MAC WOMEN’S TENNIS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Feb. 1, 2007
Kerry Langworthy - Akron
Sophomore - Harare, Zimbabwe/Gateway HS
Kerry Langworthy’s come-from-behind win at No. 4 singles lifted the Zips to 4-3 victory over Cleveland State in last Friday’s season opener. With the match knotted at 3-all and all eyes on the No. 4 singles competition, Langworthy rallied from a 5-2 deficit in the decisive third set to win 4-6, 7-5, 7-5. She teamed with Laura Hemlepp to score a 8-2 victory at the No. 3 doubles position against CSU, helping the Zips win the doubles point for the first time since February 2005. Due to injury, Langworthy was sidelined for Akron’s match at West Virginia on Sunday.
ADDITIONAL NOMINEES
Christine Stromberg - Ball State- Rollingmeadows, Ill./Fremd HS
Stromberg opened the 2007 season with a singles win over Wright State the freshman won her match 6-1, 6-0 in the number six spot. She also managed an 8-4 doubles victory with teammate Jennifer Pollack. Stromberg helped the Cardinals to a 6-1 victory in their opening match. On Sunday despite a loss to DePaul Stromberg was the lone Cardinal to win her singles match by a score of 7-5, 6-2.
Jenna Nussbaum - Bowling Green - Junior - Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South
Nussbaum went 3-1 overall as the Falcons split a pair of matches, losing at Ohio State but sweeping Youngstown State. She teamed with sophomore Kelsey Jakupcin for a doubles victory vs. the Buckeyes, BG’s lone win in the OSU match and then lost a three-set decision vs. Ohio State at the third singles flight. Against YSU, she teamed with Jakupcin for a convincing 8-1 win at the top doubles flight, and posted a 6-1, 6-1 win over Michelle Fuleky of YSU at No. 3 singles.
Katrin Fischer - Buffalo - Senior - Austria/Borg
Fischer was unscored upon in her in singles and doubles matches as the Bulls bested Western New York rival St. Bonaventure, 7-0. Fischer teamed with freshman Diana Toia for an 8-0 third doubles win and then scored a 6-0, 6-0 victory over Vanessa Close at sixth singles.
Nadia Zoubareva - Toledo - Freshman - Lake Bluff/Lake Forest
Is 3-0 so far this season, just joined the team in January. She moved up to the No. 3 spot on Sunday and won 6-0, 6-0.
Noriko Saruta - Western Michigan - Junior - Yamaguchi, Japan/Shukugawa Gakuin
Noriko Saruta compiled a 3-1 record for Western Michigan at the Minnesota Court Classic against Minnesota and No. 62 South Alabama. Saruta won both her singles matches at four singles by defeating Ida Malmberg, the No. 30 ranked player in the Midwest region, of Minnesota 6-4, 6-0 and then knocked off Dijana Stanic of USA 7-6, 6-4. In doubles, Saruta clinched the doubles point against USA with an 8-5 win that propelled WMU to the victory over its nationally-ranked opponent.
This Year’s Honorees
Jan. 17 - Kerstin Pahl, Western Michigan
Jan. 24 - Priyanka Parekh, Western Michigan
Feb. 1 - Kerry Langworthy, Akron