Shocker Tennis - 2015 Fall Season

[1972Shocker]

Highlighted by individual singles titles by Abby Stevens, Tanaporn Thongsing and Luca Pump, the Wichita State women's tennis team posted top-three finishes in all seven singles flights, Sunday, at the Missouri Valley Conference Individual Championships.

http://www.goshockers.com/news/2015/10/4/WTEN_1004153618.aspx

While that may not sound like total domination keep in mind that the Shockers have a number of their top players that are participating in the ITA All-American Championships in Pacific Palisades, California who did not participate in the MVC Individual Championships including Senior Julia Schiller, Senior Rebecca Pedrazzi, Senior Aleks Trifunovic and Sophomore Gabriela Porubin.

So winning the 1st, 3rd and 4th flights and taking two 2nds and two 3rds in the remaining flights was actually a very solid showing and evidence that the Lady Shocks will continue to rule the roost in MVC Women's Tennis.

Abby Stevens won the first flight, becoming just the sixth player in MVC/Gateway Conference history to repeat as champion in the top draw. A WSU player has now won the first flight in each of the last three years and in six of the past seven overall.

I don't think the Valley holds individual championships for the men anymore since there are only 4 Valley schools (DU, ILS, SIU and WSU) who sponsor a men's tennis program these days. 8 Valley schools still have women's tennis teams.

[1972Shocker]

Lady Shockers having a very nice fall season and appear poised to continue their domination of the Valley in women's tennis in the spring.

http://www.goshockers.com/news/2015/11/6/WTEN_1106154123.aspx

[1972Shocker]

Shocks finish off the fall season winning 17 of 19 matches against Sam Houston State and SMU.

http://www.goshockers.com/news/2015/11/8/WTEN_1108153823.aspx

[1972Shocker]

Rising doubles — Julia Schiller and Gabriela Porubin ended last spring with a win at No. 2 doubles over Georgia Tech in the NCAA Tournament. They continued on that path this fall with wins over three ranked opponents, capped a 6-4 win over Texas A&M’s 14th-ranked team of Stefania Hristov and Ines Deheza in Dallas in WSU’s final tournament.

Shockers coach Colin Foster expects Schiller, a senior, and Porubin, a sophomore, to join those opponents in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings of 60 teams when they come out in early January. In singles, Schiller is ranked No. 121 and Porubin No. 125.

“They’re continuing to develop chemistry and get stronger as a team,” Foster said. “Julia stayed here all summer and trained and played in lot of tournaments. Gabi, as a sophomore, she came back knowing what to expect … recognizing that she and Julia are both the strongest players on our team and can compete with any team in the country.”

They started the fall by reaching the finals of the Crimson Draw in the OU Fall Invite, defeating Tulsa’s No. 37-ranked team of Renata Kuricova and Saana Saarteinen and Texas Tech’s 43rd-ranked team of Gabriela Talaba Sabrina Federici.

“You can definitely see they’re playing with more confidence,” Foster said. “When the opponents are in control of the point, they’ve done well to find a way to claw back into the point and win. When they’re on offense and the opportunity is there, they’re not hesitating.”

Schiller prepped for her senior season by winning the Missouri Valley U.S. Open Playoffs mixed doubles in June. She and Nebraska’s Dusty Boyer advanced to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open National Playoffs in August in New Haven, Conn.

“That’s doubles at almost a professional level,” Foster said. “I can see she’s become a lot more of a complete doubles player.”

Read more here: http://www.kansas.com/sports/college...#storylink=cpy