This Weekend: Arizona changes climates this weekend, heading east to Ann
Arbor, Mich., for the Wolverine Fall Invitational. The four-team
competition includes Texas A&M, Richmond, Arizona, and the host school,
Michigan. The tournament features two singles players ranked in the Fall
ITA rankings, 43rd-ranked Martina Nedorstova of Texas A&M and Michigan's
Brooke Hart, who is tied at the 102nd -ranked position.
The Lineup:
Name Yr. Hometown
Vanessa Abel Sr. Tucson, Arizona
Lindsay Blau So. Ossining, New York
Joanna Buczkowska Jr. Zakopane, Poland
Michelle Gough Jr. Johannesburg, South Africa
Laresa Marino So. San Diego, California
Carly Stringer So. Launton, Bicester, England
Brooke Taylor So. Newport Beach, California
Uzma Kahn Fr. Hyderabad, India
Siri Fomsgaard Fr. Copenhagen, Denmark
Last Weekend: The Wildcats enjoyed a solid showing last weekend at the San
Diego State Invitational. Sophomore Brooke Taylor and freshman Uzma Khan
each won her respective singles brackets. In doubles action, senior
Michelle Gough and sophomore Lindsay Blau captured the doubles title in the
top-flight bracket.
Last Season: Arizona finished the season with an overall record of 8-14
placing them sixth in the Pac-10 Conference. The Wildcats advanced to the
second round of the NCAA Tournament before being eliminated by top-ranked
Florida.
Cats in the Polls: In the ITA preseason rankings, the duo of Lindsay Blau
and Uzma Kahn are ranked No. 36 in the nation. Team rankings will not be
released until later in the fall.
Head Coach: Brad Dancer begins his first year as head coach at Arizona
replacing Stephanie London. Dancer played No. 1 singles and doubles at
Michigan State, graduating with a degree in business in 1993. In his time
at Michigan State, Dancer was a four-time Academic All-Big Ten member and
was selected to the All-Big Ten team his senior year. Dancer's professional
coaching highlights include serving as an assistant for the 1996 Fed Cup
team.
Assistant Coaches: Kevin Epley and Vicky Maes round out the coaching staff
for the Wildcats this season. Epley comes to Arizona after serving as an
assistant last year at Alabama. In addition to his duties at Arizona, Epley
is involved in coaching at the professional tennis level including serving
as an assistant for the Fed Cup team under head coach Billie Jean King.
Maes, a four-time tennis All-American, returns to her alma mater as a
volunteer assistant. Maes graduated from Arizona in 98 but not before
becoming the most decorated player in the program's history. Two-time
Pac-10 Player of the Year, GTE All-American, and a selection to the Pac-10
All-Decade team are accolades that highlighted her illustrious career at
Arizona.
