Women?s Tennis: Owls Finish Runners-Up At WAC Championships
4/23/2005 HONOLULU ? Junior Blair DiSesa was named to the all-Western Athletic Conference singles first team and Rice coach Roger White was awarded coach of the year honors, but the Owls finished runners-up in their first WAC tournament championships match, falling 4-0 to Fresno State Sunday in Honolulu.
The Bulldogs jumped to the early lead, taking the doubles point with wins at the one and three spots.
Fresno State built on its lead with wins against Kimberley Patenaude and Christine Dao, two of three freshmen in the Owls? lineup, at the two and five singles positions. With four closely contested matches still on court, the Bulldogs? Katarina Winterhalter edged Rice?s DiSesa 7-5, 7-6 (2) to secure the team win.
The coach of the year honors were the first for White, now in his fourth year at the helm of the Rice women?s tennis program. DiSesa repeated as an all-WAC first-team honoree after earning second-team honors as a freshman. Joining White and DiSesa in receiving accolades on Saturday was Tracie Chong, the Owls? lone senior, who was named to the all-WAC second-team in singles and in doubles with her partner Patenaude.
The loss drops 47th-ranked Rice?s record to 16-9 on the year. The Owls must now wait until May 4 for the NCAA championships bracket announcements to learn if their season will be extended.
Match Results
Fresno State 4, Rice 0
Doubles
1. Sainz/Jantz (FS) def. Patenaude/Egic (RU), 8-3
2. Tallo/Haskett (FS) vs. Chong/Karas (RU), DNF
3. Winterhalter/Masiyazi (FS) def. Dao/DiSesa (RU), 8-3
Singles
1. Katarina Winterhalter (FS) def. Blair DiSesa (RU), 7-5, 7-6 (2)
2. Lucia Tallo (FS) def. Kimberley Patenaude (RU), 6-0, 6-2
3. Lucia Sainz (FS) vs. Tracie Chong (RU), DNF
4. Coutney Jantz (FS) vs. Dominique Karas (RU), DNF
5. Jacqui Haskett (FS) def. Christine Dao (RU), 6-3, 6-0
6. Fadzai Masiyazi (FS) vs. Medeja Egic (RU), DNF |
