Women’s
tennis takes conference championship
By
Daniel Frias
On-line Forty-Niner
Trips
to the Big West Championship seem to be
routine for the Long Beach State women’s
tennis team these days. The No. 63-ranked
49ers recently came back from a trip to
Indian Wells in Palm Desert where the team
captured the 2004 Big West Conference title.
It was the 49ers fourth straight trip to
the conference tournament and its second
title in three years.
Senior Kelly Chan propelled the 49ers to
victory with a cross-court back hand past
her opponent Tiffany Chang, that gave the
49ers a 4-2 win over UC Irvine in the championship
match of 2004 Big West Conference Women’s
Tennis Championship.
“I
just knew I had to do it for the team,”
said Chan after her match. “It was
now or never. I’ve never had a bigger
shot in my life. To tell you the truth though,
I don’t even remember hitting it.
I’m so proud of everyone on the team.”
Alanah
Carroll and Emmanuelle Tabatruong also won
their matches in singles play at the No.
3 and No. 4 spots respectively. Carroll
defeated Hui Leow in two sets 6-0, 6-1 while
Tabatruong did it in three sets†against
Kristina Boss, 6-2,1-6,6-2.
The
49ers took the all-important doubles point
when it won all its doubles matches. The
duo of Nicole Bouffler and Sandra Rocha
continued its dominance in doubles play
putting away Chang and Leow, 8-2. Chan and
Carroll disposed of their opponents Boss
and Christie Posner, 8-5. Bouffler and Rocha
went 20-6 in doubles play this season. Chan
and Carroll are 14-5 in doubles action.
The
No. 3-seeded 49ers advanced to the championship
match, knocking out Cal Poly San Luis Obispo,
a team the 49ers lost to at last year’s
championship tournament, in the semi-finals
and beating UC Santa Barbara along the way.
Coach
Hilt-Costello recently received her 100th
win as head coach of the 49ers when the
team defeated Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Saturday
afternoon to advance to the final match
of the tournament.
The
49ers as usual dominated doubles action
against the Mustangs for the doubles point.
Krystina Katayama and Tabatruong got things
going with the win over their opponents
8-4.
The
Mustangs tied doubles at 1-1 when Cal Poly’s
Noelle Lee and Chelsy Thompson handed Chan
and Carroll an 8-5 loss. Bouffler and Rocha
were down by six points before scoring eight
straight points to mount one of the biggest
comebacks in tournament history and give
them a 9-7 win and the doubles point.
In
singles competition Bouffler led the charge
with a win at the No. 1 spot. Chan and Carroll
also chipped in winning their singles matches
at the No. 2 and No. 3 spots.
The
49ers opened up the Big West Conference
tournament defeating UC Santa Barbara, 4-2.
With
the win the No.-63 ranked 49ers improve
its record to 18-8 and as the 2004 Big West
Champions receive an automatic bid to NCAA
Championships, starting May 14-16.
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