TEMPE, Ariz.--- Another spring has come and gone for Sun Devil Women's Tennis, who are freshly removed from a 36th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and a 15-win campaign.
A trio of newcomers, including Emilija Tverijonaite who led the team in singles wins with 15, plus a core of upperclassmen, helped the Sun Devils make it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
For the second consecutive spring, the Sun Devils caught fire when they needed it most, closing out the regular season on a six-match win streak (No. 61 Oregon, Washington State, No. 25 Washington, No. 48 Utah, No. 75 Colorado and No. 39 Arizona).
The Sun Devils began the spring winning four of their first five matches. Their first loss came at the ITA Kickoff Weekend to No. 13 Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio. The Sun Devils hosted the Buckeyes on February 25, where the Sun Devils upset No. 7 Ohio State in a 4-1 victory for their first win over the Buckeyes since 1990.
The Sun Devils qualified for their 36th consecutive NCAA Tournament, a streak dating back to the 1988 season.
It wasn't the kind of run they anticipated, as they were bounced in the opening round of the Pac-12 Tournament to Cal (5-0). In the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, the Sun Devils defeated Northwestern in comeback fashion with a 4-3 win. Up 1-0 against Pepperdine after taking the doubles point, the Sun Devils couldn't close out the Waves, who stormed back by winning four of the six singles matches.
Though that concluded the team portion of the spring schedule, attention shifted to the Chelsea Fontenel/Patricija Spaka duo, who were one of 32 tandems selections for the second consecutive spring. The Sun Devils were bested by No. 4 Alina Shcherbinina/Dana Guzman (Oklahoma), 6-0, 6-1, in the Round of 32.
RANK 'EM
All spring long, the Sun Devils found themselves ranked in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's (ITA) team, singles and doubles polls. They were ranked as high as the No. 23 team in the nation, while the Domenika Turkovic/Patricija Spaka duo were ranked as best as No. 27 in the nation.
Two Sun Devils earned ITA singles rankings at some point this spring, highlighted by Giulia Morlet's listing at No. 54:
Morlet, No. 75
Tverijonaite, No. 82
Turkovic/Spaka entered the postseason listed as the No. 32 doubles team, while the Sun Devils rounded out the spring campaign at No. 26 in the country.
After Four Decades of Success, Sun Devil Women's Tennis Coach Sheila McInerney Retiring
After four decades as a Sun Devil head coach, Sheila McInerney announced her retirement on May 7. In her 40-year career with ASU, McInerney compiled a 589-350 record, eight NCAA Quarterfinals appearances and 49 All-Americans. Additionally, she not only led the team to 36 straight NCAA Tournament appearances but made it to the big dance in all but one year as head coach.
"Four decades of my life have been dedicated to Sun Devil women's tennis and Sun Devil athletics, and I am very thankful for those that made it a wonderful time. There have been countless student-athletes, assistant coaches, and staff who have helped me and I plan to take time now and thank as many as I can,'' says McInerney, who exits Arizona State with more years as a head coach than any Sun Devil mentor. "No retirement in coaching is easy, because there is much I will miss, and that includes some great people, but now is the time for me to step aside and watch Sun Devil Athletics in a different way. The changing landscape in college athletics is a perfect time for our program to move forward in a new direction and no one understands that better than me. I am ready for retirement, and I look forward to spending many days ahead enjoying all the things in life that maybe one can't while coaching."
More Information
Sun Devil Women's Tennis Postseason Results | Year-by-Year Results
A trio of newcomers, including Emilija Tverijonaite who led the team in singles wins with 15, plus a core of upperclassmen, helped the Sun Devils make it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
For the second consecutive spring, the Sun Devils caught fire when they needed it most, closing out the regular season on a six-match win streak (No. 61 Oregon, Washington State, No. 25 Washington, No. 48 Utah, No. 75 Colorado and No. 39 Arizona).
The Sun Devils began the spring winning four of their first five matches. Their first loss came at the ITA Kickoff Weekend to No. 13 Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio. The Sun Devils hosted the Buckeyes on February 25, where the Sun Devils upset No. 7 Ohio State in a 4-1 victory for their first win over the Buckeyes since 1990.
The Sun Devils qualified for their 36th consecutive NCAA Tournament, a streak dating back to the 1988 season.
It wasn't the kind of run they anticipated, as they were bounced in the opening round of the Pac-12 Tournament to Cal (5-0). In the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, the Sun Devils defeated Northwestern in comeback fashion with a 4-3 win. Up 1-0 against Pepperdine after taking the doubles point, the Sun Devils couldn't close out the Waves, who stormed back by winning four of the six singles matches.
Though that concluded the team portion of the spring schedule, attention shifted to the Chelsea Fontenel/Patricija Spaka duo, who were one of 32 tandems selections for the second consecutive spring. The Sun Devils were bested by No. 4 Alina Shcherbinina/Dana Guzman (Oklahoma), 6-0, 6-1, in the Round of 32.
RANK 'EM
All spring long, the Sun Devils found themselves ranked in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's (ITA) team, singles and doubles polls. They were ranked as high as the No. 23 team in the nation, while the Domenika Turkovic/Patricija Spaka duo were ranked as best as No. 27 in the nation.
Two Sun Devils earned ITA singles rankings at some point this spring, highlighted by Giulia Morlet's listing at No. 54:
Morlet, No. 75
Tverijonaite, No. 82
Turkovic/Spaka entered the postseason listed as the No. 32 doubles team, while the Sun Devils rounded out the spring campaign at No. 26 in the country.
After Four Decades of Success, Sun Devil Women's Tennis Coach Sheila McInerney Retiring
After four decades as a Sun Devil head coach, Sheila McInerney announced her retirement on May 7. In her 40-year career with ASU, McInerney compiled a 589-350 record, eight NCAA Quarterfinals appearances and 49 All-Americans. Additionally, she not only led the team to 36 straight NCAA Tournament appearances but made it to the big dance in all but one year as head coach.
"Four decades of my life have been dedicated to Sun Devil women's tennis and Sun Devil athletics, and I am very thankful for those that made it a wonderful time. There have been countless student-athletes, assistant coaches, and staff who have helped me and I plan to take time now and thank as many as I can,'' says McInerney, who exits Arizona State with more years as a head coach than any Sun Devil mentor. "No retirement in coaching is easy, because there is much I will miss, and that includes some great people, but now is the time for me to step aside and watch Sun Devil Athletics in a different way. The changing landscape in college athletics is a perfect time for our program to move forward in a new direction and no one understands that better than me. I am ready for retirement, and I look forward to spending many days ahead enjoying all the things in life that maybe one can't while coaching."
More Information
Sun Devil Women's Tennis Postseason Results | Year-by-Year Results