkway Central High School before heading to Oklahoma, and Wagner grew up in St. Louis before attending TNT Tennis Academy in Texas.

Series vs. SLU

Mizzou leads the all-time series against SLU, 11-6. The Tigers have won the last four matches, including last year's match, a 7-0 victory for the Tigers at the Green Tennis Center in Columbia. The series features the most matches Mizzou has played against a non-conference opponent. The series started in 1980 with a 6-3 Mizzou win.

Tigers vs. Billikens in the fall

Tiger players were 10-5 against SLU players this fall. They played each other in the Mizzou Mock Duals and at the Billiken Fall Classic.

Season Openers

Mizzou is 7-2 in spring season opening matches under Coach Blake Starkey. Last season, the Tigers defeated West Virginia, 6-1, in the first match of the year at the Ohio State Invitational in Columbus, Ohio.

The Tigers are 15-11 all-time in season-opening dual matches* *No records exist for the 1976-77 season

Show-Me Tennis

The Tigers will play at least 14 matches in the state of Missouri as they open in St. Louis and will participate in the 11th Big 12 Championships, hosted by the University of Kansas in Kansas City, Mo., in April. Mizzou hosts 12 home matches as well.

Starkey Over the Century Mark

Early last season Head Coach Blake Starkey recorded his 100th win as Mizzou Head Coach. Starkey currently has 107 wins, which is by far the most in MU tennis history. Jim LaRue, who coached the Tigers from 1988-1995, is second on the list with 51 wins.

Josbena Moving Up Career Wins List

Senior Erika Josbena currently has 45 singles wins, which is good enough for 16th on Mizzou's All-Time singles leader board. Her next win will move her into 14th place. Recent Tigers on the list include Hana Kraftova with 50 wins (12th place) and Yelena Olshanskaya with 52 (10th place).

Olshanskaya to Miss Season

Senior Yelena Olshanskaya will sit out her senior season due to off-season knee surgery. She was the Tigers' No. 1 singles player for most of last season, going 5-8 at that spot for the Tigers. As previously mentioned, she will finish her career with 52 singles wins, currently good for 10th on the all-time list.

Up Next for the Tigers

After the SLU match, Mizzou will return to Columbia to prepare for its home opener, Feb. 3 against the Arkansas Lady Razorbacks, who are currently ranked 47th. The match will begin at 1 p.m. at the Green Tennis Center's indoor courts. Admission is free and the public is welcome.