LINCOLN, Neb. – 10th year head coach
Colin Foster became WSU's wins leader, as the Shockers collected wins over Nebraska and Creighton Sunday inside the Dillon Tennis Center.
The Shockers (5-4) collected wins over Louisville (4-1), Nebraska (4-1) and Creighton (4-0) over the weekend, on their way to four-straight victories after starting the season 1-4.
Foster has compiled an impressive 179-75 record in his 10 years as head coach. A Purdue graduate and three-year assistant at TCU, Foster passed Les Stafford (178-143, 16 seasons) for most wins in the history of women's tennis. Foster claimed eight MVC Regular Season Titles, eight MVC Tournament Titles and has reached the NCAA Team Championships nine-straight years.
Along with coaching 45 all-conference selections, 26 individual conference champions (20 singles and six doubles), 37 MVC Player of the Week winners and 19 MVC Scholar-Athletes, WSU compiled a perfect 55-0 record in MVC regular season matches and finished 78-0 overall against Valley competition since Foster's arrival in 2009. Foster earned MVC Coach of the Year honors five times, while six student-athletes were named MVC Player of the Year and four named MVC Freshman of the Year under his guidance.
HEAD COACH COLIN FOSTER ON..
…becoming the wins leader at Wichita State after collecting his 179th victory as head coach:
"It's a testament to all the quality players, but more importantly to me- the quality people we've been able to coach. Also, to have an administration that supports us and believes in what we're doing and to be able to do this with my wife, Kewa, makes this such a special and fun place to coach and hopefully we have many more wins to come."
…overall team performance this weekend, after going 3-0:
"We showed a lot of resilience this weekend. We didn't play our best tennis at times, and it's unrealistic to expect that you will, but we were focused mentally and committed physically and that gave us the confidence and belief in ourselves and our teammates when the matches were on the line."
….LingWei Kong collecting her first win as a Shocker:
"It was great for Lingwei (Kong) to hold her nerves and clinch the match against Louisville. She's had some close calls in the early season but she's going to be really strong and we're excited to have her in the program."
…Sandra Honigova's play as of late, winner of five-straight matches in the top flight:
"Today against Nebraska, Sandra (Honigova) really set the tone as she's done often, and when you can get a quick singles point on the board it really creates some scoreboard pressure for the other team and we were able to use that to our advantage."
WICHITA STATE 4, NEBRASKA 1
DOUBLES
The Shockers clinched the doubles point for the sixth time this season, with wins on courts one and three.
Ting-Ya Hsu and
LingWei Kong notched their third win in a row in the third slot, taking down Jeannie Lozowski and Hayley Haakenstad, 6-2.
Esther Thebault and
Sarvinoz Saidhujaeva clinched the point in flight one, where they knocked off Vasanti Shinde and Marina Cozac, 6-2. Jessica Aragon and Claire Reifeis led
Sandra Honigova and
Marta Bellucco (5-3) in the second slot before play was suspended.
SINGLES
Honigova put the Shockers up 2-0 with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Reifeis, marking her fourth win in a row in the top slot. Bellucco took on Cozac in the third flight for WSU. After rolling in the first set (6-1), the junior from Sassuolo, Italy held off a rally by Cozac in the second frame, giving the Shockers a 3-0 advantage. The Cornhuskers got one back in the second slot, where Shinde defeated Thebault in straight sets, 6-4, 6-2. Saidhujaeva won her second match in as many days in the fifth flight, taking down Aragon in three sets (6-2, 1-6, 6-2) to give WSU the 4-1 win and its third win in a row.
Kong led 1-0 in the third set after her and Lozowski split the first two sets (6-3, 6-7). Hsu dropped her first set to Haakenstad (6-1) before rallying to take the second set (6-4). Haakenstad led 3-0 in the third before play was suspended.
Doubles Results
1.
Sarvinoz Saidhujaeva/
Esther Thebault (WSU) def. Vasanti Shinde/Marina Cozac (NEB), 6-2
2.
Sandra Honigova/
Marta Bellucco (WSU) vs. Jessica Aragon/Claire Reifeis (NEB), 3-5, uf.
3.
Ting-Ya Hsu/
LingWei Kong (WSU) def. Jeannie Lozowski/Hayley Haakenstad (NEB), 6-2
Singles Results
1.
Sandra Honigova (WSU) def. Claire Reifeis (NEB). 6-2, 6-2
2. Vasanti Shinde (NEB) def.
Esther Thebault (WSU), 6-4, 6-2
3.
Marta Bellucco (WSU) def. Marina Cozac (NEB), 6-1, 6-4
4.
LingWei Kong (WSU) vs. Jeannie Lozowski (NEB), 6-3, 6-7, 1-0
5.
Sarvinoz Saidhujaeva (WSU) def. Jessica Aragon (NEB), 6-2, 1-6, 6-2
6.
Ting-Ya Hsu (WSU) vs. Hayley Haakenstad (NEB), 1-6, 6-4, 0-3
Order of Finish: Doubles; (3, 1) ; Singles (1, 3, 2, 5)
WICHITA STATE 4, CREIGHTON 0
DOUBLES
Hsu and Kong moved up to the No. 2 slot in doubles play, where they defeated Erin Epperson and Claire Embree, 6-2, improving their record to 4-1 on the season.
Alexandra Lazarova came into the doubles lineup for the second time this season, joining Bellucco in the third slot to take down Michaela Henne and Meredith Benson (6-3), marking the seventh doubles point clinched in nine matches for the Shockers. Saidhujaeva and Thebault trailed 5-4 in the first flight when play was suspended.
SINGLES
Honigova raced out to her fifth singles win in a row in the first flight, taking down Ashley Ishimura in straight sets, 6-1, 6-0. LingWei collected her second win in as many days in the fourth flight, rolling over Epperson (6-1, 6-1). Thebault got back on track in the No. 2 slot, winning a straight set match over Sarah Wilcox (6-0, 6-3) to give WSU the 4-0 win, and it fourth-straight dual victory.
Bellucco was up a set and led 4-3 in the second, Saidhujaeva was tied at six in the first and Lazarova led 5-2 in the second set before play was suspended.
Doubles Results
1.
Sarvinoz Saidhujaeva/
Esther Thebault (WSU) vs. Ashley Ishimura/Sarah Wilcox (CREIGH), 4-5, uf.
2.
LingWei Kong/
Ting-Ya Hsu (WSU) def. Erin Epperson/Claire Embree (CREIGH), 6-2
3.
Marta Bellucco/
Alexandra Lazarova (WSU) def. Michaela Henne/Meredith Benson (CREIGH), 6-3
Singles Results
1.
Sandra Honigova (WSU) def. Ashley Ishimura (CREIGH), 6-1, 6-0
2.
Esther Thebault (WSU) def. Sarah Wilcox (CREIGH), 6-0, 6-3
3.
Marta Bellucco (WSU) vs. Michaela Henne (CREIGH) 6-4, 4-3, uf.
4.
LingWei Kong (WSU) def. Erin Epperson (CREIGH), 6-1, 6-1
5.
Sarvinoz Saidhujaeva (WSU) vs. Claire Embree (CREIGH), 6-6, uf.
6.
Alexandra Lazarova (WSU) vs. Julia Aguirre (CREIGH), 6-2, 5-2
Order of Finish: Doubles; (2, 3); Singles (4, 1, 2)
