After a record-breaking 2006 season, the SMU women’s tennis team is looking forward to an even bigger season in 2007. Former assistant coach Lauren Longbotham will continue as the head coach for the squad, which has five returning players and four fresh faces.
New to the Hilltop are freshmen Hillary Collins of La Quinta, Calif., Pavis Francis of Lewisville, Claire Reitsch of Laguna Beach, Calif., and Natasha Rudnouskaya of Minsk. Collins was ranked No. 2 in Southern California and was in the Top 20 in California at age 18. Francis was the Texas Open Singles Champion and was ranked No. 14 nationally. Her training with the well-known Dave Anderson at the Brookhaven Tennis Academy should prepare her for the big competition in collegiate tennis. Also highly decorated is Reitsch, who was ranked No. 1 nationally for doubles and has recorded ten national doubles championships. In singles, she was ranked No. 28 nationally. The newest international addition, Rudnouskaya, was ranked No. 1 in her native country in Belarus. She also has more than 20 international championship titles under her belt.
The all-star freshman lineup will only add to an already strong lineup. At the top of the roster are All-Conference USA players Kristen Reid, a sophomore, and senior Georgiana Marta. In 2006, Marta played consistently at No. 3, posting an 11-match win streak near the end of the season. A fighter, Marta is prone to long matches, going 5-1 in three set matches last season. Reid spent the majority of 2006 playing at No. 4 for the Mustangs. The Mckinney, native won 11 of her last 15 matches and went undefeated in doubles at the C-USA championships with partner Monica Neveklovska.
In addition to Marta, Jennifer Chay is the team’s only other senior. Chay saw action in 18 matches last season, mainly at the No. 2 and No. 3 singles positions. This fall, she won the Grey Singles consolation bracket at the Rice Invitational.
The Mustangs’ No. 1 player returns this year ready and willing to play after a successful fall season. Natalia Bubien of Warsaw spent 2006 playing No. 1 and No. 2 for SMU and partnering with former Mustang Svetlana Kouzmenko at the No. 1 doubles position. Kouzmenko has since graduated, but will return as the graduate assistant coach for SMU during the 2007 season.
The spring season officially kicks off Jan. 27 when the Mustangs host a double-header against the women of the University of Texas-Arlington and UT-San Antonio. Home matches will be held at local tennis facilities during the rebuilding of Haggar Tennis Complex.
