May 14, 1997

Women's Tennis Draws a No. 2 Seed in the NCAA Championships

NCAA Championships: The Stanford Cardinal is seeded second in the NCAA Championships only behind Florida. The Cardinal will play their first round opponent, Wisconsin, at 3:00 pm on Thursday, May 15. The team tournament runs May 15-18 at the Taube Family Tennis Stadium in Palo Alto. The individual championships are May 19-23. Five Stanford singles players received spots in the tournament (Katie Schlukebir, Julie Scott, Sandra De Silva, Lilia Osterloh, Teryn Ashley), while two doubles teams (Schlukebir/Osterloh, Bleszynski/Scott) advanced to the championships. This is the third time Stanford has hosted the NCAA Women's Tennis Championships (1991, 1992, 1997).

The Last Time: Stanford's last appearance in the NCAA Tournament was just last year, when the Cardinal lost in the team finals to Florida, 5-2. The Cardinal has reached the finals 11 of the last 15 years, taking home the title on eight occasions. The last NCAA Championship for the Cardinal came in 1991 in Palo Alto. Individually, the last Stanford singles champion was Sandra Birch in 1991, while the last doubles crown was won by Meredith McGrath and Teri Whitlinger in 1990.

Stanford in the Rankings: As a team, the Cardinal is ranked second in the Rolex Collegiate Rankings, behind Florida, the only team to defeat Stanford this season. In singles, seven Stanford players are ranked in the top 60, while two doubles teams are in the top 15. Senior Katie Schlukebir tops the singles chart with a 31-9 overall record.

Head Coach Frank Brennan: In is 18th season at Stanford, head coach Frank Brennan is considered by many to be the finest collegiate coach in the nation. Brennan has guided his Cardinal squads to eight NCAA titles, seven singles titles and four doubles championships. While on The Farm, Brennan has posted a 421-45 overall record, along with earning nine Pac-10 Championships. On three occasions, Brennan was named ITA/Wilson Coach of the Year and is a five-time Pac-10 Coach of the Year. In 1994, he was inducted into the NorCal Tennis Hall of Fame.

Top Notch: Senior captain Katie Schlukebir is one of the top collegiate players in the country. Schlukebir, currently ranked first in the nation, has posted an impressive 32-7 overall record, including a 16-5 dual match mark. The Rolex Regional and Pac-10 Indoor Champion started 11 matches at number one. For her efforts this season, Schlukebir was named the Pac-10 South Player of the Year, becoming one of just six Stanford players to ever receive that honor.

Freshmen Strength: The Cardinal brought in one of the best recruiting classes this year, and they have lived up to the preseason billing. Three freshmen start in both singles and doubles, including Lilia Osterloh at number one and Anne Kremer at number two. Teryn Ashley is the only starter to remain undefeated in dual match play with a 20-0 record, primarily playing at number six.

Doubles Duals: Not only is Stanford recognized for its singles players, but its doubles as well. Ania Bleszynski and Julie Scott are currently second in the Rolex Collegiate Rankings. Bleszynski/Scott have a 16-4 dual match record, while Lilia Osterloh and Katie Schlukebir have paired up for a 12-1 record and a national ranking of 12.

Against the Field: Stanford holds a 12-1 record this season over the teams in the field. The Cardinal's only loss of the season came against defending national champion Florida in the finals of the National Team Indoors. Stanford lost 4-3 in Madison, WI, playing without Lilia Osterloh. Stanford and Florida are very familiar with each other's programs. Last season, the teams met twice, with Florida winning 5-2 on both occasions. In addition to the 1996 championship, the Gators captured the title in 1992 in a win over Texas. That title was won at Stanford, the last time the Cardinal hosted the championships.

Team

1.  Florida         28-0
2.  Stanford        26-1
3.  Duke            22-3
4.  UCLA            15-5
5.  Georgia         18-4
6.  Texas           22-5
7.  Arizona St.     14-6
8.  Wake Forest     19-6
9.  Mississippi     18-5
10. William & Mary  19-6
11. California      15-7
12. Arizona         14-8
13. Tennessee       17-9
14. Pepperdine      17-7
15. Vanderbilt      14-9
Singles

1.  Katie Schlukebir    Stanford
2.  Agnes Muzamel       Mississippi
3.  Karin Miller        Duke
4.  Cristina Moros      Texas
5.  Vicky Maes          Arizona
13. Lilia Osterloh      Stanford
22. Sandra De Silva     Stanford
23. Julie Scott         Stanford
26. Anne Kremer         Stanford
55. Teryn Ashley        Stanford
57. Ania Bleszynski     Stanford
Doubles

1.  Buth/Nickitas       Florida
2.  Bleszynski/Scott    Stanford
3.  Lepsi/Malhotra      Tennessee
4.  Nickolaus/Sones     Wlm. & Mary
5.  Olave/Rodrigues     LSU
9.  Osterloh/Schlukebir Stanford
Team Schedule

Stanford vs. Wisconsin  3:00 pm Thurs.
Quarterfinals   2:00 pm Fri.
Semifinals  1:00 pm Sat.
Championship Noon Sun.
Individual Draw Saturday
All Pac-10 South Honors
Player of the Year  
Katie Schlukebir
First Team
Katie Schlukebir
Lilia Osterloh
Second Team
Sandra De Silva
Anne Kremer
Honorable Mention
Teryn Ashley