2006 ITA Women's Midwest Regional -- Quotes
10/23/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Michigan Head Coach Amanda Augustus
On Michigan's effort at the regional ... "As a team, I think we played pretty well overall. It was a very good measuring stick for everybody because all of the top teams in the region were there. Given that Northwestern and Notre Dame are both top national teams, it was really good for the new players to see who's out there and gauge their games against them. We've shown a lot of improvement on things we've been working on in practice. I think everyone has improved a lot, but they all still have things they need to work on. I'm encouraged because I feel like the things we have been working on are getting better. After seeing them compete against teams like Northwestern and Notre Dame, I feel like we're heading in the right direction towards our goals."
On whether this tournament will help determine the dual match doubles lineup ... "I think it was a good opportunity to have everyone at the same tournament. It's still a work in progress. Unfortunately Tanvi (Dudhela) wasn't able to play doubles this weekend. So we're still going to look at different combinations. I really don't think by any means that anything is set in stone yet. We still have the Arizona State tournament to play. We're definitely thinking about it though. It's nice to see that the people who have been working hard in practice are getting the results they want. That's what we want to see as coaches."
On the doubles performance of Jenny Kuehn and Chisako Sugiyama ... "I think they played very well, considering they had never played a match together before and only had a limited number of practices together. The team they lost to by just a couple points eventually ended up winning the tournament. They played a very high level of tennis this week and they have the potential to be a top national team. Obviously reaching the semifinals in a regional tournament is a great accomplishment. The title was in their grasp and it will motivate them to keep working hard in practice. I was very happy with the way they played."
On Chisako Sugiyama's accomplishment of reaching the semifinals ... "I'm really proud of her because she's come a long way from where she was at this time last year. She's worked really hard, on and off the court. She has set goals for herself that are definitely attainable. I'm excited to work with her and take her up the ladder in terms of her reaching higher and higher levels in the collegiate game. She's very talented and now she's working a lot harder and believing in her self more and more. The sky's the limit with what she can accomplish in college."
U-M Sophomore Chisako Sugiyama
On the accomplishment of reaching the singles and doubles semifinals ... "I think it's a really good accomplishment. Considering how I did last year, I think I took it up a few levels and played a lot better overall. There were some shaky parts at times, but there were also a lot of times where I played pretty solid across the board."
On the keys to her success this week ... "I think it had a lot to do with the conditioning and the practices we've been having. All of the running and conditioning is really serving our entire team well in the long run. We're in great shape. We're not getting as tired or as sore; we're not going to the training room, etc. It's the little things that we do that are making a huge difference. Those are the differences between a top 10 school and a top 40 school. Everyone is playing very well and we all know what we have to improve on. We all see the positives but also see what we need to work on."
On what worked well while playing with Jenny Kuehn ... "I think it was the combination of her being able to set up the point for me to finish at the net, and vice versa. At this time last year, I was more of the setter while my partner was the finisher. Jenny is an experienced doubles player and she is an NCAA All-American, so she knows what needs to be done."
Players Mentioned
