Sun Belt Conference Weekly News and Notes (Week 3)
Five Sun Belt Tennis Teams Earn National Rankings
NEW ORLEANS – The Sun Belt Conference placed a season high five teams in the ITA National Team Rankings this past week, with the South Alabama and Georgia State women’s teams making huge jumps to No. 39 and No. 47 respectively.
South Alabama improved 31 spots in the rankings thanks to a seven-match win streak, including a 4-3 win against then No. 13 LSU, to run its record to 8-3. It is the highest national ranking for the program since being listed at No. 34 on Feb. 28, 2006. The ITA listed the Jaguars as its #OracleITARankings Big Mover Of The Week. The Panthers jumped up from No. 67 in the rankings thanks to a 4-3 win against then No. 29-ranked South Carolina.
The UL Monroe Warhawks entered the women’s ITA National Team Rankings for the first time since the 2012-13 season. The Warhawks are ranked No. 72 and are the only team in the Top 75 with all freshmen in the lineup. The program's last foray into the ITA's esteemed club prior to 2013 was in 2011, when the unranked Warhawks dropped No. 73 Mississippi State 6-1 and soared to No. 46.
On the men’s side, Georgia State jumped into the Top 75 for the first time since the 2013-14 season at No. 63 in the latest rankings. The Panthers have faced four nationally-ranked opponents in their first eight matches and own a win at No. 65 Wichita State. South Alabama maintained its national ranking at No. 74.
In the individual rankings, South Alabama freshman Alexandria Stiteler, holder of a seven-match singles win streak, entered the Top 125 in singles at No. 52. Stiteler, a native of Bradenton, Fla., has won her last six matches in straight sets, and defeated then-No. 40 Jessica Golovin of LSU 6-3, 6-3. Stiteler has a 3-1 record against nationally-ranked opponents this season. The last Jaguar to achieve a Top 55 ranking was Michaela Babicova in 2008. UL Monroe senior Petra Horakova entered this week’s rankings despite not having a played a match this spring. The senior from Trnava, Slovakia, has been sidelined this spring due to injury, but notched several wins against nationally-ranked singles opponents and doubles tandems. Horakova is the first ULM individual to make the ITA rankings since Monica Winkel in January 2011.
Georgia State junior Zackery Kennedy earned two singles wins over nationally-ranked opponents, as well as a win over a nationally-ranked doubles pair. Kennedy went 2-0 in singles this weekend and 1-1 in doubles, with his only loss to the No. 22 doubles pair in the nation. He won in the tie-breaker set in both his singles matches, and had a close 6-4 loss in doubles at Wichita State. Kennedy scored the first point for GSU in the eventual 4-3 win at No. 65 Wichita State.
UT Arlington senior Elizabeth Thoms swept last week’s singles matches against Missouri State and Sam Houston State to contribute to UT Arlington’s third and fourth wins of the spring season. Thoms downed both opponents in two sets as the Mavericks’ No. 1 singles player. Thoms defeated Missouri State’s Ema Turudija 6-4, 6-1 and Sam Houston State’s Fabienne Gettwart 6-1, 6-3. The senior’s only doubles match of the week was left unfinished while she trailed 3-4 against Missouri State.
The 2016 Sun Belt Conference Tennis Championships will be held from April 21-24 at the City Park/Pepsi Tennis Center in New Orleans, La. All men’s and women’s tennis programs will be invited to participate with the winner of each bracket earning an automatic bid to the 2016 NCAA Tennis Championships.
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WEEK 3 MEN’S TENNIS STUDENT-ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Zackery Kennedy (Georgia State, Junior)
Zackery Kennedy earned two singles wins over ranked players, as well as a win over a ranked doubles pair. Kennedy went 2-0 in singles this weekend and 1-1 in doubles, with his only loss to the No. 22 doubles pair in the nation. He won in the tie-breaker set in both his singles matches, and had a close 6-4 loss in doubles at Wichita State. Kennedy scored the first point for GSU in the eventual 4-3 win at Wichita State.
WEEK 3 WOMEN’S TENNIS STUDENT-ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Elizabeth Thoms (UT Arlington, Senior)
Elizabeth Thoms swept last week’s singles matches against Missouri State and Sam Houston State to contribute to UT Arlington’s third and fourth wins of the spring season. Thoms downed both opponents in two sets as the Mavericks’ No. 1. Thoms defeated Missouri State’s Ema Turudija 6-4, 6-1 and Sam Houston State’s Fabienne Gettwart 6-1, 6-3. The senior’s only doubles match of the week was left unfinished while she trailed 3-4 against Missouri State.
RECENT RESULTS
MEN
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17
Appalachian State 5, USC Upstate 2
UL Lafayette 4, #65 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 2
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18
South Alabama 7, Samford 0
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19
#15 Oklahoma State 4, Georgia State 3
Florida State 4, UT Arlington 2
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20
Appalachian State 6, Campbell 1
Georgia Southern 6, North Carolina Central 1
Georgia State 4, #65 Wichita State 3
#35 Drake 4, UL Lafayette 1
Florida Gulf Coast 4, UT Arlington 3
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 21
Appalachian State 6, Campbell 1
Coastal Carolina 4, Georgia Southern 3
UT Arlington 4, UCF 0
WOMEN
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17
Saint Louis 7, Arkansas State 0
Texas A&M-Corpus Christ 4, UL Lafayette 0
Troy 5, Alabama State 2
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18
UL Lafayette 4, UTSA 3
UL Monroe 6, Jackson State 1
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19
College of Charleston 4, Georgia Southern 3
FIU 5, Georgia State 2
UL Monroe 6, UAPB 0
UT Arlington 6, Missouri State 1
Louisiana Tech 4, Texas State 0
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20
Auburn 4, Georgia Southern 0
Southern Miss 4, UL Lafayette 1
South Alabama 7, Southeastern Louisiana 0
Texas State 4, Northwestern State 2
Texas State 4, Alcorn State 0
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 21
Central Arkansas 4, Arkansas State 1
UL Lafayette 4, Alcorn State 1
UT Arlington 5, Sam Houston State 2
North Florida 5, Troy 1
* - Indicates Sun Belt Conference game
(All Times CT)
NEWS AND NOTES
FIVE TEAMS EARN RANKINGS
The Sun Belt Conference placed a season high five teams in the ITA National Team Rankings this past week. Women’s teams at Georgia State (#39), UL Monroe (#72) and South Alabama (#47). On the men’s side Georgia State jumped into the Top 75 for the first time since the 2013-14 season at No. 63 and South Alabama maintained its national ranking at No. 74.
STITELER LEADS STREAKING JAGS
South Alabama extended its win streak to seven after blanking Southeastern Louisiana 7-0. Alexandria Stiteler has won her last seven matches – the longest streak on the team – and is now 6-1 on the No. 1 court; her last six victories have been in straight sets. Laura Matuskova and Michaela Meszarosova both sport six-match win streaks in singles. The Jaguars are 10-0 on the No. 2 court.
ULM EARNS HISTORIC RANKING
The Warhawks checked in at No. 72 in the latest team rankings, while Petra Horakova moved into No. 112 overall in the singles rankings. ULM is the only team with an all-freshmen spring lineup to be in the Top 75. The program’s last foray into the rankings prior to 2013 was in 2011, when the unranked Warhawks dropped No. 73 Mississippi State 6-1 and soared to No. 46.
GSU WOMEN JUMP IN RANKINGS
Georgia State fell 5-2 to FIU in its first home match of the season on Friday. The team travels to Fort Myers to play Florida Gulf Coast and Tennessee this weekend. The Panthers jumped from No. 67 to No. 47 in the most recent ITA Rankings. Freshman Daniela Ramirez is undefeated (5-0) this season in singles play at the No. 5 & 6 positions.
APP GOING STREAKING
Appalachian State men’s tennis went 2-0 last week while currently on a 3-match win streak, the first since 2013-14.
RED WOLVES BEGIN NEW ERA
Arkansas State is off to an 0-4 start during the dual match season after a pair of losses in the state of Texas to Stephen F. Austin and Lamar over the weekend. A-State is under the direction of first year head coach Kel Lange.
PANTHERS EARN TOP-RANKED WIN
Following a close 4-3 loss at No. 15 Oklahoma State and a 4-3 win at No. 65 Wichita State, the GSU men’s tennis program is ranked (63) for the first time since 2014 and for the first time under head coach Brett Ross.
UL LAFAYETTE, TROY SQUARE OFF
Troy, the defending Sun Belt Champion, plays its first Sun Belt match this week, traveling to UL Lafayette. The Trojans went 7-0 last season against Sun Belt opponents, including a win over UL Lafayette in the Sun Belt Championships semifinals.
OHTA LEADS TROY WOMEN
The Trojans split two matches last week at home, beating Alabama State, 5-2, before falling to North Florida, 5-1. Sanae Ohta has led the Trojans with a 5-2 singles record this spring with Nancy Karaky just behind at 5-3.
BOBCATS EYE THIRD STRAIGHT WIN
Texas State will be looking for its third straight victory and fourth win in the last five matches when they travel to San Antonio and play Air Force at the UTSA Tennis Center on Feb. 27. Texas State will also travel to Houston and play No. 29 Rice on Sunday. Texas State enters the Air Force match with a 3-5 overall record after winning a pair of matches against Northwestern State and Alcorn State last Saturday. It marks the first time since Jan. 29, 2011 that Texas State has won two matches on the same day. Texas State also defeated Incarnate Word on Feb. 13 for its first win of the season.