April 17, 2008

Moraga, CA - The No. 49 Saint Mary's women's tennis team will host the 2008 West Coast Conference Championships this weekend, earning a two-seed in the eight-team bracket. The Gaels will look to win their first WCC Championship, as Pepperdine has won the title for the past five years.

The WCC Championship will be held at the Korth Tennis Complex on the Saint Mary's campus, starting on Friday, April 18 at 9:00 am and continuing through Sunday, April 20. The Gaels will face the No. 7 seed Gonzaga in their first round match-up, scheduled for 1:00 pm.

Saint Mary's began the spring with a pre-season ITA ranking of No. 59 and have continued to hold their place among the best in the country, ranking as high as No. 35. The Gaels loaded their schedule with many high caliber teams, facing eight ranked opponents this season, while earning three wins against ranked opponents.

Against WCC opponents this season Saint Mary's has held a 5-1 record. The Gaels faced their first round foes, Gonzaga, earlier this season, sweeping the Bulldogs 7-0. Saint Mary's also topped the Pilots of Portland, 6-1, while sweeping the Bay Area matches with a 3-0 record against San Francisco and Santa Clara. The Gaels' only loss to a WCC opponent came against Loyola Marymount in Southern California, falling in a close battle, 4-3.

Freshman Alex Poorta leads the Gaels in wins this season, posting a 15-5 overall singles record, with all 15 of those coming at the No. 2 position. Not far behind the freshman is senior Stef Ordoveza, posting a 14-6 record at the five and six positions.

In doubles action Saint Mary's has three solid teams, with the freshmen duo of Poorta and Claire Soper topping the list with an 11-3 mark at the No. 3 spot. Jessica Hoath and Nienke Strijbis have been tough competitors at the No. 1 position, posting a 10-8 record. Rounding out the doubles teams are Marah Calvo and Ordoveza, playing solid doubles at the two position, with a 10-8 record.

The WCC Championship is an all-day event, with the first match of each day schedule for 9:00 am and the last match starting at 3:00 pm. For more information and updated results, visit www.SMCGaels.com and click on the WCC Championship central button, located on the homepage and the men's and women's tennis pages.