The NCAA News - News and Features

June 2, 1997

Cardinal also cruises to I women's tennis championship

In the 16-year history of the Division I Women's Tennis Championships, only Stanford has won consecutive team titles. The Cardinal is doing its best to keep that string intact.

Claiming five of six singles matches, Stanford ended Florida's bid for a second consecutive title and in the process snapped the nation's longest winning streak with a 5-1 victory May 18 at Stanford.

Lilia Osterloh, Anne Kremer, Sandra De Silva, Julie Scott and Teryn Ashley all posted singles victories to lead the Cardinal to a championships-record ninth title. The victory ended a five-year championships drought for the Cardinal, which won six consecutive titles from 1986 through 1991.

Osterloh also won the singles crown in individual competition, defeating Florida's M. C. White in an all-freshman final. Meanwhile, Florida's Dawn Buth and Stephanie Nickitas became the first doubles team to successfully defend a title. Linda Gates of Stanford won consecutive doubles titles in 1984 and 1985, but with different partners.

Stanford's victory avenged a 5-2 loss to Florida in the 1996 championships final, as well as the Cardinal's only regular-season defeat February 23 at the National Team Indoors Championship.

"When you win six in a row, you're in never-never land. It's been a tough six years trying to win it back," said Stanford coach Frank Brennan. "It's nice to win the championship and not to have someone lose it to you."

Appearing at the championships for a record 16th consecutive time, Stanford dropped only two team points in four matches to improve its all-time championships record to 52-8. The Cardinal improved to 4-1 vs. Florida.

Stanford's title marked the third time that the host school has won the team event. Stanford also won at home in 1991, and Georgia won in 1994.

Florida, which finished as runner-up to Stanford for the third time, lost for the first time in 62 dual matches. The championships' No. 1 seed finished at 31-1. The Gators have advanced to the team final three consecutive years.

"The biggest difference was their ability to close points out; we didn't," said Florida coach Andy Brandi. "It could have been because of the crowd factor, inexperience or nerves. It's a matter that you do or you don't, and we didn't. Had we done a better job in that department...."

Stanford won three of the first four singles matches in straight sets, and then got three-set triumphs from Scott and Ashley at Nos. 5 and 6 singles, respectively.

Scott rebounded from a one-set deficit against Nickitas to clinch the title.

"At the end of the second set I was real nervous because I didn't know who won," Scott said. "I wasn't nervous (once play resumed); I just fed off the crowd.

"It was the best experience ever in my tennis career."

Osterloh became the third freshman to win the singles championship, sailing past White, 6-1, 6-1, to earn Stanford's eighth singles title. The championship's No. 8 seed, Osterloh posted an impressive 6-2, 6-0 victory over Mississippi's Agnes Muzamel (6-0, 6-2), the No. 4 seed, in quarterfinal play and followed that with a 6-2, 6-1 triumph over No. 1 seed and fellow freshman Karin Miller of Duke in semifinal action. In six singles matches, Osterloh won 73 of 97 games.

The doubles championship's No. 1-seeded team, Buth and Nickitas, gave the Gators their third doubles crown by outlasting Georgia's Marissa Catlin and Michelle Anderson, 6-2, 3-6, 6-2.

The only duo to win consecutive doubles crowns, Buth and Nickitas dropped only two sets in five doubles matches.

DIVISION I WOMEN'S TENNIs

TEAM RESULTS

First round

Florida 5, Michigan 0; UCLA 5, Tennessee 0; Arizona St. 5, Mississippi 1; Duke 5, Pepperdine 0; Texas 5, Arizona 0; California 5, Wake Forest 2; William & Mary 5, Georgia 0; Stanford 5, Wisconsin 0.

Quarterfinals

Florida 5, Arizona St. 1; Duke 5, California 0; Texas 5, UCLA 2; Stanford 6, William & Mary 0.

Semifinals

Florida 5, Texas 1; Stanford 5, Duke 1.

Championship

Stanford 5, Florida 1

Singles: No. 1--Lilia Osterloh, Stanford, def. Dawn Buth, 6-3, 6-1; No. 2--Anne Kremer, Stanford, def. Amanda Basica, Florida, 6-1, 6-2; No. 3--M. C. White, Florida, def. Katie Schlukebir, Stanford, 6-4, 6-4; No. 4--Sandra De Silva, Stanford, def. Divya Merchant, Florida, 6-3, 6-0; 5. Julie Scott, Stanford, def. Stephanie Nickitas, Florida, 6-7 (5), 7-5.

Doubles: Suspended.

INDIVIDUAL RESULTS

Singles

First round: Karin Miller, Duke, def. Nora Sauska, Minnesota, 6-3, 6-4; Elisa Penalvo, Marquette, def. Suzana Rodrigues, LSU, 6-2, 2-6, 6-1; Katie Kocsis, UCLA, def. Maria Pavlidou, Arkansas, 6-3, 6-4; Isabela Petrov, Pepperdine, def. Nicola Kaiwai, Wake Forest, 6-0, 6-3; Vicky Maes, Arizona, def. Stephanie Nickitas, Florida, 7-5, 7-6 (6); Zuzana Lesenarova, San Diego, def. Ivy Wang, Harvard, 6-4, 6-2; Divya Merchant, Florida, def. Teryn Ashley, Stanford, 6-1, 1-6, 6-4; Marissa Catlin, Georgia, def. Margie Lepsi, Tennessee, 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-4.

Agnes Muzamel, Mississippi, def. Dora Djilianova, Fresno St., 6-2, 6-1; Francesca La'O, California, def. Carolina Hora, Miami (Fla.), 7-5, 6-3; Romana Tedjakusuma, Nicholls St., def. Sandy Sureephong, Texas, 6-2, 6-4; Annica Cooper, UCLA, def. Kim Schiff, Vanderbilt, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3; Lilia Osterloh, Stanford, def. Stephanie Lansdorp, Arizona St., 7-5, 6-0; Michelle O, William & Mary, def. Luanne Spadea, Duke, 6-1, 1-0 (retired); Maggie Harris, Wake Forest, def. Michelle Anderson, Georgia, 6-2, 0-1 (retired); Amanda Basica, Florida, def. Sandra De Silva, Stanford, 6-1, 6-2.

Vanessa Castellano, Montana, def. Maggie Cole, San Diego St., 6-4, 4-6, 6-4; Julie Scott, Stanford, def. Elizabeth Schmidt, UCLA, 6-1, 6-4; Sophia Csapo, Pepperdine, def. Bonnie Bleeker, Florida, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1; Amy Jensen, Wake Forest, def. Cristina Moros, Texas, 7-5, 6-3; Esther Knox, California, def. Sarah Cyganiak, Michigan, 6-3, 7-5; Ana Friganovic, New Mexico, def. Reka Cseresnyes, Arizona St., 7-5, 6-2; Gayleen McManus, Boise St., def. Yvonne Doyle, San Diego, 7-6 (2), 5-7, 6-0; Vanessa Webb, Duke, def. Mary Beth Maggart, Purdue, 6-0, 6-3.

Marianne Vallin, UNLV, def. Karen Goldstein, Arizona, 7-5 (5), 6-4; Baili Camino, Alabama, def. Melissa Zimpfer, Wisconsin, 5-7, 7-5, 6-4; Katia Roubanova, UCLA, def. Olga Novikova, Penn St., 6-4, 6-3; Wendy Fix, Duke, def. Dawn Buth, Florida, 2-6, 6-2, 6-0; M. C. White, Florida, def. Patricia Zerdan, Southern Methodist, 6-2, 6-2; Jennifer Hall, Notre Dame, def. Lauren Nikolaus, William & Mary, 6-7 (1), 6-3, 7-6 (5); Eline Chiew, Brigham Young, def. Amanda Augustus, California, 2-6, 6-2, 6-4; Katie Schlukebir, Stanford, def. Manisha Malhotra, Tennessee, 6-2, 6-4.

Second round: Miller, Duke, def. Penalvo, Marquette, 7-5, 6-4; Kocsis, UCLA, def. Petrov, Pepperdine, 6-1, 6-0; Lesenarova, San Diego, def. Maes, Arizona, 6-4, 6-4; Catlin, Georgia, def. Merchant, Florida, 7-6 (4), 6-4; Muzamel, Mississippi, def. La'O, California, 6-3, 6-4; Cooper, UCLA, def. Tedjakusuma, Nicholls St., 6-2, 2-6, 7-5; Osterloh, Stanford, def. O, William & Mary, 6-2, 6-3; Basica, Florida, def. Harris, Wake Forest, 6-1, 6-2.

Scott, Stanford, def. Castellano, Montana, 6-4, 7-5; Jensen, Wake Forest, def. Csapo, Pepperdine, 6-3, 1-6, 6-4; Knox, California, def. Friganovic, New Mexico, 2-6, 6-0, 6-4; Webb, Duke, def. McManus, Boise St., 6-3, 6-0; Camino, Alabama, def. Vallin, UNLV, 6-1, 3-6, 7-5; Fix, Duke, def. Roubanova, UCLA, default; White, Florida, def. Hall, Notre Dame, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1; Schlukebir, Stanford, def. Chiew, Brigham Young, 7-5, 6-1.

Third round: Miller, Duke, def. Kocsis, UCLA, 7-5, 6-4; Lesenarova, San Diego, def. Catlin, Georgia, 6-3, 7-5; Muzamel, Mississippi, def. Cooper, UCLA, 3-6, 6-2, 6-0; Osterloh, Stanford, def. Basica, Florida, 6-3, 6-4; Scott, Stanford, def. Jensen, Wake Forest, 6-2, 2-6, 6-4; Webb, California, def. Knox, California, 6-3, 6-2; Fix, Duke, def. Camino, Alabama, 6-4, 5-7, 6-2; White, Florida, def. Schlukebir, Stanford, 6-4, 6-7 (7), 6-4.

Quarterfinals: Miller, Duke, def. Lesenarova, San Diego, 7-5, 6-4; Osterloh, Stanford, def. Muzamel, Mississippi, 6-0, 6-2; Scott, Stanford, def. Webb, Duke, 7-6 (7), 4-6, 6-4; White, Florida, def. Fix, Duke, 6-2, 6-3.

Semifinals: Osterloh, Stanford, def. Miller, Duke, 6-2, 6-1; White, Florida, def. Scott, Stanford, 7-5, 6-1.

Championship: Osterloh, Stanford, def. White, Florida, 6-1, 6-1.

Doubles

First round: Dawn Buth-Stephanie Nickitas, Florida, def. Karolina Bulat-Tobi Rakic, South Caro., 6-2, 6-1; Lauren Nikolaus-Johanna Sones, William & Mary, def. Annica Cooper-Katie Kocsis, UCLA, 6-3, 7-6 (3); Isabela Petrov-Angela Lawrence, Pepperdine, def. Sarah Cygniak-Sora Moon, Michigan, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2; Karin Miller-Vanessa Webb, Duke, def. Cristina Moros-Farley Taylor, Texas, 6-2, 6-2.

Katie Schlukebir-Lilia Osterloh, Stanford, def. Gayleen McManus-Anita Pearson, Boise St., 6-1, 4-6, 6-2; Melissa Zimpfer-Colleen Lucey, Wisconsin, def. Marianne Vallin-Gee Gee Garvin, UNLV, 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (0); Courtenay Chapman-Agnes Muzamel, Mississippi, def. Lule Aydin-Nicola Kaiwai, Wake Forest, 6-0, 6-4; Tiffany Gates-Jennifer Hall, Notre Dame, def. Kim Schiff-Annie Plessinger, Vanderbilt, 6-1, 0-6, 6-4.

Sophia Csapo-Anna Svedenhov, Pepperdine, def. Suzana Rodrigues-Laura Olave, LSU, 6-0, 6-4; Elizabeth Schmidt-Katia Roubanova, UCLA, def. Joanna Bauza-Elisa Penalvo, Marquette, 6-3, 6-3; Traci Green-Amanda Basica, Florida, def. Margie Lepsi-Manisha Malhotra, Tennessee, 6-4, 6-2; Michelle Anderson-Marissa Catlin, Georgia, def. Vicky Maes-Khristen Pietrucha, Arizona, 6-2, 6-4.

Laura Berendt-Sandy Sureephong, Texas, def. Wendy Fix-Kristin Sanderson, Duke, 7-5, 1-6, 7-6 (5); Amanda Augustus-Claire Curran, California, def. Stephanie Lansdorp-Katy Propstra, Arizona St., 6-3, 6-2; Carolina Hora-Victoria Hunt, Miami (Fla.), def. Nancy Dingwell-Lisa Dingwell, Texas A&M, 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-2; Ania Bleszynski-Julie Scott, Stanford, def. Gina Majmudar-Gabriela Hricko, Harvard, 6-2, 6-0.

Second round: Buth-Nickitas, Florida, def. Nikolaus-Sones, William & Mary, 6-1, 6-7 (5), 6-2; Miller-Webb, Duke, def. Petrov-Lawrence, Pepperdine, 6-3, 6-4; Zimpfer-Lucey, Wisconsin, def. Schlukebir-Osterloh, Stanford, 6-0, 6-3; Chapman-Muzamel, Mississippi, def. Gates-Hall, Notre Dame, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2.

Csapo-Svedenhov, Pepperdine, def. Schmidt-Roubanova, UCLA, default; Anderson-Catlin, Georgia, def. Green-Basica, Florida, 6-3, 6-3; Berendt-Sureephong, Texas, def. Augustus-Curran, California, 0-6, 7-6 (2), 6-3; Bleszynski-Scott, Stanford, def. Hora-Hunt, Miami (Fla.), 6-2, 6-2.

Quarterfinals: Buth-Nickitas, Florida, def. Miller-Webb, Duke, 6-2, 6-2; Zimpfer-Lucey, Wisconsin, def. Chapman-Muzamel, Mississippi, 6-1, 6-4; Anderson-Catlin, Georgia, def. Csapo-Svedenhov, Pepperdine, 6-4, 6-3; Bleszynski-Scott, Stanford, def. Berendt-Sureephong, Texas, 6-7 (2), 6-3, 6-3.

Semifinals: Buth-Nickitas, Florida, def. Zimpfer-Lucey, Wisconsin, 6-3, 6-4; Anderson-Catlin, Georgia, def. Bleszynski-Scott, Stanford, 7-6 (5), 2-6, 6-1.

Championship: Buth-Nickitas, Florida, def. Anderson-Catlin, Georgia, 6-2, 3-6, 6-2.