Feb. 2, 2007
Columbia, Mo. - The University of Missouri women's tennis team looks to improve on its 1-0 record Saturday when the Tigers face the 52nd-ranked Arkansas Lady Razorbacks.
The Tigers will face their toughest test of the season in their first home match. This will be Arkansas' first away match. Admission to the match at the Green Tennis Center is free and the public is welcome to attend.
New Faces at the GTC Tiger fans get to see three newcomers play their first home dual matches of their Mizzou careers. Sophomore transfer Raquel Wagner (St. Louis, Mo./Texas A&M), freshman Kaitlin Dunham (Kansas City, Mo.) and freshman Katelyn McKenzie (Dallas, Texas) look to make an impact against the Lady Razorbacks. All three won their singles and doubles matches last Saturday against SLU.
Last Time Out
The Tigers are coming off a 7-0 victory over Saint Louis last Saturday night. The Tigers won all three doubles matches and all six singles matches to give them their first sweep since late last season, when, coincidentally, they defeated SLU at the Green Tennis Center. This year's match got off to a great start for the Tigers, who won all three of the doubles matches to set the tone for the night. McKenzie and Wagner won at No. 1, 8-5, Amanda Pratzel and Charlotte Bellis won at No. 2, 8-6, and Chrissy Svetlic and Kaitlin Dunham were the first team to finish, winning, 8-3. In singles action, Pratzel won at No. 1 singles in two sets, Svetlic won at No. 2, Wagner won at No. 3, Bellis won at No. 4, Dunham won at No. 5 and McKenzie won at No. 6. Senior Erika Josbena sat out due to a slight injury. She is expected to be in the lineup Saturday.
Previewing Arkansas
Arkansas' season started off on a great note, as they beat then-No. 32 North Carolina State Saturday in Fayetteville, 5-2. 65th-ranked Ela Kaluder won her match at No. 1 in straight sets against No. 43 Daria Petrovic. Maryori Franco, Nanar Airapetian and Audrey Bordeleau also won their matches for the Lady Razorbacks. Arkansas won the doubles point by winning at No. 1 and No. 2. Bordeleau and Kaluder led the way at No. 1.
UA's second match of the year was not so fun. Tulsa came into Fayetteville on a roll with a 4-0 record and edged the Lady Razorbacks, 4-3. Kaluder and Bordeleau won their singles matches, and UA captured the doubles point as Bordeleau and Kaluder and Franco and Airapetian won their matches.
Head Coach Michael Hegarty is in his fourth year as coach of the Lady Razorbacks. He is currently two matches over .500 at 36-34.
Familiar Faces
Tiger players played Arkansas players 18 times last fall during the Billiken Fall Classic and the Kansas State Mock Duals. In doubles and singles action combined, the Lady Razorbacks won 13 of the 18 matches. Tiger Junior Chrissy Svetlic won both of her singles matches against UA players, defeating Carly Dixon and Rachel Wilhelm.
Series
Despite Arkansas being just across the southern border of Missouri, the two teams have only met once before in a dual match. That was way back in the fall of 1981, before any of the current players were born. Arkansas won that match, by the way, 8-1.
The lack of meetings in the series is common among BCS-conference state schools that border Missouri. Mizzou has only played Illinois twice, and they haven't played Kentucky or Tennessee at all.
Tiger Notes
Show-Me Tennis
The Tigers will play at least 14 matches in the state of Missouri, as they opened 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 108 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.
Tigers go on the Road for the Big 12 Opener Next Saturday
Next weekend the Tigers will travel to Lincoln, Neb., to face No. 65 Nebraska in Mizzou's Big 12 opener.