MAC WOMEN’S TENNIS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Samantha Kintzel ? Bowling Green
Freshman - Libertyville, Ill./Libertyville H.S.
Kintzel was a perfect 4-0 as the Falcons won two MAC matches by identical 5-2 scores over the weekend. She won two singles matches at the number-two flight, and teamed with senior Ashley Jakupcin for two victories at the number-three doubles flight.
On Friday, Kintzel helped the Falcosn to a 5-2 win over Miami. She and Jakupcin downed the MU team of McPhillips and Douple in a tiebreaker to help BG take the doubles point. She then posted a convincing win over Leda Pesatova, losing only three games in the process (6-1, 6-2). The Falcons’ win over Miami was only BG’s fourth in the history of the series, spanning 33 dual matches.
Saturday, Kintzel again teamed with Jakupcin for a third-flight doubles win, this time by an 8-4 result, to help the Falcons take the doubles point. At the second flight, she defeated BSU’s Haly Calderwood in three sets (6-4, 2-6, 6-4). With the Falcons leading the overall match, 3-2, and needing a win in one of the remaining two singles matches, Kintzel rallied from a 3-0 deficit in the third set to top Calderwood.
ADDITIONAL NOMINEES
Christine Stromberg ? Ball State
Freshman - Rollingmeadows, Ill/Fremd
Stromberg captured a 6-2, 7-6 (2) road win at Bowling Green on Saturday at No. 4 singles. Stromberg also won her doubles match at the No. 2 spot with teammate Jennifer Pollack, 8-5.
Denise Harijanto - Buffalo
Freshman - Jakarta, Indonesia
Harijanto helped the Bulls to a 7-0 victory over MAC rival Akron on Friday and allowed just two games against her. Harijanto, a freshman playing second singles, defeated Akron's Jenna Larson, 6-2, 6-0, for her 18th win of the year. She also paired with Andreea Novaecanu for an 8-0 win at first doubles for her 20th doubles triumph of the year.
Yana Parfenyuk ? Eastern Michigan
Senior - Ominsk, Russia/School #64
Parfenyuk posted wins at both singles and doubles vs. Northern Illinois. Parfenyuk defeated Northern Illinois' Nao Umemura 6-2, 6-0 at No. 3 singles and teamed with Vanessa Frankowski at No. 1 doubles for an 8-4 victory.
Martina Wodzinski - Toledo
Freshman - Wayne, IL/Bartlett
Previous Week’s Record: (singles/doubles): 1-0/1-0
Wodzinski won both of her matches this weekend against Northern Illinois to help the Rockets achieve their third win the MAC.
Noriko Saruta ?Western Michigan
Junior - Yamaguchi, Japan/Shukugawa Gakuin
Saruta went undefeated (4-0) for Western Michigan in a pair of 7-0 conference victories over Ball State and Miami playing No. 1 doubles with Ashley Moccia and No. 4 singles. Saruta and Moccia won 8-0 against Ball State and 8-4 against Miami. Saruta won 6-3, 6-3 against Christine Stromberg of Ball State and 6-2, 6-1 against Kristen McPhillips of Miami. With her four wins last weekend, Saruta increased her career victory total to 156 overall wins with a winning percentage of .726.