Weekly Release #15
5/8/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Upcoming Schedule Wolverines Return to NCAA Championship Scouting the Opponents Michigan at the NCAA Championship The Wolverines have made an appearance in the Top 25 for nine weeks during the 2007 season, highlighted by a No. 21 listing on Feb. 6.
Sat-Sun., May 12-13 -- at NCAA Regional Championship (South Bend, Ind.)
May 12 -- Illinois-Chicago vs. Notre Dame, 9 a.m.
May 12 -- Colorado vs. Michigan, Noon
May 13 -- Illinois-Chicago/Notre Dame winner vs. Colorado/Michigan winner, Noon
Fri-Tue., May 18-22 -- at NCAA Team Championship (Athens, Ga.)
The No. 23-ranked University of Michigan women's tennis team (16-7) earned its sixth consecutive bid to the 64-team field of the NCAA Division I Women's Tennis Championship, announced last Tuesday (May 1). Michigan, the No. 2 seed, begins its quest for a national title at the NCAA Regional Championship (May 12-13) in South Bend, Ind., and will meet No. 3 seed Colorado in the first round on Saturday (May 12, Noon) at the Courtney Tennis Center. With a victory against the Buffaloes, the Wolverines would face the winner of host and No. 1 seed Notre Dame and No. 4 seed Illinois-Chicago on Sunday (May 13, Noon) for a trip to the 16-team NCAA Championship on May 18-22 at the University of Georgia's Dan Magill Tennis Complex. Complete coverage of the 2007 NCAA Championships can be found at www.ncaasports.com.
Scoring Updates
Match-by-match results will be regularly updated on Notre Dame's official website throughout each dual match of the NCAA Regional Championship.
Colorado -- The No. 37-ranked Buffaloes (16-7) enter the NCAA Championship having won six of seven matches, with their only loss coming at the hands of Oklahoma State in the Big 12 Conference Championship quarterfinals on April 27. Colorado sports a pair of 25-match winners in sophomore Monica Milewski (25-10) and junior Gleisy Torres Torres (25-8). Milewski, who is ranked No. 38 nationally after posting a 16-7 dual match record at No.1, has teamed with classmate Franziska Jendrian for a team-best 18-7 overall doubles record (16-6 dual match mark at Nos. 1 and 2). Head coach Nicole Kenneally is in her eighth season at Colorado and holds a career record of 91-87 at the school. The Buffaloes return six letterwinners from last year's team, which finished at 10-10 overall and 4-7 in the Big 12 (tie for eighth place). The Wolverines own a 2-0 all-time record against Colorado. The two programs last met in the first round of the 2003 NCAA Championship in Palo Alto, Calif., where U-M earned a 4-0 victory (May 9). It was Michigan's first NCAA Championship win since 1997. Colorado on the Internet: www.cubuffs.com.
Notre Dame -- The No. 7-ranked Fighting Irish (25-3), the No. 6 overall seed in the NCAA Championship, are making their 12th straight NCAA appearance. Notre Dame earned a runner-up finish in the BIG EAST Conference Championship after being upset by South Florida by a 4-3 margin in the title match on April 22. UND's only other losses came at the hands of Georgia Tech (4-2) in the finals of the USTA/ITA National Team Indoor Championship on Feb. 4, and a road loss to Northwestern (5-2) on April 13. The Irish feature three players in the national singles rankings, led by senior Catrina Thompson at No. 30 and freshman Cosmina Ciobanu at No. 69. Thompson has gone 20-7 at No. 1, while Cosmina has posted an impressive mark of 24-1 at Nos. 3-5. Thompson and twin sister Christian are ranked 12th nationally; the pair has tallied a 20-5 dual match record at No. 1. Head coach Jay Louderback is in his 17th season at Notre Dame and holds a career record of 334-151 at the school. UND leads the all-time series with Michigan by an 18-8 margin and posted a 6-1 victory in South Bend on Feb. 14. The Irish won both meetings last season, earning a 6-1 win in Ann Arbor on Feb. 15, 2006 before posting a 4-0 triumph in the second round of the NCAA Championship in South Bend on May 13, 2006. Notre Dame on the Internet: www.und.com.
Illinois-Chicago -- The Flames (15-7) earned the Horizon League's automatic bid into the NCAA Championship after knocking off Butler by a 4-3 margin in the championship match of the conference tournament on April 29. Illinois-Chicago has won the last 11 Horizon League Championship titles. UIC opened the season with five straight losses but has won 15 of its last 17 matches. Head coach Shannon Tully is in her sixth season at Illinois-Chicago and holds a career record of 91-45 at the school. The Flames return three letterwinners from last year's team, which finished at 13-11 overall, won its 10th Horizon League title and made its eighth straight NCAA appearance. Michigan has not surrendered a set in two previous meetings with UIC, earning 7-0 sweeps on Feb. 9, 2002, and Jan. 17, 2003. Illinois-Chicago on the Internet: www.UICFlames.com.
The Wolverines are making their sixth consecutive appearance at the NCAA Championship and ninth overall. Michigan split two matches at the 1996 tournament, beating Indiana (5-4) before losing to Northwestern (5-0) in the regional semifinal. The Wolverines returned to the championship after winning the 1997 Big Ten title and advanced to the 16-team field by winning three matches at the Southeast Regional -- 5-0 vs. Central Florida, 5-3 against Miami (Fla.) and 5-4 vs. South Alabama. U-M lost 5-0 to NCAA runner-up Florida in the round of 16. Michigan suffered first-round losses against Wisconsin (5-2) in 1998 and Georgia Tech (4-2) in 2002. Michigan earned NCAA first-round victories three of the past four years, defeating Colorado (4-0) in 2003, Denver (4-1) in 2004, and Nebraska (4-3) in 2006. The Maize and Blue hold a combined record of 7-8 in nine NCAA Championships.
U-M at the 2006 NCAA Championship
The Wolverines opened their fifth straight appearance at the NCAA Championship with a thrilling 4-3 victory over Nebraska to advance to the second round for the third time in four years. Trailing 3-2 and needing wins in the final two matches to advance, Michigan's steady combination of youth and experience propelled the Maize and Blue to the win. Then freshman Lindsey Howard (Richmond, Va./Mills E. Godwin HS) outlasted Ewelina Skaza by a score of 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 at No. 6 to keep U-M alive, while then senior Debra Streifler (2003-06) was able to finish off Vanessa Heute in a tiebreaker at No. 4, 6-3, 6-7(4), 7-6(4), to clinch the match.
The second round match against then No. 2-ranked Notre Dame saw the Wolverines fall just a few games shy of becoming the first team to win a doubles point against the Fighting Irish, and UND went on to claim straight-set victories in the first three singles matches completed to advance to the Sweet Sixteen.
Last Weekend: U-M Falls to Northwestern in Big Ten Title Match
Michigan dropped a 4-0 decision to No. 1 seed Northwestern in the Big Ten Conference Championship title match (April 29) at the Baseline Tennis Center in Minneapolis, Minn., marking the third straight year that the Wildcats defeated the Wolverines in the finals of the conference tournament. Northwestern lived up to its No. 5 national ranking, taking the doubles point and the first three singles matches completed against No. 3 seed Michigan to clinch its league record-tying ninth straight conference tournament crown.
The Wolverines advanced to the title match by earning a hard-fought 4-2 semifinal victory over Indiana on April 28. The Maize and Blue avenged its 5-2 regular-season finale loss to the Hoosiers (April 22) by claiming the doubles point and posting singles wins at Nos. 2-4.
Piling Up W's
Holding a 16-7 record entering the NCAA Regional Championship, two wins this weekend would not only give Michigan its first NCAA Team Championship berth since 1997, it would give the Wolverines their highest win total in 10 years. The 1997 squad posted a program-best 21-5 record. The Maize and Blue have recorded at least 14 wins in six straight seasons.
Home Cooking
Michigan had another spectacular campaign at the Varsity Tennis Center, finishing the regular season with a home record of 8-2. The Wolverines hold a combined record of 75-35 (.682) in 10 seasons at the facility. U-M has posted an 8-2 home record in each of the last three seasons.
Doubles Dominance
After dropping the doubles point in their first eight matches of the season, the Wolverines have won the first team point in 12 of their last 15 outings. Michigan, which has surrendered just two doubles points since March 16, has earned doubles sweeps against four of its last seven opponents.
Delicata Looks to Finish Career on High Note
Senior Kara Delicata (LaSalle, Ontario/Sandwich Secondary School) has been a valuable contributor to the singles lineup in her final dual match season. After splitting her first six matches to start the dual match campaign, Delicata has reeled off wins in 14 of her last 17 outings. Thirteen of her 17 dual match wins (17-6) have come in straight sets, and she secured her first 20-win campaign (22-11) with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Ohio State's Christina Keesey at No. 3 on April 21. Delicata's 6-1, 6-3 triumph over Wisconsin's Chelsea Nusslock on March 11 gave her 50 singles wins for her career, while her win at No. 2 doubles against Alabama on March 17 put her at 80 for her career. One more doubles win this weekend would put her at 90 for her career (89-52).
Sugiyama Continues to Shine
Sophomore Chisako Sugiyama (Parsippany, N.J./The Montclair Kimberley Academy) has shown no signs of slowing down since her arrival on campus in 2005. After a 7-5, 7-6(5) win over Purdue's Mallory Voelker at No.1 on April 7, Sugiyama became the first Wolverine this year to reach 25 overall singles wins. She holds a team-best mark of 29-6 and needs just six more wins to set a new single-season record for the program (she currently sits in a tie for third place).
Sugiyama has won 17 of 20 completed dual matches at Nos. 1 and 2 this season with all but five of those victories coming in straight sets. She has won 12 straight matches dating back to March 10, and has been victorious in 20 of her 23 matches in the calendar year. Sugiyama has been nearly flawless against opponents from the Midwest Region in 2006-07 at 18-1. She was the only Wolverine to finish the Big Ten Conference regular season with a perfect record of 10-0, which moved her career conference record to a remarkable 19-1.
Sugiyama's spectacular individual tournament season included singles titles at the Wolverine (Sept. 29-Oct. 1) and Michigan (Jan. 12-14) invitationals, as well as a trip to the semifinals at the Wilson/ITA Midwest Regional Championships on Oct. 20-24. Sugiyama's strong play this year has propelled her into first place on U-M's all-time singles winning percentage list at .771 (54-16).
Sugiyama compiled a team-best 27-10 singles record as a freshman in 2005-06, including a 9-1 mark in Big Ten play. Her 27 victories tie her for fourth place on Michigan's all-time single-season wins list, and she became the 15th freshman in school history to gain at least 20 victories in a season. Sugiyama also posted a team-best 24-10 overall doubles mark in her first season.
Mahtani Stellar in Singles
Freshman Tania Mahtani (Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif./Palos Verdes Peninsula HS) continues to prove that she is one of the Big Ten Conference's brightest young players. She finished her first dual match season with an impressive record of 16-4, suffering just one loss against her 10 conference opponents. Mahtani stands at 27-11 overall, making her the 16th freshman in program history to reach at least 20 overall singles wins in a singles season. She has been victorious in 14 of her last 16 outings, and 12 of her 18 dual match victories have come in straight sets. Mahtani's most important win in 2007 came on March 16, as her 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 triumph over Western's Michigan's Noriko Saruta at No. 4 clinched a 4-3 team win for the Maize and Blue. She has been victorious in 21 of 26 matches in the calendar year and has recorded five match-clinching wins during the dual match season.
Kuehn Putting Finishing Touches on Fabulous Career
Graduate senior Jenny Kuehn (Leipzig, Germany/Sportgymnasium Leipzig) has provided leadership at the top of the singles and doubles lineups in the latter stages of the season. She has won 11 of her last 12 completed singles matches at the top two positions, including 10 straight dating back to March 17. Kuehn has surrendered just one set during her 10-match winning streak. She posted a strong 9-1 mark in the Big Ten Conference, and she reached her third 20-win season with a 6-2, 6-3 decision over Indiana's Laura McGaffigan in the Big Ten Championship semifinals on April 28. Kuehn has been just as dependable in doubles, compiling a team-best overall mark of 24-13, including 14 dual match wins at the top spot.
Exon Finishing Strong
Senior Elizabeth Exon (Irvine, Calif./Woodbridge HS) is returning to true form just in time for the postseason. After starting the dual match season 1-7, Exon has picked up straight-set victories in eight of her last 13 matches completed dating back to March 10. She is on pace to finish in the top five on Michigan's all-time singles wins list, with one victory this weekend moving her into a tie for fifth place (82) with Elizabeth Cyganiak (1992-95).
Dudhela Making Strides in Dual Match Play
After dropping two of her first three career dual matches, freshman Tanvi Dudhela (San Jose, Calif./Archbishop Mitty HS) has reeled off straight-set victories in three of her last five outings at No. 6. Dudhela's most recent win -- a 6-2, 6-2 triumph over Michigan State's Christine Milliken on April 15 -- moved her overall record to 11-11. She holds an impressive 9-4 mark against Midwest Region opponents. Dudhela picked the perfect time to record her first career dual match singles victory. With Michigan and Western Michigan tied at 2-2 on March 16, Dudhela stepped up and completed a 7-6(1), 6-2 win over Emily Dudzik at No. 6 to give the Wolverines their first lead of the match. She has been in the singles lineup in eight of U-M's last 15 matches.
A Perfect Pair
Graduate senior Jenny Kuehn and sophomore Chisako Sugiyama have proven to be Michigan's most reliable doubles team in 2006-07. The pair has won 17 of 19 matches overall, including a stellar 12-3 dual match mark at No. 1. Kuehn and Sugiyama have surrendered just a combined total of 27 games in their 12 dual match victories, including a pair of shutout wins over Marquette (March 10) and Western Michigan (March 16).
Experience and Youth: What a Combo
Senior Kara Delicata and freshman Tania Mahtani continue to be a formidable tandem at the No. 2 doubles position, claiming wins in 11 of 13 dual matches. The pair has dropped just one of its last 10 matches completed, and they were the only U-M team to finish the regular season with a perfect Big Ten Conference record (9-0).
Howard and Shafner Providing Depth in Doubles
Junior Allie Shafner (Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek HS) and sophomore Lindsey Howard have played a key role in Michigan's recent doubles success, posting a 6-2 record at the No. 3 position since March 30. The pair's most dominating win came on April 8, when it earned an 8-0 shutout over Michigan State's Marianne Eelens and Christine Milliken.
Kuehn Approaching 100/100 Club
Graduate senior Jenny Kuehn needs just three singles victories to reach the 100/100 club for her collegiate career. Kuehn's 8-0 win with sophomore Chisako Sugiyama over Marquette's Shannon Brown and Lauren Little on March 10 put her at 100 victories for her doubles career. Kuehn, who played her first three years of collegiate tennis at Tulane University, holds remarkable career records of 97-37 (.724) in singles and 111-34 in (.766) in doubles.
The Wolverine Seniors
Michigan's true senior class of Kara Delicata and Elizabeth Exon will look to guide the Wolverines one step further in its final season at Michigan. Delicata, who was named to the All-Big Ten Conference team for the first time last season, is the most experienced doubles player for Michigan. She holds a career record of 89-52 overall and a 51-28 dual match mark at the top doubles position. Delicata is a two-time NCAA doubles qualifier (2004-05) and has consistently been ranked among the nation's top doubles players during her first three seasons at Michigan. Exon, a two-time All-Big Ten selection (2004, '06) and 2007 team co-captain, is the most accomplished singles player returning for the Wolverines as she holds a career record of 81-61 overall and 51-38 in dual match play. The 2004 ITA Midwest Rookie of the Year, Exon moved into sixth place on Michigan's career singles wins chart (81) after earning a 7-6(3), 6-0 victory over Ohio State's Caitlin O'Keefe last Saturday (April 21).
Graduate senior Jenny Kuehn joined Michigan after playing her first three years of collegiate tennis at Tulane University. Kuehn, who holds remarkable career records of 97-37 in singles and 111-34 in doubles, was a 2003 All-American after claiming the doubles crown at the ITA National Indoor Championship in the fall of 2002. She was also named the Conference USA's Player of the Year twice (2003-04) and Freshman of the Year (2003) during her illustrious career at Tulane.
The Lone U-M Junior
Junior Allie Shafner, who is serving as a team captain for the first time in her career, entered her third dual match season on a high note after posting career-best numbers in singles (14) and doubles (21) wins as a sophomore in 2005-06. Shafner and Chisako Sugiyama proved to be one of the most reliable doubles teams for U-M last year as the pair finished the dual match season at 11-5 at Nos. 2 and 3 (7-3 in the Big Ten).
Sophomore Class Making an Impact
Michigan's sophomore class of Lindsey Howard and Chisako Sugiyama has already accomplished great things on the court in a short time in Ann Arbor. Sugiyama led the team in both singles (27) and doubles (24) victories as a freshman, with the 27 singles victories tying her for fourth place on U-M's all-time single-season wins list. She is already listed in first place on the Wolverines' career winning percentage list (minimum of 40 matches played) at .778 (56-16). Sugiyama is a two-time Wolverine Invitational singles champion; she advanced to the singles semifinal at the Wilson/ITA Midwest Regional Championships this past fall on Oct. 19-24.
Howard, who did not compete in the fall while recovering from right shoulder surgery, went 12-12 in singles and 18-12 in doubles during her freshman year in 2005-06. Howard and Nina Yaftali (2005-06) went an impressive 16-8 in dual match play at Nos. 2 and 3 doubles. Howard also went 8-5 at the No. 6 singles position; her biggest victory came against Nebraska (May 12, 2006) in the first round of the NCAA Championship to help Michigan clinch a 4-3 comeback triumph.
Welcome to Ann Arbor
Michigan welcomed freshmen Tanvi Dudhela and Tania Mahtani to the 2006-07 roster. Dudhela was ranked as high as No. 2 in the USTA Northern California section for Girls' 18's and was the West Catholic Athletic League and Central Coast Section CIF singles champion as a junior at Archbishop Mitty High School. Mahtani, who finished as the singles runner-up at this past fall's Wolverine Invitational on Sept. 29-Oct. 1, 2006, was ranked as high as No. 23 in the nation for Girls' 18's. Mahtani attended Palos Verdes Peninsula High School, the same high school from which U-M head coach Amanda Augustus graduated. Mahtani guided her team to the California Interscholastic Federation Division I championship as sophomore.
Exon and Shafner Elected Team Co-Captains for 2007
Head coach Amanda Augustus announced that senior Elizabeth Exon and junior Allie Shafner were voted as co-captains by their teammates to lead the Wolverines in 2007. Both student-athletes are carrying the honor for the first time in their careers.
Michigan Team, Kuehn, Sugiyama in ITA National Rankings
After earning a runner-up finish at the Big Ten Conference Championship, Michigan jumped three spots to No. 23 in the 15th edition of the Fila Collegiate Tennis Rankings, administered by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Monday (April 30). The Wolverines, who ended last season with a final national ranking of No. 28, are the second Big Ten team in the poll behind No. 5 Northwestern. Defending national champion Stanford occupies the top spot. Michigan has been tested from start to finish this season, as 11 of its 20 regular-season opponents were listed in the first national rankings.
Graduate senior Jenny Kuehn and sophomore Chisako Sugiyama represent the Maize and Blue in the national singles rankings, listing No. 86 and No. 91, respectively.
Michigan's Week-by-Week National Ranking
Date Rank January 9 No. 29 January 30 No. 22 February 6 No. 21 February 13 No. 23 February 21 No. 24 February 27 No. 25 March 6 No. 31 March 13 No. 35 March 20 No. 30 March 27 No. 35 April 3 No. 23 April 10 No. 25 April 17 No. 25 April 24 No. 26 April 30 No. 23
Wolverine Trio Earn Fall Regional Rankings
Three Michigan student-athletes were awarded with regional rankings at the conclusion of the 2006 fall season. Sophomore Chisako Sugiyama is the top Wolverine in the Midwest Region singles rankings at No. 8 after going 9-3 during the fall and claiming the 32-player crown at the Wolverine Invitational on Sept. 29-Oct. 1, 2006. Sugiyama also reached the semifinals in the 64-player main draw at the Wilson/ITA Midwest Regional Championships on Oct. 19-24, 2006. Graduate senior Jenny Kuehn, who is listed at No. 16, competed in qualifying at the Riviera/ITA All-American Championships on Sept. 30-Oct. 8, 2006 and finished the fall at 4-4. Kuehn and senior Kara Delicata are the lone U-M doubles team in the regional rankings (No. 7) after participating in qualifying at the Riviera/ITA All-American Championships and recording a 2-2 mark during the fall.
2006-07 Tournament Season Review
Michigan began the 2006 fall season on a bright note, as the Maize and Blue won 20 of 30 matches and placed two players in the championship final of the 32-player singles draw at the Wolverine Invitational on Sept. 29-Oct. 1. Sophomore Chisako Sugiyama claimed a singles title at the tournament for the second straight year, as she defeated freshman teammate Tania Mahtani by a score of 6-3, 6-1 in the championship match.
Sugiyama led the Wolverines once again at the Wilson/ITA Midwest Regional Championships on Oct. 19-24, as she won four straight matches en route to a semifinal finish in 64-player main singles draw and teamed with senior Jenny Kuehn to reach the semifinal round in the 64-team doubles competition.
Sugiyama's performance marked Michigan's best singles finish at the regional tournament since 1998, when Danielle Lund (1997-2000) reached the championship match. Sugiyama and Kuehn's finish marked Michigan's second appearance in the regional doubles semifinals in three years, with then sophomore Kara Delicata and Michelle DaCosta (2002-05) reaching the semifinals in 2004.
The Wolverines wrapped up the fall season at the Thunderbird Invitational on Nov. 3-5, led by Mahtani's quarterfinal berth in the 32-player main singles draw.
Michigan concluded the tournament portion of its 2006-07 schedule, hosting Denver, Duke and Louisiana State at the Michigan Invitational on Jan. 12-14. The Wolverines earned overall records of 13-8 in singles and 4-5 in doubles during the three-day event.
Sugiyama carried her spectacular play in the fall over to the new year as she was one of two Wolverines to go undefeated in three singles matches at the tournament. She was named the Michigan Invitational singles champion based on the event's point system. Also finishing the weekend with an unblemished singles record was Mahtani.
Kuehn and junior Allie Shafner both went undefeated in doubles play and paired together for a perfect 2-0 mark. The highlight in doubles saw the Wolverine tandem upset Duke's 29th-ranked tandem of Melissa Mang and Jessi Robinson by a score of 8-3.
The Leader of the Wolverines
Head coach Amanda Augustus is in her first season at the helm of the U-M women's tennis program. Augustus served as U-M's assistant coach last season under Bitsy Ritt, who retired from coaching after 22 seasons to take an associate athletic director role at U-M.
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. During her junior campaign, Augustus advanced to the quarterfinal round at the NCAA Singles Championship. She was named to the All-Pac-10 Conference team all four years and achieved career-high national rankings of No. 1 in doubles and No. 4 in singles by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. Augustus served as a team captain for three seasons, leading Cal to NCAA Championship appearances each year. As a senior, Augustus guided the Bears to the NCAA semifinals and a program-best No. 4 final ITA ranking.
Augustus captured 20 professional titles during her stint on the WTA circuit 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.
Ashley Joins Coaching Staff in 2006-07
Teryn Ashley is in her first season as an assistant coach with the Michigan women's tennis program. Ashley arrives at U-M after a successful professional playing career on the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) Tour.
Ashley was a three-time NCAA All-American and four-time All-Pac-10 Conference selection during her career at Stanford University (1997-2000). A member of the Cardinal's 1997 and 1999 NCAA championship teams, Ashley served as a team captain during her junior and senior seasons. She was ranked as high as No. 4 in singles and No. 1 in doubles during her career and is listed in a tie for 10th place on the school's all-time dual match singles wins list (84-17). Ashley earned the Pac-10's indoor singles championship in 1999 and indoor doubles crown in 2000.
Following her illustrious collegiate career, Ashley enjoyed a five-year stint on the WTA Tour from 2001-06. Ashley captured the doubles title at the 2003 ASB Bank Championships in addition to four singles titles and 13 doubles crowns on the International Tennis Federation (ITF) circuit. She holds career records of 118-103 in singles and 145-68 in doubles as a professional, and has achieved career-high world rankings of No. 95 in singles (7/5/04) and No. 59 in doubles (10/27/03). Ashley competed in the main draw at all four Grand Slam events during her career, reaching the second round in singles at the 2004 Wimbledon Championships.
Michigan Inks Four Standout Recruits for 2007-08
The Michigan women's tennis program announced the Dec. 4, 2006, signing of Denise Muresan (Lincolnshire, Ill./Adlai E. Stevenson HS), Rika Tatsuno (Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif./Palos Verdes Peninsula HS), Whitney Taney (Edina, Minn./Edina HS) and Kari Wig (Cochrane, Alberta/Cochrane HS) to National Letters of Intent to attend U-M and play for the Wolverines in the 2007-08 season. The four signings make up Amanda Augustus' first recruiting class as head coach at Michigan. NLI Release
2007-08 Recruiting Class Ranked No. 6 Nationally
Head coach Amanda Augustus' first recruiting class was ranked No. 6 in the nation by www.TennisRecruiting.net (through Jan. 15). Michigan is the top Big Ten Conference school in the poll.
2005-06 Season Review
The Wolverines finished the 2006 dual match season with a 17-8 overall record and a third-place finish in the Big Ten Conference at 8-2. The 17-win season tied for the most victories since the 1997 campaign, while U-M's record of 8-2 in league play was its best since the Wolverines claimed their first and only conference crown with an undefeated mark of 10-0 in 1997.
The Maize and Blue closed the regular season by winning five straight matches, and then posted victories over Wisconsin (4-1) and Iowa (4-3) en route to its second consecutive trip to the Big Ten Championship final. Despite a 4-2 loss to Northwestern in the title match, the Wolverines were still awarded with their fifth straight bid to the NCAA Championship.
After a thrilling 4-3 comeback triumph over Nebraska in the first round, Michigan's season ended with a 4-0 defeat to No. 2-ranked host Notre Dame. It marked the final career match for 22-year head coach Bitsy Ritt.
U-M ended the year ranked No. 28 nationally and No. 3 regionally. Kara Delicata and Debra Streifler (2003-06) finished the year ranked No. 25 in the national doubles poll after going 15-4 overall and a perfect 10-0 in the Big Ten at the No. 1 position. Delicata and Elizabeth Exon were named to the All-Big Ten team at the conclusion of the season.
Four Wolverines were named to the Academic All-Big Ten team in 2005-06, while Streifler and Lindsey Howard were named ITA Scholar-Athletes for the first time in their careers. Streifler also garnered the ITA's Cissie Leary Sportsmanship Award for the Midwest Region.
On the Horizon ...
The Wolverines hope to advance to next weekend's (May 18-22) NCAA Team Championship, to be held at the University of Georgia's Dan Magill Tennis Complex in Athens, Ga.
Contact: Marc Ressler (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
