Women's Tennis Falls To San Diego In WCC Championships
4/24/2013 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
SAN DIEGO, Calif. - The 2013 season came to an end Wednesday for the Gonzaga University women's tennis team as the ninth-seed Bulldogs fell 4-0 to the fourth-seed University of San Diego in the opening round of the West Coast Conference Championships.
The Zags wrap up the spring season 9-13 overall but saw a young squad take major strides.
"I was really proud of how hard we fought today," head coach D.J. Gurule said. "We started out strong but San Diego really stepped it up. I am really optimistic for the future of our program."
A quartet of freshman (Samantha Polayes, Isabell Klingert, Melanie Yates and Franziska Koehler) played significant matches for the Zags had a combined record of 37-31. Sophomores Katie Edwards, Kylie Peek and Alexandra Tallas battled throughout the season with steady improvements.
However the year wraps up with a tough defeat to the Toreros.
San Diego took the doubles point by taking the No. 1 and No. 3 matches.
At No. 1, Laura Claus and Shani Blecher ousted Edwards and Peek 8-4 and at No. 3 Anna Depenau and Mikayla Morkel-Brink downed the duo of Tallas and Koehler 8-3. With USD winning two of the three matches, the No. 2 match between Yates and Polayes against Cara Brown and Marta Stojanovic did not finish.
In singles, matches No. 1, 5 and 6 went unfinished as well because the Toreros clinched the four points it needed to advance.
In the No. 2 position, Peek went down to Stephanie Hoffpaur 6-2, 6-1; No. 3 Polayes fell to Blecher 6-1, 6-0; and Klingert dropped to Stohanovic 6-2, 6-2.
The end of the season also wraps up the GU careers of Taurie Bjerken, Britta Stime and Prue Teitzel.
"We are really going to miss the leadership of our seniors," Gurule said. "We will miss Taurie and her positive attitude. She is a great Zag with all her contributions to the team and program. Britta is one of the hardest workers I have ever coaches and she always pushed everyone in practice, the weight room and on the court. "
"Prue has truly been a second coach for us for many years. She has a great tennis mind and I value her opinion. It was very unfortunate the way her senior year ended, but she has undoubtedly improved our program from the moment she stepped on campus."
San Diego 4, Gonzaga Bulldogs 0
Singles competition
1. EDWARDS, Katie (GON) vs. Laura Claus (USD) no result
2. Stephanie Hoffpauir (USD) def. PEEK, Kylie (GON) 6-2, 6-1
3. Shani Blecher (USD) def. POLAYES, Samantha (GON) 6-1, 6-0
4. Marta Stojanovic (USD) def. KLINGERT, Isabell (GON) 6-2, 6-2
5. TALLAS, Alexandra (GON) vs. Anna Depenau (USD) no result
6. KOEHLER, Franziska (GON) vs. Cara Brown (USD) no result
Doubles competition
1. Laura Claus/Shani Blecher (USD) def. EDWARDS, Katie/PEEK, Kylie (GON) 8-4
2. YATES, Melanie/POLAYES, Samantha (GON) vs. Cara Brown/Marta Stojanovic (USD) no result
3. Anna Depenau/Mikayla Morkel-Brink (USD) def. TALLAS, Alexandra/KOEHLER, Franziska (GON) 8-3
