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The NCAA News -- June 7, 1999

Stanford claims 10th title in clash of women's tennis titans

Stanford stifled host Florida's bid for a fourth Division I Women's Tennis Championship team title by capturing its 10th crown May 23.

The title was the second for the Cardinal in three years.

Stanford secured four victories in the singles competition before heading into doubles. At No. 1 singles, Stanford's Marissa Irvin dispatched Florida's Whitney Laiho, 6-1, 6-2. The Cardinal also won at Nos. 4, 5 and 6 singles.

Florida's wins were at Nos. 2 and 3 singles, where Stephanie Nickitas beat Teryn Ashley, 6-3, 6-2, and Jessica Lehnhoff downed Gabriela Lastra, 6-4, 6-4.

Stanford clinched the win when its doubles tandem of Irvin and Keiko Tokuda defeated Laiho and Stephanie Hazlett, 8-4, at No. 2 doubles.

"I am truly in a state of shock," Stanford head coach Frank Brennan said. "I was really very surprised that we could pull this off. We had injuries, but we had a really good season and finished very strong."

"It just starts with one match to build momentum," said Stanford's Lauren Kalvaria, who earned a hard-fought point at the No. 4 position over Florida's Hazlett. "When you hear the umpire say, 'Game, set, match, Stanford' and then a little later, 'Game, set, match, Stanford,' it just pumps you up so much."

In the individual competition, Zuzana Lesenarova of San Diego took the singles title by defeating Stanford's Irvin in three sets.

Irvin came from behind and scored 12 consecutive points to take the first set, 6-4. Lesenarova started the second set with a lead and came through with the win as Irvin battled to earn another set. Lesenarova finally conquered Irvin, 7-6 (3), which gave her the singles title and broke Irvin's 23-match win streak. Lesenarova ended the season with a 39-5 record.

In the doubles contest, Amanda Augustus and Amy Jensen of California defended their doubles title by eliminating challengers Vanessa Castellano and Marissa Catlin of Georgia. Augustus and Jensen became the second pair in the history of the championship to claim consecutive titles. The first back-to-back titles were claimed in 1996 and 1997 by Florida's Dawn Buth and Stephanie Nickitas.

TEAM RESULTS

First round

Florida 5, Vanderbilt 0; South Ala. 5, Pepperdine 2; Mississippi 5, Fresno St. 1; Duke 5, Iowa 0; California 5, Arizona St. 4; Georgia 5, South Carolina 1; Southern California 5, Miami (Fla.) 4; Stanford 5, Tennessee 1.

Quarterfinals

Florida 5, South Ala. 0; Duke 5, Mississippi 0; California 5, Georgia 4; Stanford 5, Southern California 1.

Semifinals

Florida 5, Duke 2; Stanford 5, California 1.

Championship

Stanford 5, Florida 2

Doubles: No. 1 -- Suspended; No. 2 -- Marissa Irvin-Keiko Tokuda, Stanford, def. Stephanie Hazlett-Whitney Laiho, Florida, 8-4; No. 3 -- Suspended.

Singles: No. 1 -- Irvin, Stanford, def. Laiho, Florida, 6-1, 6-2; No. 2 -- Stephanie Nickitas, Florida, def. Teryn Ashley, Stanford, 6-3, 6-2; No. 3 -- Jessica Lehnhoff, Florida, def. Gabriella Lastra, Stanford, 6-4, 6-4; No. 4 -- Lauren Kalvaria, Stanford, def. Stephanie Hazlett, Florida, 6-7 (6), 6-2, 7-6 (4); No. 5 -- Jennifer Heiser, Stanford, def. Traci Green, Florida, 4-6, 7-6 (6), 6-0; No. 6 -- M. C. White, Florida, def. Keiko Tokuda, Stanford, 6-3, 7-6 (0).

INDIVIDUAL RESULTS

Singles

First round: Zuzana Lesenarova, San Diego, def. Ana Fernandez, Marquette, 7-6 (4), 6-3; Janet Bergman, Wake Forest, def. Jacqui Boyd, Southern California, 6-0, 6-0; Chin Bee Khoo, Arkansas, def. Tari Ann Toro, William & Mary, 2-6, 6-4, 6-2; Lioudmila Skavronskai, Miami (Fla.), def. Celeste Frey, Mississippi, 3-6, 6-3, 6-0; Katarina Valkyova, San Diego, def. Michelle Dasso, Notre Dame, 0-6, 6-3, 6-3; Gabriella Lastra, Stanford, def. Kristin Sanderson, Duke, 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4; Marissa Catlin, Georgia, def. Carmina Giraldo, Clemson, 7-5, 7-6 (5); Ana Friganovic, New Mexico, def. Baili Camino, Florida, 4-6, 6-2, 6-0.

Dora Djilianova, Fresno St., def. Erica Perkins, Washington St., 6-1, 6-1; Angela Lawrence, Pepperdine, def. Ivona Mihailova, Mississippi, 6-2, 6-2; Sandy Sureephong, Texas, def. Stephanie Nickitas, Florida, 6-4, 6-2; Delphine Troch, William & Mary, def. Kristina Kraszewski, Washington, 7-5, 6-2; Ditta Huber, Southern California, def. Kris Sell, Kansas, 6-3, 6-2; Callie Creighton, Vanderbilt, def. Amy Jensen, California, 6-2, 6-0; Annica Cooper, UCLA, def. Andrea Piski, Auburn, 6-3, 6-4; Aarthi Venkatesan, Georgia, def. Kristy Dascoll, Ohio St., 6-3, 6-0.

Stephanie Hazlett, Florida, def. Amanda Augustus, California, 6-0, 6-3; Anousjka Van Exel, Tulsa, def. Bruna Colosio, LSU, 6-1, 4-6, 6-1; Megan Miller, Duke, def. Barbara Urbanska, Wisconsin, 6-2, 6-4; Mariel Verban, Wake Forest, def. Agnes Muzamel, Mississippi, 7-5, 6-4; Esther Knox, Georgia, def. Meg Griffin, Maryland, 6-3, 6-2; Julie Ditty, Vanderbilt, def. Sandra Noetzel, Nebraska, 4-6, 6-2, 6-4; Michelle Faucher, Texas, def. Traci Green, Florida, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4; Marissa Irvin, Stanford, def. Jennifer Embry, Purdue, 6-3, 6-1.

Maria Pavlidou, Arkansas, def. Galina Seliounina, Houston, 6-4, 6-0; Allison Bradshaw, Arizona St., def. Carolijn van Rossum, William & Mary, 6-0, 3-6, 6-1; Amanda Basica, UCLA, def. Maria Widyadharma, Central Fla., 6-3, 6-2; Whitney Laiho, Florida, def. Elisa Penalvo, Marquette, 7-5, 6-4; Massoumeh Emami, Kentucky, def. Mirela Vladulescu, UAB, 6-3, 7-6 (3); Vanessa Castellano, Georgia, def. Kara Warkentin, Southern California, 7-5, 6-2; Francesca La'O, California, def. Jennifer Hall, Notre Dame, 6-2, 6-2; Vanessa Webb, Duke, def. Katarina Markovski, South Carolina, 6-1, 7-5.

Second round: Lesenarova, San Diego, def. Bergman, Wake Forest, 6-3, 7-5; Skavronskai, Miami (Fla.), def. Bee Khoo, Arkansas, 6-1, 7-5; Valkyova, San Diego, def. Lastra, Stanford, 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4; Catlin, Georgia, def. Friganovic, New Mexico, 7-5, 6-1; Djilianova, Fresno St. def. Lawrence, Pepperdine, 6-2, 6-3; Sureephong, Texas, def. Troch, William & Mary, 6-3, 6-3; Huber, Southern California, def. Creighton, Vanderbilt, 6-3, 6-3; Venkatesan, Georgia, def. Cooper, UCLA, 6-4, 6-1.

Van Exel, Tulsa, def. Hazlett, Florida, 4-6, 6-4, 7-5; Verban, Wake Forest, def. Miller, Duke, 6-4, 6-2; Knox, Georgia, def. Ditty, Vanderbilt, 6-4, 6-3; Irvin, Stanford, def. Faucher, Texas, 6-0, 6-3; Pavlidou, Arkansas, def. Bradshaw, Arizona St., 6-0, 3-6, 6-1; Laiho, Florida, def. Basica, UCLA, 7-5, 6-3; Castellano, Georgia, def. Emami, Kentucky, 6-3, 6-2; Webb, Duke, def. La'O, California, 6-0, 6-3.

Third round: Lesenarova, San Diego, def. Skavronskai, Miami (Fla.), 6-2, 1-6, 6-0; Valkyova, San Diego, def. Catlin, Georgia, 6-4, 6-3; Djilianova, Fresno St., def. Sureephong, Texas, 5-7, 6-3, 6-4; Huber, Southern California, def. Venkatesan, Georgia, 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (4); Van Exel, Tulsa, def. Verban, Wake Forest, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 1-0 ret.; Irvin, Stanford def. Knox, Georgia, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2; Pavlidou, Arkansas, def. Laiho, Florida, 0-6, 6-4, 7-6 (4); Castellano, Georgia, def. Webb, Duke, 7-5, 6-2.

Quarterfinals: Lesenarova, San Diego, def. Valkyova, San Diego, 5-7, 6-2, 6-3; Huber, Southern California, def. Sureephong, Texas, 6-3, 6-1; Irvin, Stanford, def. Verban, Wake Forest, 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-0; Castellano, Georgia, def. Pavlidou, Arkansas, 6-3, 6-1.

Semifinals: Lesenarova, San Diego, def. Huber, Southern California, 6-1, 3-6, 6-0; Irvin, Stanford, def. Castellano, Georgia, 6-2, 6-4.

Championship: Lesenarova, San Diego, def. Irvin, Stanford, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (3).

Doubles

First round: Vanessa Castellano-Marissa Catlin, Georgia, def. Ana Fernandez-Elisa Penalvo, Marquette, 6-0, 6-2; Martina Ondrejkova-Iva Puflerova, South Ala. def. Courtenay Chapman-Agnes Muzamel, Mississippi, 6-4, 0-6, 6-4; Michelle Dasso-Jennifer Hall, Notre Dame, def. Katarina Markovski-Celine Regnier, South Carolina, 6-1, 6-0; Kaysie Smashey-Sandy Sureephong, Texas, def. Kelly Brown-Massoumeh Emami, Kentucky, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3.

Jessica Lehnhoff-Stephanie Nickitas, Florida, def. Jennifer Embry-Missy Wright, Purdue, 6-4, 6-4; Tari Ann Toro-Laura Tsaggaris, William & Mary, def. Dora Djilianova-Leisl Fichtbauer, Fresno St., 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7); Allison Bradshaw-Katy Propstra, Arizona St., def. Lorraine Bittles-Meg Griffin, Maryland, 6-0, 4-6, 7-5; Zuzana Lesenarova-Katarina Valkyova, San Diego, def. Ditta Huber-Kara Warkentin, Southern California, 6-2, 6-3.

Stephanie Hazlett-Whitney Laiho, Florida, def. April Gabler-Barbara Urbanska, Wisconsin, 6-2, 6-3; Angela Lawrence-Ipek Senoglu, Pepperdine, def. Laura Guignon-Katherine Nasser, Northwestern, 6-1, 4-6, 6-4; Toni Neykova-Shera Wiegler, Iowa, def. Sarah Donovan-Maggie Cole, San Diego St., 3-6, 6-0, 6-2; Amanda Augustus-Amy Jensen, California, def. Mariana Eberle-Celeste Frey, Mississippi, 7-5, 6-3.

Ana Friganovic-Joanne Shortall, New Mexico, def. Ilona Kordonskaya-Kristina Kraszewski, Washington, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4; Amanda Basica-Annica Cooper, UCLA, def. Sarah Borwell-Galina Seliounina, Houston, 6-4, 6-2; Anousjka Van Exel-Jennifer DeSpain, Tulsa, def. Monique Allegre-Lindsay Blau, Arizona, 6-4, 7-5; Karen Goldstein-Vanessa Webb, Duke, def. Kristy Dascoli-Briana Harris, Ohio St., 1-6, 6-4, 7-6 (3).

Second round: Castellano-Catlin, Georgia, def. Ondrejkova-Puflerova, South Ala., 6-0, 6-1; Dasso-Hall, Notre Dame, def. Smashey-Sureephong, Texas, 7-5, 6-4; Lehnhoff-Nickitas, Florida, def. Toro-Tsaggaris, William & Mary, 6-1, 6-4; Lesenarova-Valkyova, San Diego, def. Bradshaw-Propstra, Arizona St., 6-1, 6-4; Lawrence-Senoglu, Pepperdine, def. Hazlett-Laiho, Florida, 6-1, 6-4; Augustus-Jensen, California, def. Neykova-Wiegler, Iowa, 6-1, 6-4; Basica-Cooper, UCLA, def. Friganovic-Shortall, New Mexico, 6-2, 7-5; Goldstein-Webb, Duke, def. Van Exel-DeSpain, Tulsa, default.

Quarterfinals: Castellano-Catlin, Georgia, def. Dasso-Hall, Notre Dame, 6-3, 6-4; Lesenarova-Valkyova, San Diego, def. Lehnhoff-Nickitas, 6-1, 6-4; Augustus-Jensen, California, def. Lawrence-Senoglu, Pepperdine, 7-6 (10), 6-2; Goldstein-Webb, Duke, def. Basica-Cooper, UCLA, 6-1, 6-2.

Semifinals: Castellano-Catlin, Georgia, def. Lesenarova-Valkyova, San Diego, 6-1, 6-2; Augustus-Jensen, California, def. Goldstein-Webb, Duke, 6-4, 6-1.

Championship: Castellano-Catlin, Georgia, def. Augustus-Jensen, California, 4-6, 7-5, 6-1.