CSU tennis closes chapter on 2007-08 season

May 9, 2008

FORT COLLINS, Colo. - The Colorado State women's tennis team finished the season with a 9-11 record (2-7 MWC). The Rams finished seventh in the Mountain West Conference regular-season standings and competed in the quarterfinals at the MWC championship.

The Rams captured 95 overall singles wins, their most since winning 104 during the 2004-05 season. The team also surpassed 1,300 dual-match wins, finishing the season at the 1,316 all-time mark. Matching up with some of the toughest competition, from March 28 through April 12, the Rams faced six consecutive ranked opponents and a total of eight during the season.

"To know we were good enough to beat ranked teams and break through, and we didn't, was frustrating," commented Head Coach Jon Messick. "But we're good enough to compete with those teams. The team played well all season, and when we lost, we lost to good teams."

The season featured one of the winningest freshman players in years. A native of Avondale, Ariz., Caitlin Fluegge fired out of the gates, starting the season with an 8-0 singles record. Starting at the No. 6 singles position, Fluegge worked her way up to compete as high as No. 2. She led the team in winning percentage with a .517 mark and tied for most singles wins (16 with Greer Satherlie).

"She had quality wins vs. Iowa and Utah," Messick said. "It was good to see a freshman come in and show she's capable of beating good players. It bodes well for the future since she'll only get better and be able to have an impact."

Sophomore Laura Neal led the team with 11 dual-singles victories, followed by Fluegge's 10 victories in spring play. Neal ended the season with a four-match win streak, including a straight-set win over Kristina Nedeltcheva (UNLV), to whom she had lost to previously.

"It was good to see a player at the top of the lineup finish the season well. It bodes well for the next season."

Hilary Tyler spent her senior year competing at the Nos. 1 and 2 singles positions and solely at No. 1 doubles. After transferring from the University of Iowa to join the Rams in 2006, Tyler quickly arose as a leader for the team. As the only senior, Tyler matched up with the most ranked players of any Rams player, facing six at the No. 1 spot. She won 14 singles matches and 11 doubles matches her senior year, in addition to a team-best 18-11 singles record and 23-2 doubles mark her junior year.

"She was a team leader and a great influence on the team," Messick said. "There is a lot of pressure at the No. 1 spot, but she handled it well. She competed well against all her opponents and provided what we needed at the top of the lineup."

The team's doubles play showed improvement from just a year ago.

"Across the board, our doubles was deeper than last season. We gave ourselves a shot to win the doubles point against better teams. Our No. 1 team played more solid and deep all the way through."

As a result, the Rams were able to capture six doubles sweeps. Neal and Anette Pohjalainen led the team in doubles dual wins at the No. 2 spot with seven. Sarah Seltsam and Kirsten Stople were 8-11 at No. 3, but had a losing record.

Boasting a 12-12 doubles record, Seltsam and Stople finished the season as team leader in overall doubles wins. The season was highlighted by a three-match win streak from April 15-19 with wins over Northern Colorado, Wyoming and Air Force, respectively.

The Rams earned a victory over a nationally ranked opponent at the No. 1 spot. Tyler and Lauren Strasburger picked up a decisive 8-3 win over Elizabeth Ferris and Emily Kwok of Utah on April 5 in Fort Collins, Colo. Ferris and Kwok were dealt their first loss to a non-ranked duo since Feb. 23. Compiling a 10-7 doubles record, Neal and Pohjalainen earned a team-high .588 winning percentage at the No. 2 position. The tandem also had the longest winning streak of any Rams doubles team as the pair went 4-0 from April 13-19, including three conference victories.

The Rams were honored by the Mountain West Conference as two players were named all-conference selections. Tyler was named to the 2007-08 singles team as well as the doubles team, alongside Strasburger. Tyler's recognition was her second straight as she was named to the 2006-07 doubles team.

The Rams closed out the 2007-08 season at the MWC championship in Fort Worth, Texas. As the No. 7 seed in the tournament, the squad matched up against the No. 2 seed UNLV. Neal matched up with Nedeltcheva at the No. 2 position for the second time in 2008. Capturing the straight-set victory, Neal earned her fourth consecutive singles win and improved to 13-11 on the year. While the Rams were competitive the entire match, Neal's victory would provide the only point for the Rams, as the team fell in quarterfinal action. UNLV went on to defeat top-seeded TCU in the championship match, to earn the automatic NCAA bid.

"We played UNLV a lot tougher the second time around," Messick said. "The team was more competitive in doubles and singles. We were a lot more prepared, which says a lot about our team."

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