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1998 NCAA DIVISION I WOMEN'S TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP
May 21-29
Courtney Tennis Center
University of Notre Dame
Semifinals Notes
Tomorrow's singles final between Ania Bleszynski and Vanessa Webb marks the first-ever appearance in the NCAA singles final for both players. Bleszynski advanced to the semifinals of the '96 NCAA championship.
Vanessa Webb's appearance in the NCAA singles final marks the first-ever for a Duke women's tennis player. She is only the second-ever player from the Atlantic Coast Conference to advance to the NCAA women's single final. The first ACC player to play in the finals was Cinda Gurney of North Carolina in 1993. She eventually lost to Lisa Raymond of Florida in the finals 6-3, 6-1.
In her five singles matches during this '98 NCAA singles draw, Duke's Webb has yet to drop a set, while Stanford's Ania Bleszynski has lost only one set (in the second round when she beat Cristina Moros of Texas 5-7, 6-2, 7-6).
Tomorrow will mark the second straight year that a player from Stanford will be playing in the finals and it will also mark the second consecutive year that an unseeded player (Bleszynski) has advanced to the singles final.
In the 16-year history of the tournament, Stanford players have claimed eight singles championships. The last Cardinal player to win an NCAA singles championship was Lilia Osterloh (1997) who entered the tournament as a No. 8 seed
No unseeded player has ever won the NCAA singles crown.
Webb and Bleszynski played twice before in their collegiate careers with each player earning a victory. Webb beat Bleszynski 6-4, 6-4 on Feb. 9, 1996, at the Rolex National Indoor Championships while Bleszynski won 1-6, 6-3, 6-2 on May 20, 1996, during the team portion of the NCAA Championship.
Dawn Buth and Stephanie Nickitas will be look to make NCAA tennis history tomorrow as the first doubles team to win three consecutive championships. No doubles team (male or female) in NCAA history has captured three titles. They are the first female doubles tandem to win back-to-back crowns. Buth and Nickitas will look to join Linda Gates as the only three females to win three NCAA crowns. Gates, who played at Stanford, won the '84 doubles crown and then won both the singles and doubles titles in 1985. There have been four different males to win three NCAA doubles titles (all with different partners).
Today's 6-2, 6-4 doubles win for Stephanie Nickitas and Dawn marked the 14th straight for the Florida doubles team in the NCAA doubles tournament. In two-plus seasons, they have only dropped three sets in NCAA tournament doubles competition. As a doubles team, they have a 91-7 career record and are 28-3 this season. In both the team and individual doubles competition at the NCAA tournament, they have a spotless 15-0 record.
Today was the third time this season that Stephanie Nickitas and Dawn Buth played the William & Mary doubles team of Lauren Nikolaus and Michelle O. The two teams met for the first time ever in the quarterfinals of the Rolex National Indoor Championships with the Florida team earning a 6-1, 6-2 victory. They also played each other in a dual match on March 13 with Nickitas and Buth winning 8-1.
Amanda Augustus and Amy Jensen are the first two tennis players from California to earn a spot in an NCAA final. They are the fifth unseeded doubles team in the 17-year history of the tournament to earn a spot in the finals. The last unseeded doubles tandem to advance to an NCAA final was Marie-Laure Bougnoi and Pascale Piquemal (Mississippi) in 1994.
Augustus and Jensen are 27-7 this season in doubles action.
The last Pac-10 team to win an NCAA doubles titles was in 1994 (Keri Phebus and Susie Starnett of UCLA).
The Duke doubles team of Vanessa Webb and Karen Goldstein finish out their year with a 35-6 record.
Heading into tomorrow's singles action, the career records for the finalists are: Vanessa Webb (118-22) and Ania Bleszynski (107-42).
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