2004 CAL WOMEN’S TENNIS 2003-04 CALIFORNIA WOMEN’S TENNIS SCHEDULE Date Day Opponent Site Time Sept. 26-28 Fri-Sun at Bulldog Classic Fresno, CA All Day Oct. 4-5 Sat-Sun at ITA Pre-Qualifying Los Angeles, CA All Day Oct. 7-12 Tue-Sun at ITA All-American Championships Los Angeles, CA All Day Oct. 17-19 Fri-Sun at Saint Mary’s Invitational Moraga, CA All Day Oct. 24-27 Fri-Mon at ITA Regional Rolex Qualifier Stanford, CA All Day Nov. 7-9 Fri-Sun at ASU Invitational (tentative) Tempe, AZ All Day Nov. 6-9 Thu-Sun at ITA National Indoors Dallas, TX All Day Jan. 16-19 Thu-Sun at Pac-10 Indoor Championships Seattle, WA All Day Jan. 30 Fri Sacramento State Berkeley 12:00 noon Jan. 31 Sat Saint Mary’s Berkeley 10:00 a.m. Jan. 31 Sat Santa Clara Berkeley 2:00 p.m. Feb. 5-8 Thu-Sun at ITA National Team Indoor Championships Madison, WI All Day Feb. 14 Sat UNLV Berkeley 10:00 a.m. Feb. 20 Fri San Diego State Berkeley 1:30 p.m. Feb. 21 Sat Fresno State Berkeley 12:00 noon Feb. 28 Sat Oregon Berkeley 12:00 noon Feb. 29 Sun Stanford Berkeley 12:00 noon March 5 Fri at Arizona Tucson, AZ 1:30 p.m. March 6 Sat at Arizona State Tempe, AZ 12:00 noon March 12 Fri North Carolina Berkeley 1:30 p.m. March 19 Fri at Loyola Marymount Los Angeles, CA 1:30 p.m. March 20 Sat at Pepperdine Malibu, CA 12:00 noon March 25 Thu at Washington State Pullman, WA 1:30 p.m. March 27 Sat at Washington Seattle, WA 12:00 noon March 31 Wed at Stanford Stanford, CA 1:30 p.m. April 2 Fri UCLA Berkeley 1:30 p.m. April 3 Sat USC Berkeley 12:00 noon April 9 Fri Arizona State Berkeley 1:30 p.m. April 10 Sat Arizona Berkeley 12:00 noon April 16 Fri at USC Los Angeles, CA 1:30 p.m. April 17 Sat at UCLA Los Angeles, CA 12:00 noon April 22-25 Thu-Sun at Pac-10 Championships Ojai, CA All Day May 14-15 Fri-Sat at NCAA Regionals TBA TBA May 20-29 Thu-Sat at NCAA Championships TBA TBA Home matches (bold) at Hellman Tennis Stadium 32 2004 CALIFORNIA TENNIS MEDIA GUIDE WOMEN’S 2004 SEASON OUTLOOK EXPERIENCED BEARS Senior Jody Scheldt many highly respected tennis publications, Podkolzina finds READY FOR IT ALL herself ranked No. 3 regionally and No. 18 overall, with- fter reaching the NCAA semifinal, boasting a 23-6 dual meet out even competing in a single dual match. In her first record a year ago, the NCAA team title would seem to be collegiate tournament this fall, she showed signs of Awithin the Cal Women’s Tennis team’s grasp. Six months brilliance, winning her first five matches at the ITA removed from ending the 2003 season as the fourth rated team in the Regional Championships against highly ranked op- country, head coach Jan Brogan leads ponents. She reached the final of the Northwest her 2004 squad into the spring ranked Regional and earned a spot at the prestigious ITA No. 3 nationally. Indoor Championship in early November. The Bears return a very experienced Senior Kristen Case, junior Rio Del group that is one of the frontrunners for Rosario and sophomore Jessica Shu round the NCAA crown. With six seniors and one of out the Bears’ line-up in 2004. The three will the most sought-after recruits at her disposal, Brogan can sit back in be asked to provide the adequate depth nec- her office at the Hellman Tennis Complex and smile. essary to be a national championship con- Brogan will enter the season with five athletes nationally ranked tender. by the ITA, included NCAA Doubles Champion Raquel Kops-Jones Case was having a solid fall campaign, before and 2003 team MVP Jody Scheldt. falling victim to the injury bug. Before going down Kops-Jones enters the spring as the No. 1 player in the Northwest with an ankle problem, Case was 4-2 with two region and the No. 2 player in the country. She narrowly missed the victories at the Bulldog Classic and the St. nation’s top spot in the ITA’s preseason poll by six points to Georgia’s Mary’s Tournament. Shu has yet to com- Agata Cioroch, but Brogan is confident that Kops-Jones has a great pete in a dual match for the Bears, but has shot of matching her doubles title with a singles title come May. 15 career tournament wins to her credit The senior from Fresno, Calif., established herself as a national in just her second season with the Bears. force in 2003, compiling a career high 44 victories, earning first team Definitely a talent, Shu will have to All - Pac-10 recognition and being honored with the team’s Most wait her turn behind possibly the Improved Player Award. Kops-Jones ended the season ranked best crop of seniors in the country. No. 6 nationally in singles competition, and entered the fall No. 4. Del Rosario is 2-6 in her career in tour- After a short stint competing on the pro circuit, including the U.S. nament action, but is constantly improving and looks to be an impact Open, Kops-Jones began her senior campaign in grand fashion, win- player for Brogan in the future. ning five matches in a row to capture the coveted ITA All-American The Bears also add to their arsenal of weapons spring admit Monica Championship in early October. Wiesener from Laurel Springs Academy in Ojai, CA. Not to be outdone, Scheldt was probably the hottest Bear this fall, As good as the Bears are in singles competition, they may actually accumulating a team-high 10 victories, including the Bulldog Classic be better in doubles action. title in late September. Scheldt made the final of the ASU Invitational Brogan led yet another doubles team to the NCAA title in 2003, as well, but had to retire from the match due to injury. She was named and looks to do the same in 2004. Christina Fusano and Kops-Jones the team MVP at the conclusion of the 2003 season, in which she led surged to the nation’s forefront late in the spring, winning 24 of their the team in dual meet wins (21) en route to a 32-8 overall record. Last last 27 matches to capture the Bears’ fourth NCAA Doubles title in season’s breakout year seems to only be the beginning for Scheldt, six years. With the departure of Fusano to graduation, Kops-Jones who comes into the spring No. 10 regionally and No. 60 nationally. will have to break in a new partner in Podkolzina. Despite limited The Bears boast three other seniors that have all been nationally practice together, due to injury, the two were able to put together an recognized throughout their careers. Catherine Lynch, Nicole impressive run at the ITA Regional tournament. They reached the Havlicek and Jieun Jacobs all enter their final seasons eager to hoist final and earned a spot at the ITA Indoor Nationals. For their efforts, the NCAA Championship trophy above their heads. they’ll be ranked the No. 2 duo in the region and the No. 7 team Lynch starts out rated No. 17 regionally and No. 83 nationally. An nationally entering the spring. All Pac-10 selection in 2002, Lynch has proved her worth at Cal. She The Bears also have two other tandems looking to burst onto the has accumulated 88 singles victories in three seasons, including 28 in national scene starting with Scheldt and Havlicek. Scheldt, a constant 2003. Havlicek, who went 6-3 in the fall and 34-9 last spring, enters at court No. 2 last season with Jacobs as her partner, was given a new the season ranked No. 22 in the region. She won the bulk of her mate by Brogan this fall. After going 24-12 with Jacobs last spring, matches last season on courts No. 4 – 6, on her way to an outstanding Scheldt, under the guidance of doubles-guru Brogan, meshed talents 19-4 dual meet record. Jacobs hobbled into the fall tournament sched- with Havlicek. The pair won six out of seven matches in the fall and ule hampered by injury, but returns healthy enough this spring to brought home the ASU Invitational title in early November. They make another run at an NCAA individual singles berth. Jacobs was currently sit No. 10 in the region and No. 49 in the nation. one of three Bears that were extended an invitation a year ago, after The team of Jacobs and Lynch also enters the spring as a Top 15 posting a 31-10 overall record. team in the region, having gone a combined 46-22 (.676) in doubles This group of seniors will be joined by freshman-phenom Sasha competition a year ago. Podkolzina, this spring. Podkolzina has won three age-group na- With commitment, respect, support, trust and 100% effort as their tional titles over the past few years and ended the past two seasons battle-cry, the 2004 Cal Women’s Tennis team is poised for a run at rated No. 1 nationally. Named the marquee recruit in the country by the national championship. 2004 CALIFORNIA TENNIS MEDIA GUIDE 33 WOMEN’S 2004 ROSTER The 2004 California Women’s Tennis Team (left to right): BACK ROW – Sasha Podkolzina, Jessica Shu, Raquel Kops-Jones Kristen Case, Nicole Havlicek, Jody Scheldt.