Washington State University 2008cougartennis2008cougartennis Postseason Guide NCAA Championships 1st/2nd Rounds Berkeley, Calif. • May 9-10, 2008 G ENERAL INFORMAT I ON / ROSTER GENERAL INFORMATION TENNIS STAFF Location: Pullman, Wash. Head Coach: Lisa Hart ([email protected]) Founded: 1890 509-335-0310 Enrollment: 23,300 Assistant Coach: Courtney Steinbock President: Elson S. Floyd Office Location: Bohler Athletic Complex M40 Faculty Representative: Ken Casavant Mailing Address: PO Box 641602 Home Facilities: The WSU Outdoor Tennis Center Pullman, WA 99164-1602 Simmelink Courts of Hollingbery Fieldhouse Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 5/4 Nickname: Cougars Web Site: www.wsucougars.com Colors: Crimson and Gray Conference: Pacific-10 Affiliation: NCAA Division I TENNIS INFORMATION 2007-08 Record: 16-9 2007-08 Pac-10 Record: 2-6 (7th) ATHLETIC ADMINISTRATION Last NCAA Appearance: 2002 Director of Athletics: Jim Sterk NCAA Tournament Record: 1-4 (1998, 1999, 2001, 2002) Senior Associate Director of Athletics/SWA: Anne McCoy Sport Supervisor: Chris Cook, Associate Director of Athletics SPORTS INFORMATION Director: Bill Stevens Assistant Directors: Linda Chalich, Craig Lawson, Jessica Schmick, Joe Nickell Intern: Erica Beck Tennis SID: Bill Stevens ([email protected]) Cell: 916-761-7005 Office: 509-335-4294 Office: 509-335-COUG Fax: 509-335-0267 Office Location: Bohler Athletic Complex 195 2007-08 WOMEN’S TENNIS ROSTER NAME HT YR EXP HOMETOWN Ekaterina Burduli 5-8 SR 3V Tel Aviv, Israel Jessica Casebier 5-6 FR HS Newman Lake, Wash. Aleksandra Cekic 5-5 JR 2V London, Ontario Livia Gherman 5-3 FR HS Zalau, Romania. Jessica Gomez 5-5 FR HS Guadalupe, Mexico Ekaterina Kamendova 5-11 FR HS Moscow, Russia Kara Konomos 5-5 SR 3V Auburn, Wash. Marina Nicolas 5-8 FR HS Zaragoza, Spain Bianca Selaru 5-8 JR 2V Zalau, Romania Aleksandra Stefanova 5-4 SR 3V Skopje, Macedonia HEAD COACH Lisa Hart (Nebraska, 1998)-Fifth Year ASSISTANT COACH Courtney Steinbock (Kansas, 2004)-Second Year 2008 WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY TENNIS POSTSEASON GU IDE C OA C H I N G STAFF HEAD COA C H LI SA HART Lisa Hart is in her fifth season as the Washington State University head women’s tennis coach. This year Hart has guided the Cougars to a 16-9 record and a berth in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 2002 season. Last season, Hart guided her squad to a 14-11 overall record; the winning record is the second straight for the Cougars for the first time since the 1994-95 season and 1995-96 season. The Pacific-10 Conference schedule was highlighted by a 4-3 victory over the No. 23 Oregon Ducks. The win marks the highest ranked opponent the Cougars have beaten since the 2003 season where they beat Oregon who was also ranked No. 23 at the time. The Cougars’ 2007 schedule was to be one of the toughest the women’s tennis team had ever faced. WSU played 13 nationally-ranked opponents, emerging victorious in four of those contests: No. 30 BYU, No. 47 Sacramento State, No. 54 Alabama, and No. 23 Oregon. During the season Hart guided the Cougars to three different three-match winning streaks. The 2006-07 Cougar team started off the year ranked No. 66 nationally. The dual-match season began with a five match winning streak which propelled the Cougars to a No. 56 ranking. Wins over No. 30 BYU and No. 47 Sacramento State helped them jump to a season-high No. 41 ranking. The Cougars ended the season ranked No. 50. During the 2005-06 season, Coach Hart led the Cougars to a season high ranking of No. 69. The season was highlighted by three victories over ranked opponents No. 73 Boise State, No. 75 Loyola Marymount and No. 61 South Alabama. Coach Hart led the Cougars to their first winning season since 2000-01 with a record of 14-12. During the 2004-05 season, Hart led the Cougars to a season high ranking of No. 64, bolstered by upsets wins over nationally-ranked San Diego and Santa Clara. The season ended with a 9-14 record and included notable wins against Cal State Northridge, Montana, and Idaho. The Cougars took three nationally-ranked teams to the wire, losing 4-3 to No. 25 BYU, No. 44 Iowa and No. 73 Colorado. During the 2003-04 season, Hart’s first at WSU, the Cougars were ranked No. 51 and captured three wins over ranked opponents. WSU’s biggest victory came at No. 23 Oregon in mid-March. The Cougars also defeated Oklahoma State and San Diego State, both ranked in the top 50 nationally at the time. During Hart’s tenure with the Cougars she has been dedicated to community outreach. She was selected as the winner of the 2004, 2005 and 2006 Community Service Award by the United States Tennis Association and Intercollegiate Tennis Association. The award is to honor ITA coaches for their significant contributions in developing community based tennis programs through community centers, schools, parks, community tennis associations, inner city, suburban or rural programs. Currently, Hart is the chairperson of the ITA Northwest Regional Committee and the representative for the ITA National Operating Committee for the Northwest Region. Prior to WSU, Hart spent three seasons at Virginia Tech where she guided the Hokies to a 45-36 record in three seasons including third-place finishes each year in the Big East Conference. During the 2002-03 season, Hart’s Virginia Tech squad concluded the year ranked 69th nationally and eighth in the East region. The Hokies posted victories over No. 27 Oregon, No. 65 Marshall, No. 66 Middle Tennessee State, No. 67 Florida Atlantic and No. 72 Penn State. Hart was a member of the International Tennis Association (ITA) East Region committee from 2001-03 and chaired the committee in 2002-03. The East Region is the largest region in the United States with over 80 schools. Prior to Virginia Tech, Hart served as the assistant women’s tennis coach at the University of Nebraska for two years. While on the Nebraska staff, she helped the Cornhuskers compile a two year record of 36-13, including a 19-5 record in 2000. Hart was a tennis standout at Nebraska, finishing her career as one of the most successful women’s tennis players in school history. She recorded 74 career singles victories winning the Big 12 Conference No. 2 singles title as a senior. Hart, the 1995 Big Eight Freshman of the Year, was the first women’s tennis player at Nebraska to win a conference singles title since 1978 and only the sixth player in Cornhuskers’ history. She was selected to the all-conference team twice and upon graduation her 74 wins ranked No. 3 on the school’s career singles victory list. Her dedication and excellence on the court was matched in the classroom as Hart was a three-time academic all-conference selection, earning first-team academic All-Big 12 honors as a senior. She was selected by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association as the Central Region’s “Cissie Learie Sportsmanship Award” winner, one of six throughout the country. As a senior, Hart also received the Arthur Ashe Sportsmanship and Leadership Award. A native of Sunnyside, Wash., Hart had an outstanding high school career at Sunnyside High where she was a three-time State champion. She also earned All-America honors as a high school sophomore. Hart earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Nebraska and also holds a master’s degree in education with an emphasis in physical education and sports studies from Nebraska. Hart and her husband John, an attorney, reside in Pullman with their one-year-old daughter, Mary Beth, and their bassett hound, Daphne. ASS I STANT COA C H COURTNEY STE I NBO C K Courtney Steinbock is in her second season as the assistant tennis coach for Washington State University. During the 2006-07, her first season with the Cougars she helped the women’s tennis team to a 14-11 record. Alongside coach Lisa Hart, she guided the team to their second straight winning season. Steinbock spent three seasons as the volunteer women’s tennis assistant at her alma mater, University of Kansas. She will assist head coach Lisa Hart in all aspects of the Cougar Tennis Program. Steinbock graduated from the University of Kansas in 2004 and was a stellar player for the Jayhawks. Holding down the top spot in singles and doubles as a senior, Steinbock concluded her collegiate career as a two-time MVP and a member of the Big XII First Team All-Conference and named Big XII Player of the Week twice. While at Kansas, Steinbock had the opportunity to play with teammate and twin sister, Kristen. The Steinbock twins were paired for several matches throughout their careers, and most notably defeated the seventh-ranked team from Okalahoma State, Linda Flatynkova and Katia Kolodynsva, 8-2, in dual match play. The two also reached the semifinal at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Central Regional. “I have always admired Courtney’s work ethic and enthusiasm, both as a player and a person, and believe her contributions will greatly enhance our program,” WSU Head Coach Lisa Hart said. Steinbock graduated with a bachelor’s degree in general studies from Kansas. 2008 WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY TENNIS POSTSEASON GU IDE P LAYER BI OS EKATERINA BURDULI Senior 5-8 Tel Aviv, Israel Tihon Technology Hadash Naamat ’04 SENIOR (2007-08): Posted a team best 28-9 record…the 28 wins ties her for first all-time on WSU’s single season list…moved past Erica Perkins into the top spot on WSU’s all-time victories list and now stands at 91 for her career…only player in history to post three straight 20 win seasons…finished the season ranked No.