May 8, 2002
ON TAP: The 10th-ranked Arizona State women's tennis team (13-7) will host their fourth consecutive NCAA first and second round regional, Saturday and Sun day, May 11-12. In first round action, the Sun Devils will play Southwest Missouri State (16-6) on Saturday at 12:00 noon, while 19th-ranked Arizona (11-10) will face San Diego State (18-8) at 8:00 a.m. The two winners will then square off in the second round on Sunday at 10:00 a.m. with the champion advancing to the Round of 16 in Stanford, California, May 16.
REGIONAL NOTES: ASU will be making its 17th NCAA regional appearance in the past 18 season ... ASU is 6-0 in regional play since they first hosted in 1999 ... ASU has advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals in six of the last 10 season, including the past two years.
ALL-PAC-10 HONORS: Junior Adria Engel was selected to the All-Pac-10 first team, while Dora Krstulovic earned honorable mention status. Engel, a junior from Glen Ellyn, Illinois, earned her second straight first team honor. She is currently ranked 17th in the country in singles and posted a 21-14 overall singles record. Engel plays at the No. 1 singles position, recording a 12-8 mark this season. Krstulovic, a sophomore form Split, Croatia, was an honorable mention selection after posting a 15-5 overall record at the No. 2 singles position. Krstulovic is ranked 27th in singles and posted a team-high 9-4 mark against Pac-10 opponents. Engel and Krstulovic also team together to form the Sun Devils' top doubles pair. The tandem is currently ranked 11th in the country with a 10-8 record.
HOME SWEET HOME: Over the past five seasons, Arizona State holds an impressive 60-17 (.779) overall dual record at the Whiteman Tennis Center. ASU is 23-5 (.821) dating back to last season.
HEAD COACH SHEILA McINERNEY: Sheila McInerney is in her 18th season at the helm of the Sun Devil program after leading her team to its sixth quarterfinal NCAA appearance in 10 years. ASU has made NCAA tournaments in 17 of McInerney's 18 seasons. ASU highlights from 2001 include a 20-6 overall record (McInerney's third 20-plus win season and her highest winning percentage as a head coach (.769)), an All-American selection, an All-Conference selection, the school's first Pac-10 Conference singles champion, four players earning national rankings and three academic All-Conference honorees. ASU ended the year as the seventh best team in the country. Additionally, McInerney was selected as the head coach of the 2001 USA Tennis Collegiate team. The USA Tennis Collegiate team, an elite training program for the top American collegiate tennis players, is administered by the USTA and ITA.
SUN DEVILS IN THE RANKINGS: As a team, Arizona State is No. 10 in the Omni Hotels Collegiate Tennis Rankings, administered by the ITA. In singles, Adria Engel is No. 17, while Dora Krstulovic comes in at No. 27. Mhairi Brown moves to No. 73. In doubles, Engel and Krstulovic jump two more spots to No. 11.