Document text
- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Archives Revels Classifieds Real Estate Menu Guide Wedding Weather Subscribe Contact Us April 28, 2005 Underdog SOU off to regionals Raider women’s tennis team the No. 4 seed in a four-team round-robin format By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings Gail Patton is trying to be a realist and an optimist at the same time. The Southern Oregon University women’s tennis coach knows her team must overcome the odds in order to capture the Region I title in Nampa, Idaho, this weekend. Southern Oregon University freshman Jessica Hutson hits a forehand during practice at University Courts on Saturday. The Raiders will be competing in the NAIA Region I Tournament, Friday and Saturday in Nampa, Idaho. Photos by Orville Hector | Ashland Daily Tidings “We’re definitely the underdog this year and our play has been a little up and down,” she said. Patton hopes a major up is on the horizon, however. The Raiders (8-4) are gunning for what would be the program’s first berth to the NAIA national tournament. To earn it, they’ll have to win the four-team round-robin regional tournament as the No. 4 seed. The field also includes top-seeded and heavy favorite Lewis-Clark State (11-9), No. 2-seeded Alberta (4-2) and No. 3 Albertson (2-3). Lewis-Clark State is the nine-time defending regional champion and will be SOU’s first opponent when the meet begins Friday. “They really, in our region, have had a fairly tight lock on things with their ability to recruit international players, but we’re going to give them a run for their money,” Patton said. After facing LCSC at 9 a.m., the Raiders will take on Alberta at 3:30 p.m. SOU plays Albertson last at 9 a.m. Saturday. The Raiders planned to take part in their final practice on their home courts this morning before catching a plane in Medford bound for Idaho. Usually, the team makes the long trek by bus, but Patton said she found a good deal to go by air, a switch she says will eliminate the drag that comes with a long road trip. SOU freshman Kate Lindstrom powers back a forehand during Saturday�s practice. SOU enters the tournament on a bit of a hot streak — four straight dual meet victories. It unloaded on the Oregon State club team 9-0 last weekend in its final regional tune-up. Patton said she used the same lineup against OSU that she plans on using at regionals. While SOU has had a successful regular season, it lost its lone encounter against a league foe, 5-4 to host Albertson back on March 12. “We feel like we’re ready for a rematch,” Patton said. The Raiders are led by sophomore sensation Annie Chaney, an all-court player who’s 20-1 overall and unbeaten in singles play. Chaney also teams with Nicole Nakamu to make up SOU’s No. 1 doubles team. Nakamu plays No. 2 singles, Danielle Farber is SOU’s No. 3 singles player and Michelle Jordan plays at the No. 4 singles spot. Farber and Jessica Hutson (No. 6 singles) make up the Raiders’ No. 2 doubles team and the Jordan-Rachael Malapit (No. 5 singles) combo is the No. 3 doubles team. Chaney and Farber are the only Raiders with regional experience. Both played on last year’s squad, which took third at regionals for the third straight year. Complete tournament results will be posted at www.albertson.edu/athlete/wtennis/2005REGIONAL.htm. Sports editor Joe Zavala can be reached at 482-3456 ext. 3020 or [email protected] DailyTidings.com Home Page Archives | Revels | Classifieds | Real Estate Guide | Weather | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2005 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Deep Muscle Stimulator Ceramic Piggy Banks FREE Entertainment Guide Women's & Men's Slippers Accelerate Weightloss Products Backpacks Online Pharmacy Vegas Travel Guide Search Engine Optimization Student Loans Hotel & Airline Reservations Hammocks Water Filter Helzberg Diamonds Online Casinos Community Bonus Casino Mortgage Calculator Security Systems Mailing Lists Click Here Advertisement .:Advertisements:. Site Search: RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams