May 21, 2008

Moraga, CA - The 2007-08 women's tennis team created new expectations for themselves and the program, as they earned an Intercollegiate Tennis Ranking throughout the entire season, and were ranked as high as No. 35 in the country. Tenth year head coach Lisa Alipaz was instrumental in the Gaels' success, earning her second straight West Coast Conference Coach of the Year honor following a 16-7 overall record and guiding four players to all-conference accolades. Unfortunately the Gaels were just one step behind No. 18 Pepperdine in the WCC Championships, as Saint Mary's took home their second straight second place finish, falling to the Waves in the championship match.

Saint Mary's entered the championships with a No. 49 ranking and an impressive 5-1 record against WCC opponents. In the first two rounds the Gaels dominated their opponents, sweeping both Gonzaga and San Francisco, 4-0. Both wins marked the Gaels' second victories over the two WCC schools, improving their conference mark to 7-1.

In the first round Saint Mary's demolished the Bulldogs of Gonzaga, posting a 4-0 win by capturing the doubles point and winning three consecutive singles matches. The Gaels controlled the competition from the start, posting 8-0 and 8-2 victories at the No. 1 and 3 doubles positions. Saint Mary's then rolled their momentum right into singles play, making easy work of three Bulldogs at the No. 3, 4, and 5 positions. Marah Calvo clinched the win at the four spot, defeating her opponent 6-1, 6-0.

The next day the Gaels started right where they left off, capturing the doubles point and winning three straight singles matches. Again it was Calvo that decided the match, winning at the five spot 6-2, 6-1.

Their greatest foe would still await them, as the Gaels faced the No. 18 Pepperdine Waves, who were in search of their sixth consecutive conference championship. It was a battle from the start, as each team took the court with the conference title and automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament on their minds. At the three spot it was Claire Soper and Alex Poorta that subdued the Waves, posting an 8-6 win and tying the count to 1-1 in doubles play. The doubles point would come down to court one, as Jessica Hoath and Nienke Strijbis went after the No. 8 ranked team in the country, Bianca Dulgheru and Sylvia Kosakowski. With both teams exchanging sets, the match was forced to a tiebreak, where the eighth ranked Waves stepped-up to the pressure, topping the Gaels 7-0, and grasping the very important doubles point.

Once the doubles action had ended it seemed that the Gaels would not recover, as Pepperdine went on to win three straight singles matches. Unfortunately Saint Mary's could not hold off the Waves, as Claire Soper, Alex Poorta, and Nienke Strijbis were each up in their matches, holding off the determining point. The match was retired after the Waves' three singles wins, as they defeated the Gaels 4-0.

Although the Gaels played extremely well in the WCC Championships, it was not the height of their season, as they defeated three ranked opponents throughout the year. The first win over a ranked competitor came when the Gaels faced No. 35 UC Irvine on the road, narrowly edging the Anteaters in a 4-3 victory. It was Claire Soper's match that proved crucial, as the freshman recorded a 2-6, 6-3, 7-5 win at the No. 3 position to clinch the match. The Tucson, AZ native overcame a 2-5 deficit in the third set against the Anteaters' Jessica Braodfoot, as she came back to win the third set 7-5. Three other Gaels posted singles wins, Jessica Hoath, Alex Poorta, and Stef Ordoveza, as No. 48 Saint Mary's upset No. 35 UC Irvine.

Saint Mary's best win of the season came when they defeated No. 21 Denver on March 18. The Gaels earned the doubles points to start the dual match, as they won at the No. 1 and 2 positions. Both doubles wins came easily, as Jessica Hoath and Nienke Strijbis defeated their opponents 8-2, while Stef Ordoveza and Marah Calvo won 8-3. In singles action the Gaels posted wins at the No. 3, 4, and 5 positions, as they defeated the Pioneers 4-3. Three of the two singles matches went to three sets, as Calvo and Strijbis battled at the four and five spots, each defeating their opponents 6-4 in the final set.

The Gaels' final win over a ranked team came when the Gaels defeated No. 65 Cal Poly, 6-1. The final score adequately represents the closeness of the match, as Saint Mary's made easy work of the Mustangs in both doubles and singles.

Individually many Gaels earned conference recognitions, including Jessica Hoath who led Saint Mary's to their best finish in program history, playing an important role at the No.1 singles position. Hoath was named All-WCC First Team for singles and doubles, finishing the season with a 10-11 singles record and 11-11 doubles record, while also earning her first national ranking, No. 117/119. The Aussie faced individuals from nine ranked teams, while also competing against six individually ranked opponents.

On the nationally ranked squad, freshman Alex Poorta compiled a team-best 15-5 overall singles record while spending the majority of her time at the No. 2 spot. Poorta went on a 10 match doubles win-streak, including four victories over pairs from ranked teams. IN addition to her stellar singles play, she posted a team-best 18-5 doubles mark. For her conference efforts the freshman was named to the All-WCC Second Team for both singles and doubles.

Rounding out the all-conference recognitions were sophomore Nienke Strijbis, senior Stef Ordoveza, and freshman Claire Soper. Strijbis was named to the All-WCC Second Team for doubles, along with Hoath, marking her second straight all-conference award. Strijbis paired up with Hoath at the No. 1 spot all year, finishing with an 11-9 overall record. Ordoveza posted a team-high 16 wins while playing at the No. 5 and 6 positions for the Gaels, including a six-match win streak midway through the season. Soper was awarded with both a doubles and singles award, as she was named to the second team for doubles and the honorable mention team for singles. Soper totaled a 13-5 overall record in singles in her debut as a Gael, with all of her matches coming at the No. 3 position. Soper joined Poorta at the No. 3 doubles spot, posting a team-best 14-3 record.

The 2008 season is a year that will go down in program history, as the Gaels proved their abilities on a national level, held their own against the top competition, and earned individual and team rankings. Just shy of making an appearance in the NCAA tournament, Saint Mary's women's tennis is ready to use this negative as a positive, turning their missed opportunity into motivation for the future. Although the Gaels lose five seniors, the Class of 2008 made an everlasting mark on the program, and leave it in the hands of five returnees who will continue to strive for the success of Saint Mary's tennis.