April 23, 2007
Columbia, Mo. - Big 12 Championships
The 11th annual Big 12 Championships begin Thursday at the Plaza Tennis Center in Kansas City, Mo. The Tigers will face Nebraska (12-8/4-7 Big 12) the tournament's eighth seed.
NOTE: The match has been moved from 10 a.m. to noon, due to wet court conditions at the Plaza Tennis Center. The match is scheduled to be played outdoors at the Plaza, but if it rains, the match will move to the Woodside Tennis Center's indoor courts. The Woodside courts are at 2000 west 47th Place in Westwood, Kan., less than a mile away from the team's hotel.
For live results of all matches in the Championships, please visit the official results page: http://kuathletics.cstv.com/sports/w-tennis/spec-rel/032707aaq.html
For more information on the Big 12 Championships, including ticket information, please visit the home page of the Championships: http://www.big12sports.com/sports/c-tennis/spec-rel/big12-tennis-championship.html
Matchup
Texas Tech beat Nebraska in their match that finished up Wednesday. The Lady Raiders took the doubles point to win the match, 4-3. That means the Tigers will be the ninth seed and play eighth-seeded Nebraska Thursday at noon. The Tigers lost, 6-1, to then-No. 63 Nebraska in Lincoln Feb. 11.
Last Time Out
The Tigers fell to No. 41 Texas in their last match of the regular season Saturday at the Green Tennis Center. The match's only bright spot for Mizzou came in the No. 1 doubles match, where the new No. 1 duo of Raquel Wagner and Chrissy Svetlic battled Texas' Vanja Corovic and Marija Milic to a seven point tiebreak after the match was tied a 7 games a piece. The Mizzou duo won the tiebreak, 7-4, to claim a big win in their first conference match at the No. 1 spot. The duo looks to lead the Tigers Thursday in Kansas City. The tigers lost each of the other eight matches against the Longhorns, including the other two doubles contests and six singles matches.
Mizzou in the Big 12 Championships
The Tigers are 3-10 in Big 12 Championship matches. Mizzou's last win came in the first round of the 2005 Championships, as they defeated Oklahoma State, 4-3, to advance to the quarterfinals. The Tigers also made the quarterfinals in '04 and '03, but lost all three times. Last season Mizzou fell to Oklahoma State, 4-0, in the first round of the Championships in Waco, Texas.
Big 12 Champions
2006 Baylor
2005 Texas
2004 Texas A&M
2003 Oklahoma State
2002 Texas
2001 Texas
2000 Texas
1999 Texas
1998 Texas
1997 Texas
Big 12 Championships at the Plaza Tennis Center
Mizzou hosted the last Big 12 Championships at the Plaza Tennis Center (2003). The courts also hosted the 2000 Championships. The center has also hosted a Big Eight Championship, NCAA Division II Nationals and many other tournaments.
Getting to know the Plaza Tennis Center
The Plaza Tennis Center is right next to Kansas City's Country Club Plaza on the city's south side. The center was named a USTA National Outstanding Public Tennis Facility in 1998, and in 2005 it was named the U.S. Professional Tennis Registry's Public Facility of the Year. The center has 14 lighted outdoor courts, including the exhibition court, which features seating for about 300 fans.
Svetlic Leads The Tigers
Kansas City native Chrissy Svetlic leads the team in wins, with 19 going into the Big 12 Championships. She has played the last three matches at No. 1, including a victory over Iowa State's Jill Palen. The win marked the Tigers' first and only Big 12 win at No. 1 singles this season.
Pratzel Solid at No. 2
Senior Amanda Pratzel is 5-5 on the spring in the No. 2 slot for the Tigers. She collected Big 12 wins over Kansas State's Tamar Kvaratskhelia and Colorado's Camila Belassi. She has seven wins on the spring, 11 overall this season, and 26 in her short season and a half Tiger career.
Senior Erika Josbena
Tiger senior Erika Josbena has one win in seven tries at the No. 3 spot, an April 14 victory over Iowa State's Caitlin Loprinzi. Josbena has split time between the No. 1 No. 2 and No. 3 spots this season.
Wagner Solid in Singles
Mizzou sophomore transfer Raquel Wagner is 18-15 in singles matches this season, good enough for second on the team behind Svetlic's 19. Wagner leads the team with five Big 12 wins. She has won two of her last three conference matches, beating KU's Stephanie Smith on April 7 and ISU's Danielle Uscinski April 14.
Katelyn's Freshman Year
McKenzie is 17-16 in her first season as a Tiger. She has earned wins in the No. 4, No. 5 and No. 6 spots. Her win at No. 4 over Iowa State's Alyssa Palen helped the Tigers earn their third conference win of the year. McKenzie also has 15 doubles wins (15-22) playing at the No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 spots. Katelyn and former partner Raquel Wagner earned four wins at the No. 1 position, helping the Tigers win each of those matches.
Bellis Stepping Up
Charlotte Bellis has played in the No. 6 spot for the last three matches, and she will be there again Thursday as the Tigers open up first round play at the Big 12 Championships. Bellis is 4-3 on the spring, and 12-9 overall this season.
Mizzou's New Top Duo
The new No. 1 duo of Wagner and Svetlic is 2-0 in Big 12 matches, with wins at No. 1 and No. 2. In their first match at No. 1 last Saturday against Texas, they took down the Longhorns' No. 1 duo of Marija Milic and Vanja Corovic, 8-7 (4). The two hope that win gives them momentum heading into Thursday's match. They also beat Jill Palen and Caitlin Loprinzi of Iowa State April 14.
Josbena and Pratzel
Tiger seniors Josbena and Pratzel have 17 wins together this season, which is the most by any Mizzou duo since Big 12 10th Anniversary Team members Urska Juric and Katka Sevcikova earned 18 in 2004. Josbena and Pratzel won the Billiken Fall Classic in September, and the Gopher Invitational the next weekend. The duo leads the team with three Big 12 wins, and is tied for the lead in spring victories with Svetlic and Kaitlin Dunham, with seven. Erika's 61 doubles victories put her in sixth place on Mizzou's all-time wins list. The two played with each other the entire 2006-07 season, and most of the spring 2006 slate. They have won 28 matches in just a season and a half.
Bellis and McKenzie
The newly formed doubles tandem of Bellis and McKenzie will likely fill the No. 3 spot for the Tigers Thursday. The duo is 0-3 in their few matches with each other, but McKenzie has experience, she won four matches with McKenzie at No. 1 doubles earlier in the season.
Senior Features
For feature stories on Josbena, Pratzel and Bellis, please visit MUTigers.com