Feb. 27, 2008

Complete Release in PDF Format

Columbia, Mo. - The University of Missouri women's tennis team (8-2/0-0 Big 12) will face the 54th-ranked Minnesota Golden Gophers (8-1/0-0 Big Ten) and the Wisconsin Badgers (3-6/0-1 Big Ten) on the road this weekend to finish the non-conference portion of the 2008 schedule. The Tigers are off to their best 10-match start since the 2005 season, when the team won 12 of the first 14 matches.

Match Details

Mizzou at (54) Minnesota

Friday, Feb. 29 - 6 pm

Mizzou at Wisconsin

Sunday, March 2 - 10 am

7-10 Split

Last weekend, Mizzou split two road matches, losing to then-No. 42 Iowa, 6-1, to stay on seven wins, and defeating Drake, 7-0, in their 10th match of the season. Saturday's match against Iowa was closer than the score suggested, as the Tigers took one singles match, and took four of the other five to a third set. Sunday, Mizzou beat Drake in each singles contest, and two of the three doubles matches to earn their eighth victory of the season.

An Early Birthday Present

Tiger senior Chrissy Svetlic was the only Mizzou player to win both of her singles matches over the weekend. In fact, she has won eight matches in a row in the Nos. 3, 4 and 5 spots. The pair of wins to extend her career-high streak came just days before her birthday, which was Wednesday. She is 8-1 this spring, and 12-5 on the season.

Tough Road/Air Tests

First Stop, MSP (Minneapolis St. Paul International Airport)

The Tigers will face their third ranked team this weekend, as they head inside the Baseline Tennis Center in Minneapolis to play the 54th-ranked Gophers. Minnesota is fresh off a doubleheader sweep two Sundays ago (Feb. 17) as they defeated Eastern Michigan and Gustavus Adolphus, 6-1, and 7-0, respectively. They suffered their lone loss this season against then-No. 17 North Carolina, 7-0, on Feb. 2. They bounced back after that loss, however, and defeated then-No. 37 North Carolina State, 5-2, the next day. Alessandra Ferazzi leads the Gophers with a 5-2 record at No. 1 singles this spring.

Drivin' Down to Dane County

After the Tigers play Minnesota Friday night, they will take I-94 south to Madison, Wis., to face the struggling Badgers Sunday afternoon. Wisconsin is 3-6 this spring, and the Badgers have dropped their last two contests. Feb. 15, then-No. 14 Notre Dame defeated UW, 7-0, and Feb. 17, Penn State edged the Badgers, 4-3. The Badgers have lost six matches, but four of the six have come against teams ranked in the top 15. Elizabeth Carpenter has played No. 1 for UW in eight of the first nine matches. She is 2-6 in those contests.

Tiger Notes

Giuggioli Earns Another Straight-Set Win

Tiger junior Jessica Giuggioli earned yet another straight-set victory Sunday (Feb. 24) against Drake's Irina Kalashnikova, giving her eight such wins on the spring season. She only has two losses since joining the Tigers before the spring, matching Mizzou's 8-2 record. She has played at Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 this season. Giuggioli, a Piombino, Italy, native, played for the University of Kentucky for her first two and a half seasons before coming to the Show-Me State.

Freshman Fury

Tiger freshman Maureen Modesto has seemingly made an easy transition from the high school ranks in Northwest Indiana to Division I tennis. The Highland, Ind., native has a 18-7 singles record over the course of her freshman season. Her 18 wins leads the team, and leaves her only four wins short of Mizzou's top-15 list.

Svetlic Wins Brock Olivo Award...He Runs For Congress...She Gets A Few Wins

The Tiger Club of Kansas City awarded Mizzou senior Chrissy Svetlic the Brock Olivo award Wednesday (Feb. 13). The award is given to one male and one female student-athlete from the Kansas City area. Tiger running back Tony Temple was the male recipient. Later in the week, Olivio announced he is running for a spot in the U.S. Congress. Olivo, a Hermann, Mo., native, will run for the 9th District seat, which will soon be vacated by Kenny Hulshof, who plans to run for governor. Svetlic has gone 4-0 after she received the award.

Climbing...climbing...

Svetlic has earned 43 singles and 40 doubles victories as a Tiger after transferring from Northern Illinois University during her sophomore season. Her 40 doubles wins puts her in 14th place all-time. Svetlic is three singles wins away from a tie for 16th place, and a spot on the singles leaderboard.

Weber Earns Another At No. 1

Tiger freshman Mallory Weber is 6-3 this spring, playing primarily in the No. 1 singles spot. Her six wins at No. 1 is already three more than last season's total of three at that spot. She is also 11-5 in doubles action with Svetlic dating back to the fall.

Ritchie is a Doubles Queen

Ritchie boasts a 17-3 doubles record dating back to the fall, giving her an amazing .850 winning percentage. She has played with Giuggioli, Modesto and Kaitlin Dunham in the No. 2 and No. 3 spots this spring, going 8-2 in those contests.

Dunham Earns Third Spring Win

Kaitlin Dunham won her third match of the spring Sunday (Feb. 24) against Drake's Kari Sloboth in the No. 4 spot. Dunham was up, 3-0, in the first set when Sloboth retired, giving Duhnam her 10th win of the year.

Ayala Picks Up Another

Mizzou's Sofia Ayala earned her 11th win of the 07-08 season Sunday (Feb. 24) against Drake's Sarah Plowman. The transfer from the University of Alabama has won nine of her last 10, dating back to the fall.

Tigers Continue Seventh Season at GTC

The Green Tennis Center has served as the home of Mizzou tennis since the spring of 2002, when Mizzou opened its doors with a 5-4 home record. The Tigers have continued that home success throughout the six seasons at the GTC, going 52-21 in the dome at 2001 S. Providence Rd. The Tigers will be back in action at home March 14 and 16 when Kansas State and Kansas come to town.

Coaching Staff: Two Blakes!

As Tiger Head Coach Blake Starkey enters his 11th season at the helm, he brings Assistant Coach Blake Edwards on board to lead Mizzou in 2008. Starkey, who went 106-120 in his first ten seasons, enters his second decade searching for more. With a 8-2 start to this season, the future looks good for the two Blakes.

Tiger Hometowns: The Heartland and Beyond

Speaking of different backgrounds, Mizzou's 2008 players come from both far and near. Starkey has recruited five players from the USTA Missouri Valley Section (Dunham, Ritchie, Svetlic, Wagner and Weber) while adding one from Indiana (Modesto). Also joining the Tigers in 2008; Ayala, a native of Quito, Ecuador, who played for Alabama, and Giuggioli, a Piombino, Italy, native, who played with Kentucky last season.

Up Next: Rocky Mountain Trip

Get ready for the start of Big 12 Conference season, folks, because its coming. After the Tigers get back from this weekend's trip, they will prepare for their first Big 12 match of the season, a contest against No. 65 Colorado March 8 in Boulder, Colo.