March 11, 2008

Complete Release in PDF Format

IRVING, Texas - UCF's Tarek Ben Soltane is this week's Conference USA Men's Tennis Player of the Week after improving to 6-0 in singles play and 2-0 in doubles with his new partner Blaze Schwartz. Ben Soltane picked up a pair of wins at No. 4 singles and No. 3 doubles, including victories against No. 51 Tennesee Tech. Marshall's Kellie Schmitt is the Women's Tennis Player of the Week. The junior is now 13-1 in singles this season and undefeated (12-0) in doubles after picking up two more wins against Old Dominion and Michigan State. She won both of her singles matches in straight sets.

MEN'S TENNIS PLAYER OF THE WEEK (3/11)
TAREK BEN SOLTANE - UCF
Jr., Tunis, Tunisia (Lycee Calmette)
Ben Soltane is now 6-0 in singles play this season, along with improving to 2-0 in doubles this past week with new partner, freshman Blaze Schwartz. Following the Conference USA Shootout, Ben Soltane picked up a pair of wins at No. 4, the first one coming against Georgia State's William Adeimy, 6-1, 6-3, on March 5. Four days later, the junior took on No. 51 Tennessee Tech's Giovanni Vaglietti and handed Vaglietti just his third loss of the season with a 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 decision. In doubles, Ben Soltane won two consecutive matches with Schwartz. The pair defeated Georgia State's Aleksandar Elezovic and Ross Hopper, 8-4, at No. 3. Ben Soltane and Schwartz continued to dominate, knocking off the 51st-ranked Golden Eagles' duo of James Crawford and Mario Gutierrez, 8-1, at No. 3. This is Ben Soltane's first career C-USA honor.

WOMEN'S TENNIS PLAYER OF THE WEEK (3/11)
Kellie Schmitt - Marshall
Jr., Pittsburg, Pa. (Bethel Park)
Schmitt and partner Karolina Soor recorded an 8-2 decision over Nadine Fahoum and Charleen Haarhoff at the top doubles line against Old Dominion. In singles, Schmitt, ranked No. 107 in the latest ITA rankings, took a straight-set decision over Haarhoff, 6-0, 6-0, also at the No. 1 spot. The No. 16 pair of Schmitt and Soor defeated Christine Bader and Whitney Wilson of Michigan State, 8-4, at the number one position to continue as the Herd's only perfect record at 12-0 so far this season. Schmitt later improved to 13-1 in singles with a straight-set victory against Bader of, 6-2, 7-5, also at No. 1. Schmitt is the lone Herd player with one loss in singles action so far this season. The weekly honor is the third for Schmitt in 2008 (Jan. 22, Jan .29) and the seventh of her career.