Feb. 22, 2007
Columbia, Mo. - The University of Missouri women's tennis team hosts two matches this weekend, as Drake comes to town Friday at 1 p.m. and Montana visits the Green Tennis Center at 9 a.m. Sunday. Drake and Montana play each other Saturday at 10 a.m.
The Tigers are 2-3 on the season after splitting two matches last weekend. They defeated Murray State, 6-1, Saturday, and fell to then-No. 29 Texas A&M, 7-0, Sunday.
Friday's Preview
The Tigers have played Drake 13 times, winning 10 of those matches, including a 5-2 victory in Columbia last season. This season, the Bulldogs are 2-6, after picking up a win against Illinois-Chicago on Feb. 11. Veronika Leszayova leads the Bulldogs at No. 1 singles. Leszayova is 3-3 at the No. 1 spot this spring.
Drake Head Coach Urska Juric
Friday, the Tigers welcome former standout and assistant coach Urska Juric back to the Green Tennis Center. Juric was 99-34 in doubles play and 83-44 in singles action in her career that ended in 2004. Last year she was named to the All-Big 12 10th Anniversary team along with former doubles partner Katka Sevcikova. The duo was voted as one of the league's best three doubles teams. During their playing years (2002-04) they earned All-Big 12 honors every season. Juric also earned All-Big 12 honors in singles in 2002, '03 and '04. After she graduated in 2004, she became Mizzou's assistant coach until last fall when she was hired by Drake to fill their head coach vacancy.
The Griz
Montana is 0-5 on the season after falling to Nevada, 6-0, nearly two weeks ago (Feb. 11). The Grizzlies had to forfeit four singles matches due to travel plans. Liz Walker leads the Griz at No. 1 singles. She is 0-4 on the spring. Walker joins Mari Costello to form the team's top doubles duo. The team is 9-4 on the year, but is yet to earn a victory in the spring.
Tiger Notes
Dunham's Streak Snapped
Last Sunday, Mizzou freshman Kaitlin Dunham fell to Texas A&M's Nicki Mechem at No. 5 singles. That loss snapped her spring-long four match winning streak. She still enjoys a 4-1 spring singles record, and she is 8-4 overall.
Show-Me Tennis
The Tigers will play at least 10 more 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. After this weekend, the Tigers host 7 more home matches.
Starkey Over the Century Mark
Early last season Head Coach Blake Starkey recorded his 100th win as Mizzou Head Coach. Starkey currently has 109 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.
Next Weekend
The Tigers will continue Big 12 play when they host No. 65 Kansas State March 3rd at the Green Tennis Center.