Syracuse University
DePaul
BIG EAST Tennis Preview: Part Two
4/15/2009 10:13:14 AM | Tennis
BIG EAST Tournament Notes
Tournament Central | 2009 BIG EAST Tournament Bracket
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The Syracuse women's tennis team received the seventh seed in the 2009 BIG EAST Tournament. The Orange earned a date with 10th-seeded West Virginia on Thursday, April 16 at 9:00 a.m. in the first round. Just like last year, the conference tournament will be hosted by the University of South Florida in Tampa, Fla. The winner of the SU-WVU matchup will take on second-seeded DePaul on Friday, April 17 at 9:00 a.m.
Orange Capsules by Rank
No. 1 – Freshman Emily Harman has shouldered the weight of playing as the top singles players in 18-of-20 singles matches as a first-year member. Harman is 12-6 at the top spot and 2-0 as the No. 2 singles player. The Petersburg, W.Va. native arrives in Tampa with a seven-match winning streak. The rookie sensation is one of two Orange to possess a 9-2 BIG EAST singles mark. Harman has paired up with sophomore Christina Tan at the No. 1 doubles spot and amassed a team-best 16-4 record. Harman and Tan are 8-3 in league play and have won eight of their last 10 outings together. Overall, Harman has compiled a first-rate mark of 30-10 (.750).
No. 2 – Sophomore Christina Tan has shown marked improved from her rookie campaign, putting together a 29-11 (.725) overall record at the No. 2 singles post and part of the No. 1 doubles squad. Tan, who served as the BIG EAST's lone freshman captain last year, has taken on the responsibility of the No. 2 singles player well. Tan has gone 11-7 as the No. 2 player and won both singles matches when penciled in at the No. 1 spot. Tan is tied with Harman for the best BIG EAST singles record (9-2) and gears up for West Virginia having won six of her last 10 matches. Tan comprises the other half of SU's top doubles duet with a 16-4 record. Last season, Tan carried the No. 1 singles torch throughout the regular season and was slotted in all three doubles positions. Tan went 21-28 (.428) last season.
No. 3 – Sophomore Simone Kalhorn is tied with Harman for the longest winning streak on the team with seven victories. Kalhorn is also 8-2 in her last 10 jaunts. Head coach Luke Jensen has called upon Kalhorn's services in both the three, four and five spots, but has most recently found her niche in the third spot. Kalhorn is 14-6 (.700), overall, in singles play with an 8-4 mark in the third slot. Kalhorn has nestled in nicely with freshman Alessondra Parra as part of the No. 3 doubles team, assembling an 11-6 mark on the season. The No. 3 combination owns a team-best three-match winning streak. On the whole, Kalhorn is 27-12 (.692) this year, surpassing last year's mark of 15-34 (.306).
No. 4 – Freshman Alessondra Parra is another one of Jensen's freshman that has made an immediate impact with her attitude and tenacity on the court. Parra is 11-7 (.611) in singles action with a 6-2 label at the No. 3 position and a 5-5 mark as the No. 4 player. After partnering up with Kalhorn, Parra bumped up her overall rookie record to 23-13 (.639), with a 12-6 record in doubles play. Parra is 5-5 in her last 10 singles matches and 6-4 when playing with Kalhorn.
No. 5 – Junior Ashley Spicer, who was named Syracuse's most valuable player in 2008, has spread her veteran services across the fourth, fifth and sixth singles spots this season, totaling a 13-7 (.650) solo record. Spicer has paired with classmate Chelsea Jones as the No. 2 doubles team in all 20 matches, collecting a 15-5 mark. Spicer's 28-12 (.700) overall record prodded her career total over the .500 mark (69-60). Spicer owns the most career wins of any member on the Orange and her 26 victories last season were second most on the squad. The Round Rock, Texas native transferred to Syracuse from Washington State after her freshman season, winning 15 total matches in Pullman, Wash. Spicer is 5-5 in her previous 10 matches leading up to the tournament and 6-4 with Jones. Spicer has strung together singles winning streaks of seven and five matches in singles action.
No. 6 – Junior Chelsea Jones arrives in Tampa boasting the Orange's best singles mark of 15-5 (.750). Jones' identical doubles record with Spicer yielded her a tying team-best effort of 30 total wins (Harman, 30 wins). Jones is the only member of SU to have played all three years under Jensen's administration. Jones finished above the .500 point last year with a 25-23 (.521) record and is just four victories shy of drawing even in her career total (63-67). Jones' last singles win at St. John's denoted her 130th career match for the Orange. Jones is 7-3 in her last 10 singles outings and 6-4 when teamed with Spicer. Last season, Jones was named Syracuse's most improved player.
Sophomore Jacquelynn Tang has played in two singles matches and three doubles tests this season, winning all five instances. Tang won both of her matches handily in the No. 6 solo spot at home against Connecticut and Providence. In the season opener, Tang buddied up with Parra for a win at the No. 3 position. In her other two doubles triumphs, Tang won with Kalhorn in the home opener against Niagara and Connecticut. Tang is one of four Orange over the .500 mark for her career (28-26 / .519).
Career Figures
With all of Syracuse's success this year, the Orange's career totals received a nice boost. Spicer has won the most singles matches of any player with 69 and is in search of her 70th victory in her 130th career match in the BIG EAST Tournament.
Jones and Harman both put their stamp on a 30-win season this year. Jones need seven more wins for her 70th career while Harman has established a solid base to break numerous Syracuse records with three more years in her future.
Tan's nail-biting singles victory at St. John's counted for her 50th career win. Kalhorn needs eight more wins to reach the 50th career benchmark.
Boost for the 'Cuse
The 2008-09 team has made big strides in both BIG EAST and overall records from last season. This year's Orange bunch collected an overall mark, including both singles and doubles decisions, of 127-53 for a 70.6 winning percentage. Last season, Syracuse went 110-109 for a 50.2 winning rate.
In doubles play last year, SU has a sub-.500 record of 32-43 (.427). This season, Syracuse put together a sterling mark of 45-15 (.750).
