April 3, 2008
Complete Release in PDF Format 
Columbia, Mo. - The University of Missouri women's tennis team (9-8/1-4 Big 12) hosts the 31st-ranked Texas A&M Aggies (10-6/4-1 Big 12) and the 19th-ranked Texas Longhorns (10-4/4-0 Big 12) this weekend at the Green Tennis Center in Columbia. The matches serve as the final two home contests of the season, and the last home matches for Tiger senior Chrissy Svetlic.
Closing it out
The Tigers will finish their brief four-match home conference schedule with two contests against two of the Big 12's top teams. After this weekend, Mizzou still has four regular season conference matches, in addition to the Big 12 Championships. Next weekend, Mizzou will travel to Nebraska (April 11) and Iowa State (April 12).
Senior Moment
Svetlic, the only senior on this year's squad, joined the Tigers in the spring of 2006 after transferring from Northern Illinois University. She is 41-35 in singles action, four wins short of 15th place on Mizzou's all-time singles wins list. She also has 41 doubles wins, which puts her in 14th place on Mizzou's career doubles wins list.
Texas Trip Tests Tigers
After earning their first Big 12 win of the year against Kansas (March 16) the Tigers took a week off for spring break before a trip to Texas to face Texas Tech (March 28) and then-No. 2 Baylor (March 30). Mizzou had a tough time in those two matches, falling to Tech, 6-1, and Baylor, 5-2.
A&M and UT Provide Tough Task
The Big 12 schedule doesn't get any easier this week, as the 31st-ranked Aggies and 19th-ranked Longhorns invade the GTC. The Tigers have only beaten A&M one time, in Mizzou's 14-6 2004 season. The Aggies are 10-6 in the spring, after suffering their first conference loss Wednesday against Baylor. A&M's top singles player Elze Potgieter is ranked 75th in the ITA singles rankings.
Mizzou has also only beaten Texas once, in the 2003 season. The Longhorns have earned 10 wins this season, ascending to a No. 19 national ranking this week. UT's No. 1 player, Vanja Corovic, is ranked 64th in the ITA singles rankings this week. UT plays Colorado Friday (April 4).
Giuggioli Tries to Rebound Against Ranked Players
Giuggioli, a junior transfer from the University of Kentucky, is 12-5 on the spring in singles play, which includes a 2-2 record at No. 1 and an 8-2 mark at No. 2. Last weekend, she lost two matches against Tech and Baylor's top singles players. She will try to get back on track this week when she faces Potgieter and Corovic.
Weber Tries to Get Back on Track
Freshman Mallory Weber is 7-9 in dual matches this spring after losing two last weekend at No. 2 singles. Her seven wins at the top spot more than doubles Mizzou's win total at No. 1 last season (three). She has earned the most No. 1 wins since the 2005 season, when Katka Sevcikova earned 14 victories at the top spot. Her seven wins ties Jessica Ferguson's total of seven her freshman season (2001), the last Mizzou freshman to win seven at No. 1.
Modesto Jumps to No. 4
Modesto earned her eighth singles match this spring, and 20th overall in Mizzou's win over Kansas (March 16). She is only two wins from entering the single-season singles wins list. She will try for number 21 Friday at No. 4 against Texas A&M's Tiffany Clifford, who is 4-3 at No. 4 this season.
Ritchie Earns Third Straight Conference Win
Ritchie has won three big conference singles matches in a row, after winning at No. 6 against Kansas (March 16), beating Texas Tech last Friday (March 28) at No. 6 and defeating Baylor at No. 5 Sunday (March 30). She is 10-6 on the dual season in singles play. She will be in the No. 3 doubles spot with Giuggioli, as she tries to improve on her team-high 21 doubles wins this season, including fall play.
Ritchie Ties Kramer's Mark
With her win against Texas Tech's No. 3 duo lat Friday, Ritchie tied Carolyn Kramer's mark of 21 for a share of 15th place on Mizzou's season-best doubles totals. Up next is Katka Sevcikova's 22 wins from the 2004-05 season.
Dunham and Ayala Contribute in Doubles Play
Mizzou's No. 2 duo of Kaitlin Dunham and Sofia Ayala is 7-8 on the season after losing two matches last weekend. They look to pick up more wins this weekend at No. 2 doubles.
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 53-22 in the dome at 2001 S. Providence Rd.
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 9-8 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 four players from the USTA Missouri Valley Section (Dunham, Ritchie, Svetlic 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.