Weekly Release #14
4/25/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Upcoming Schedule
Thu-Sun., April 27-30 -- at Big Ten Championship (Champaign, Ill.)
April 28 -- Quarterfinals vs. #6 seed Michigan State or #11 seed Wisconsin, 2 p.m. CDT
April 29 -- Semifinals, 2 p.m. CDT
April 30 -- Championship Match, Noon CDT
Michigan Heads to Big Ten Championship
The No. 31 University of Michigan women's tennis team (14-6, 8-2 Big Ten) will travel to Champaign, Ill., this week for the 2006 Big Ten Conference Championship hosted by the University of Illinois. The four-day team tournament held at the Atkins Tennis Center and the Illini Grove Tennis Courts begins Thursday (April 27) and concludes with the championship match on Sunday (April 30).
Championship Information
All tournament information, including schedules, results, driving directions, hotel and parking information, etc., can be found at Illinois' official athletic website.
Wolverines Enter Weekend as No. 3 Seed
U-M enters the 2006 Big Ten Championship as the No. 3 seed after finishing the Big Ten dual match season with a record of 8-2, including victories in its final five matches. The Wolverines will meet the winner between No. 6 seed Michigan State and No. 11 seed in the quarterfinals on Friday (April 28, 2 p.m. CDT) at the Illini Grove Tennis Courts. Should Michigan advance, it will face the winner between No. 2 seed Iowa and either No. 7 seed Ohio State or No. 10 seed Illinois in the semifinals on Saturday (April 29, 2 p.m. CDT) at the Atkins Tennis Center. The championship match will take place on Sunday (April 30, Noon CDT) at the Atkins Tennis Center.
Final 2006 Big Ten Standings
PLACE, TEAM BIG TEN 1. Northwestern 10-0 2. Iowa 9-1 3. MICHIGAN 8-2 4. Indiana 7-3 5. Purdue 6-4 6. Michigan State 4-6 7. Ohio State 3-7 8. Penn State 2-8 Minnesota 2-8 Illinois 2-8 Wisconsin 2-8
Scouting the Quarterfinal Opponents
Michigan State -- The No. 6 seed Spartans (14-9, 4-6 Big Ten) enter the Big Ten Championship after earning victories in three of their final four matches of the regular season, including a 5-2 home win over Penn State in their last outing (April 23). Michigan State is led by sophomore Christine Bader, who holds a 13-10 record at the top singles position and a 10-13 mark at No. 1 doubles with junior Sarah Andrews. Michigan State returns five letterwinners from last year's team, which finished at 11-12 overall and 1-10 in the Big Ten. Head coach Tim Bauer is in his eighth season at MSU and holds a career record of 60-92 at the school. Michigan holds a 35-16 lead in the all-time series with the Spartans, and the Wolverines have won five straight matches dating back to the 2003 season. U-M earned a 4-1 victory over the host Spartans in the first round of last year's Big Ten Championship in East Lansing, Mich. (April 28, 2005). Michigan State on the Internet: www.msuspartans.com.
This Season Against Michigan State -- Michigan opened its Big Ten schedule with a 5-2 victory over Michigan State on March 22 at the MSU Indoor Tennis Facility in East Lansing, Mich. The Wolverines earned a doubles sweep and victories at the bottom four singles positions en route to their fifth straight triumph over the Spartans. Michigan's win, coupled with the U-M men's tennis team's 7-0 victory over MSU on March 17, gave the Wolverines a 1-0 lead in the Challenge Cup spring standings.
Wisconsin -- The No. 11 seed Badgers (5-17, 2-8 Big Ten) have won just two of their last 15 matches but head into the Big Ten Championship on a winning note after picking up a 5-2 home victory over Ohio State in their regular-season finale (April 22). Wisconsin is led by junior Caitlin Burke, who is listed at No. 34 in the national singles rankings and teams with classmate Nicole Beck for a No. 39 national ranking in doubles. Wisconsin returns five letterwinners from last year's team, which finished at 15-9 overall (6-4 Big Ten) and reached the first round of the NCAA Championship. Head coach Patti Henderson is in her 12th season at UW and has compiled a career record of 161-139 at the school. The Badgers hold a 22-16 lead in the all-time series with Michigan and have won five of the last eight meetings dating back to the 2001 season. Wisconsin on the Internet: www.uwbadgers.com.
This Season Against Wisconsin -- Michigan improved to 2-0 in the Big Ten with a 7-0 rout of Wisconsin on March 25 at the Varsity Tennis Center. The Wolverines did not give up a single set in the nine matches contested, as U-M defeated the Badgers for the sixth time in the last eight meetings and gave head coach Bitsy Ritt the win in her final regular season matchup against her alma mater.
Wolverines' Big Ten Championship History
Michigan looks to collect its second conference championship and first since the 1997 tournament. Indiana has earned a league-best 13 team titles, including nine straight from 1987-1995. Northwestern has dominated the Big Ten as of late, as the Wildcats have claimed the last seven crowns (1999-2005).
Big Ten Conference Women's Tennis Team Titles
| School | Titles |
| Indiana | 13 |
| Northwestern | 8 |
| Michigan | 1 |
| Wisconsin | 1 |
2005 Big Ten Championship Recap
Michigan earned a runner-up finish at the 2005 Big Ten Conference Championship, held April 28-May 1 in East Lansing, Mich. After a first-round victory over host Michigan State (4-1), the seventh-seeded Wolverines knocked off No. 2 seed Indiana (4-2) and No. 3 seed Iowa (4-3) to advance to the final. U-M lost 4-1 to top seed Northwestern in the championship match, marking the seventh straight season that the Wildcats have earned the conference crown. It was the first time since 1998 that Michigan reached the championship match of the Big Ten Championship.
Michigan Closes Out Regular Season in Winning Fashion
Michigan is riding a wave of momentum into the Big Ten Championship after posting a pair of 5-2 home victories over Penn State and Indiana last weekend (April 22-23) at the Varsity Tennis Center, which extended its winning streak to five matches.
On Saturday (April 22) against the Nittany Lions, the Wolverines captured their sixth straight doubles point and followed with wins on four of six singles courts to remain near the top of the Big Ten Conference standings. With the win, U-M improves its all-time record against PSU to 17-3.
Michigan sent head coach Bitsy Ritt and graduating seniors Debra Streifler (Highland Park, Ill./Highland Park HS) and Nina Yaftali (Westlake Village, Calif./Westlake HS) away from the Varsity Tennis Center with a thrilling victory over the Hoosiers on Sunday (April 23). With the win, the Wolverines secured third place in the Big Ten standings at 8-2.
Publication Ranks U-M Among Top Tennis Schools
SMASH - a cutting-edge tennis lifestyle magazine for teens from the publishers of Tennis Magazine - has listed Michigan as the 17th best Division I school for women's tennis. The rankings are based on colleges' academic rankings (from U.S. News & World Report's America's Best Colleges) and their average year-end tennis rankings over the last five seasons. Michigan is the top Big Ten school behind Northwestern (No. 3), while Stanford takes top honors. For a complete list of the rankings: www.smashtennis.com.
Delicata and Streifler Complete Undefeated Big Ten Season
Michigan's No. 1 doubles tandem of senior Debra Streifler and junior Kara Delicata (LaSalle, Ontario/Sandwich Secondary School) proved that they were the best team in the Big Ten during the regular season, as their 8-6 triumph over Indiana's Sarah Batty and Laura McGaffigan last Sunday (April 23) secured an undefeated record at 10-0. The Wolverine duo has been unbeatable as of late, claiming victory in 13 of its last 14 matches. The pair's perfect record in the Big Ten included a 9-8(3) upset over Northwestern's then No. 7-ranked Cristelle Grier and Alexis Prousis on March 26. They are 13-2 in dual match play and hold an unblemished record against Midwest regional opponents (11-0).
Exon Making Late Season Charge
Junior Elizabeth Exon's (Irvine, Calif./Woodbridge HS) 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 triumph over Indiana's Laura McGaffigan (April 23) was her ninth win in the last 11 matches. Exon has gone 7-1 since moving up to the No. 2 singles position and needs just three victories to reach her third straight season with at least 20 wins. She will be gunning for her sixth straight victory this Friday (April 28).
Sugiyama Crushing Conference Opposition
Freshman Chisako Sugiyama (Parsippany, N.J./The Montclair Kimberley Academy) continues to show that she is one of the brightest young players in the Big Ten, as she has notched victories in 11 of her last 12 matches, including nine in straight sets, dating back to March 16. Sugiyama holds team-high totals in overall wins (24), regional victories (15) and conference wins (9). She will try for her eighth straight win this Friday (April 28).
Michigan Jumps to No. 31; Delicata and Streifler Ranked
With its 5-2 victories over Penn State and Indiana to close the regular season, Michigan jumped three spots to No. 31 in the 14th edition of the Fila Collegiate Tennis Rankings, administered by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association on Tuesday, April 25. The Wolverines, who were listed at No. 34 in last week's poll, are the top Big Ten team in the poll behind No. 11 Northwestern and No. 30 Iowa. Defending national champion Stanford occupies the No. 1 spot for the 14th straight week. Michigan was tested from start to finish in the regular season, as 13 of its 20 opponents were listed in the first national rankings.
Senior Debra Streifler and junior Kara Delicata maintained a spot in the national doubles rankings for the third straight week, as they are listed at No.30 after posting wins in 13 of their last 14 matches. They are the top Big Ten doubles team in the national rankings behind Northwestern's No. 10-ranked pair of Cristelle Grier and Alexis Prousis. Delicata and Streifler upset the Wildcat duo, 9-8(3), back on March 26.
Milestone Watch ...
Sophomore Allie Shafner (Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek HS) is two wins shy of 20 for her singles career (18-24).
Senior Debra Streifler's 7-5, 6-3 win over Indiana's Sigrid Fischer last Sunday (April 23) was her 84th career singles victory at Michigan, which puts her alone in fourth place on U-M's all-time singles wins list, while her .700 winning percentage puts her in third place all-time. Streifler, who is 84-36 overall, needs two wins to tie Kalei Beamon (1990-93) for third place.
Senior Debra Streifler's 7-5, 6-3 win over Indiana's Sigrid Fischer last Sunday (April 23) was her 22nd overall singles victory of 2005-06, which surpasses her season-best total of 21 wins achieved in her sophomore and junior seasons. Streifler, who is 22-8 on the year, will finish her career with at least 20 overall singles wins in all four seasons.
Senior Nina Yaftali is nearing the half-century mark for her singles career. Yaftali holds a career record of 48-39, including a 26-20 mark in dual match play.
Senior Nina Yaftali needs one doubles win to reach 20 for the 2005-06 season (19-10). Yaftali is clearly having her best season in doubles, needing just five wins to double her junior total of 12.
Streifler Named Captain for 2006
Head coach Bitsy Ritt announced that senior Debra Streifler will serve as team captain for the 2006 dual match season. It marks the first nomination for Streifler.
Wolverine Trio Earn Fall Regional Rankings
Three Michigan student-athletes were awarded with regional rankings (Dec. 2) at the conclusion of the 2005 fall season. Senior Debra Streifler is the top Wolverine in the Midwest Region singles rankings at No. 17 after going 5-3 during the fall, including her first-ever trip to the Riviera/ITA All-American Championships. Junior Elizabeth Exon, who is listed at No. 19, joined Streifler at the All-American and finished the fall at 2-5. Freshman Chisako Sugiyama earned the No. 26 spot after tallying a 7-4 record in her first fall season, which included a "Blue" singles flight championship at the 2005 Wolverine Invitational (Sept. 30-Oct. 2). Streifler and Sugiyama are the lone U-M doubles team in the regional rankings (No. 12) after recording a 3-0 mark during the fall.
2005 Fall Season Review
Michigan got off to a strong start in the fall thanks to freshman Chisako Sugiyama, who captured the "Blue" singles flight in her first collegiate tournament, the Wolverine Invitational (Sept. 30-Oct. 2). U-M sent four student-athletes to the 2005 Riviera/ITA All-American Championships (Oct. 1-9), but none were able to advance past the qualifying round. Senior Debra Streifler led Michigan's effort at the 2005 Wilson/ITA Midwest Regional Championships, as she reached the round of 16 in the 64-player main singles draw. The Wolverines wrapped up the fall season at the Thunderbird Invitational, led by senior Nina Yaftali's quarterfinal berth in the 32-player main singles draw.
The Leader of the Wolverines
Head coach Bitsy Ritt is in her 22nd season at the helm of the U-M women's tennis program, having compiled a career record of 285-238 (.545) since her appointment in 1984. Ritt has guided the Wolverines to the NCAA Championship seven times in the last 10 seasons, including the NCAA Southeast Championship in 1997. She has instructed 12 NCAA individual qualifiers, three Big Ten Conference Players of the Year and 10 All-Big Ten honorees. Ritt has been named the Big Ten Coach of the Year three times during her career and the ITA Midwest Regional Coach of the Year twice. Her athletes have also succeeded in the classroom, with a total of 27 players having earned 49 Academic All-Big Ten citations during their careers and five student-athletes having received ITA Scholar-Athlete honors.
Augustus Joins Coaching Staff in 2005-06
Amanda Augustus is in her first season as an assistant coach with the Michigan women's tennis program. Prior to her appointment at U-M, Augustus served as head coach of the men's and women's tennis programs at Whittier College (2004-05) following a successful six-year career as a professional player on the WTA circuit.
A former collegiate standout at the University of California from 1996-99, Augustus was a two-time NCAA doubles champion (1998-99) and earned All-America honors in each of her four seasons. Augustus captured 20 professional titles during her stint on the WTA Tour and achieved career-best world rankings of No. 82 in doubles and No. 304 in singles. She competed in the main draw at all four Grand Slam events, most recently the 2004 Wimbledon Championships. She reached the second round in both the French Open and U.S. Open, and was a semifinalist at the Bank of West Classic.
Mahtani Commits to Michigan for 2006-07
The Michigan women's tennis program announced Thursday, Dec. 1, the signing of Tania Mahtani (Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif./Palos Verdes Peninsula HS) to a National Letter of Intent to compete for the Wolverines in 2006-07.
Mahtani is currently listed at No. 45 nationally in the USTA Girl's 18-and-under singles rankings, and she has been ranked as high as No. 30 during her junior career. She also holds a No. 11 sectional ranking in the Southern California Girl's 18s. Mahtani has consistently earned top 30 national rankings in both Girl's 14s and 16s.
2004-05 Season Review
The Wolverines finished the 2005 dual match season with a 14-12 overall record and a runner-up finish in the Big Ten Conference at 9-5. Michigan won five of its last seven dual matches during the regular season before winning three straight matches to advance to the final at the Big Ten Championship. Although the Wolverines fell to Northwestern in the title match, they still earned their fourth straight invitation to the NCAA Championship. Michelle DaCosta (2002-05) and Kara Delicata qualified for the NCAA Doubles Championship for the second consecutive season and fell just shy of earning All-America Status. Five Wolverines were named to the Academic All-Big Ten team in 2004-05 and Elizabeth Exon was named an ITA Scholar-Athlete for the second straight season.
Ritt To Move Into Associate AD Role Following Season
University of Michigan athletics director Bill Martin announced Friday, Jan. 13, that head coach Bitsy Ritt will be the new associate athletic director to oversee 22 Olympic sports, effective June 1. Ritt will remain as the head women's tennis coach through the 2006 dual match season. Ritt will also represent Michigan on the Big Ten Conference Sports Management Council. She will chair the U-M Sports Management Committee and directly supervise women's basketball, women's gymnastics, volleyball, softball and baseball.
On the Horizon ...
The Wolverines will head home to Ann Arbor after the Big Ten Championship and await the selection of the tournament field for the 2006 NCAA Championships (May 12-28). Team selections for the 64-team field will be announced Wednesday (May 3), with participants in the singles and doubles championships revealed the following day.
Contact: Marc Ressler (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
