Sam Houston Falls Short In SLC Tourney
For the second day in a row, the No. 6 seeded Sam Houston women’s tennis team left everything on the court in a Southland Conference championships dual match thriller in Beaumont.
Friday, the Bearkats upset No. 3 seed Lamar 4-3 in the tournament first round.
Saturday in the semifinals, Sam Houston was on the brink of another upset against No. 2 seed A&M-Corpus Christi but could not close out the match.
The Islanders won 4-2 to advance to the Southland women’s finals against No. 4 seed Northwestern State.
The Demons defeated No. 1 seed and regular season champion Southeastern Louisiana in the other semifinal.
Due to the threat of rain, the two teams played singles first instead of doubles.
Tayna Postnikova put Sam Houston up 1-0 with a 6-4 6-0 victory over Doris Kuselj.
Stefania Nicolae, Sandra Burges and Celia Rodriguez all won in straight sets in the No. 3, 4 and 5 singles to put A&M-Corpus Christi up 3-1.
Nadia Dudyanskaya kept the Kats alive with a 7-6 6-0 victory over Mia Matuszak at No. 6 singles.
Sheridan Currie was Sam Houston’s last hope to force doubles play.
Currie lost the first set 6-4 Maider Martin but won the second set 6-4 and was up 4-3 in the third.
After a nearly 20-minute ninth game in the third however, Martin finally went up 5-4 and held on to win the No. 2 singles and the match.
A victory would have put Sam Houston in its first Southland Conference tournament finals.
“The past two days, our young women showed what they were made of,” Sam Houston head coach Jim Giachino said. “They fought for every point. It was just a great effort. Congratulations to A&M-Corpus Christi for their gutty performance as well.”
TEXAS A&M-CORPUS CHRISTI def. SAM HOUSTON STATE 4-2
Beaumont Municipal Tennis Center
DOUBLES
NOT PLAYED
SINGLES
No. 1 – Tatyana Postnikova (SHSU) def. Doris Kuselj (TAMUCC) 6-4, 6-0
No. 2 – Maider Martin (TAMUCC) def. Sheridan Currie (SHSU) 6-4, 4-6, 6-4
No. 3 – Stefania Nicolae (TAMUCC) def. Imke Jagau (SHSU) 6-1, 6-3
No. 4 – Sandra Burges (TAMUCC) def. Natalie Petaia (SHSU) 6-2, 6-4
No. 5 – Celia Delgado Rodriguez (TAMUCC) def. Maddie Mortimore (SHSU) 6-2, 6-3
No. 6 – Nadia Dubyanskaya (SHSU) def. Mia Matuszak (TAMUCC) 7-6, 6-0
Bearkats Pulls Off Shocker Over Cardinals
Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information
Freshman Maddie Mortimore fought off leg cramps in the third set to win the No. 5 singles 6-3 3-6 6-3 to cap the Bearkat women’s tennis team a 4-3 upset win over Lamar.
Mortimore’s victory put the winning point on the board as No. 6 seeded Sam Houston knocked off No. 3 seed Lamar on the Cardinals’ home court in the first round of the Southland Women’s Tennis Championship Friday in Beaumont.
The Bearkats now advance to face No. 2 seed Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in the semifinals.
It was a day full of drama with ups and downs for both teams.
Sam Houston earned early break points in two of the doubles pro sets but ended up losing the doubles point as Lamar won at No. 1 and 2 and the No. 3 match was abandoned.
The Bearkats, who lost four matches by narrow 4-3 matches this season, had never come back for a conference win after dropping the doubles point in 2013.
Seniors Tanya Postnikova and Nadia Dubyanskaya won at No. 1 and No. 6 singles. Postnikova defeated Carolina Salas 6-2 7-5 and Dubyanskaya battled to a 6-3 2-6 6-3 win.
The Bearkats’ first singles win came at No. 4 singles when Lamar’s Natalia Mayagoliti was forced to retire after injuring her knee at No. 4 singles. Mayagoliti was up 4-0 in the first set when the injury occurred. She tried to continue after an injury time out but retired with the score 4-1.
Sheridan Currie served for the No. 2 singles match at 6-2 5-4 but Carolina Maso battled back to win in three. After the Cardinals’ Dariya Dashutina downed Imke Jagau at No. 4, it was up to the Russian seniors.
Dubyanskaya won first to tie the match at 3-3. Battling leg craps, Mortimore took an injury time out at 4-3 then won the final two games to pull off the win.
The victory marks the second year in a row Sam Houston women’s tennis has knocked off a top seed to advance to the semifinals. The Kats knocked off No. 2 seed Texas State 4-3 in last year’s tournament.
FIRST ROUND SOUTHLAND TOURNAMENT RESULTS
SAM HOUSTON 4, LAMAR 3
DOUBLES
No. 1 – Carolina Salas/Helene Czudek (LU) def. Tatyana Postnikova/Nadia Dubyanskaya (SHSU), 8-6
No. 2 – Carolina Maso/Natalia Mayagoitia (LU) def. Sheridan Currie/Natalie Petaia (SHSU) 8-3
No. 3 – Alicia Porte/Dariya Dashutina (LU) vs. Maddie Mortimore/Imke Jagau (SHSU) DNF
SINGLES
No. 1 – Tatyana Postnikova (SHSU) def. Carolina Salas (LU) 6-2, 7-5
No. 2 – Carolina Maso (LU) def. Sheridan Currie (SHSU) 2-6, 7-5, 6-1
No. 3 – Dariya Dashutina (LU) def. Imke Jagau (SHSU) 6-1, 6-4
No. 4 – Natalie Petaia (SHSU) def. Natalia Mayagoitia (LU) 1-4, def. (injury)
No. 5 – Maddie Mortimore (SHSU) def. Alicia Porte (LU) 6-2, 2-6, 6-3
No. 6 – Nadia Dubyanskaya (SHSU) def. Helene Czudek (LU) 6-3, 2-6, 6-3
In other singles action Friday, Carolina Maso defeated Sheridan Currie 2-6 7-5 6-1 and Dariya Dashutina won over Imke Jagau 6-1 6-4 at No. 2 and 3 singles, respectively.
Two Bearkats Named To All-Southland Tennis Team
Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information
Maddie Mortimore and Sheridan Currie from Sam Houston have been voted to the 2013 All-Southland Conference women’s tennis team.
Mortimore, a first team selection, also earned honors as 2013 Southland Conference No. 5 singles champion, compiling a perfect 9-0 record at the position.
The Farnham, Surrey product from Great Britian is the first freshman to go unbeaten in Southland Conference play during a complete season in the Bearkats’ 26 seasons in the league.
Mortimore finished the regular season with a 13-5 overall mark and led the Bearkats to their ninth consecutive postseason berth.
Currie, who hails from Perth in Australia, was a second team All-Southland selection. Currie won nine matches in No. 2 singles play.
The 2013 All-Southland Conference women’s tennis teams are comprised of six first-team and six second-team singles members and three first-team and three first-team and three second-team doubles teams.
Teams are chosen by vote of the league’s head coaches and sports information directors. Recipients are placed by the number of votes received.
This year, for the first time, the league is recognizing champions at each singles and doubles position.
Conference champions must have played at least 50 percent of conference matches at that position.
Results are based off winning percentage, then number of wins.
The 2013 Southland women’s tennis championship begins Friday at the Beaumont Municipal Tennis Center in Beaumont, Texas.
Action begins at 11 a.m. and the semifinals matches will be Saturday at 2 p.m.
The championship match is slated for 2 p.m. Sunday afternoon.
No. 6 seed Sam Houston will face No. 3 seed Lamar in the first round Friday.
Conference Champions
No. 1 Singles -Klaudia Gawlik, McNeese State (8-0)
No. 2 Singles- Tatiana Larina, Northwestern State (8-1)
No. 3 Singles- Renee Villarreal, Southeastern Louisiana (7-0)
No. 4 Singles- Valya Rusakova , Southeastern Louisiana (6-0)
No. 5 Singles- Maddie Mortimore , Sam Houston State (9-0)
No. 6 Singles- Isabel Brito, Southeastern Louisiana (6-1)
No. 1 Doubles- Tatiana Larina/Andrea Nedorostova, Northwestern State (7-2)
No. 2 Doubles- Polina Konop/Natalya Krutova, Northwestern State (9-0)
No. 3 Doubles- Maider Martin/Mia Matuszak, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (9-0)
Player of the Year: Klaudia Gawlik – McNeese State
Freshman of the Year: Klaudia Gawlik – McNeese State
Newcomer of the Year: Valya Rusakova – Southeastern Louisiana
Coach of the Year: Jason Hayes – Southeastern Louisiana
First-Team Singles All-Conference
Klaudia Gawlik, McNeese State
Polina Konop, Northwestern State
Renee Villarreal, Southeastern Louisiana
Tatiana Larina, Northwestern State
Madeleine Mortimore, Sam Houston State
Stefania Nicolae, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
Second-Team Singles All-Conference
Malena Gordo, Stephen F. Austin
Sheridan Currie, Sam Houston State
Dariya Dashutina, Lamar
Celia Rodriguez Delgado, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
Carolina Salas, Lamar
Valya Rusakova, Southeastern Louisiana
First-Team Doubles All-Conference
Tatiana Larina/Andrea Nedorostova, Northwestern State
Polina Konop/Nataly Krutova, Northwestern State
Maider Martin/Mia Matuszak, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
Second-Team Doubles All-Conference
Doris Kuselj/Stefania Nicolae, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
Malena Gordo/Julia Lorca, Stephen F. Austin
Carolina Salas/Helene Czudek, Lamar
White House Correspondent Inspires SHSU Students
By Cheval John
Ann Compton shared her life experience as a White House Correspondent to the capacity crowd in the James and Nancy Gaertner Performing Arts Center.
Compton was the main guest for the President’s Speaker Series, a semi-annual event that brings prominent leaders to the Sam Houston State University campus to bring a message of substance that will influence the student’s lives.
This year’s event was planned and produced by the Office of the President and Priority One Public Relations, a class within the Mass Communication Department that gives students “hands-on” experience in preparation for their future careers in public relations.
“It’s been a great experience,” Jennifer Johnston, one of the 11 members of Priority One said. “I think we executed the event as well as we could.”
Many in the crowd felt that Compton was personable and humble even though she has covered seven U.S. Presidents for four decades as a reporter.
“I thought she was really good,” Mass Comm student Chelsie Homer said. “She seemed real and open.”
When SHSU President Dana Gibson, Ph.D, moderator along with Priority One faculty advisor Peter Roussel, asked about her thoughts on the students of Sam Houston, Compton shared her personal connection with the university that brought a round of applause.
“I’m married to Dr. William Stevenson Hughes,” Compton said. “He always tells me that he was named after his favorite great aunt by the name of Lizzie Stevenson, who was the great niece of the university, Sam Houston.”
Compton noted that the coverage of the White House has changed over the last 60 years.
“It has changed dramatically,” Compton said. “The instantaneous in technology has made it even harder for the evening news and newpapers because by the time you pick up the paper on your doorstep the next morning, everyone already knows it.
Compton shared her story of being the only broadcast reporter on board Air Force One during the 9/11 attacks and how it hit home for her when her eldest son’s fraternity brother was on the 91st floor in the first tower when the first plane hit.
“At that instant, a day that has been doomsday scenario with burning buildings, people fleeing, panic and terror had a human face,” Compton said. “The young man who got his internship with a fancy Wall Street company, never knew what hit him. I sat down and cried.”
After that brief moment, Compton stressed that no matter what line of work, whether it’s media or business, a person must be able to write.
“Writing is the single most important tool you can have in any career,” Compton said. “It’s a lifelong career growth.”
She also urged students to get an internship because it will allow them to find out if the field that they were pursuing, whether it’s business, teaching, etc. is what they want to do for the rest of their lives.
“An internship not only will show young people what is out there, but will even show them what they don’t want to do.”
Tucker “Powers” Her Way To SLC “Hitter Of The Week”
Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information
Third baseman Shelbi Tucker, who led Sam Houston to the Bearkats’ second Southland Conference series sweep of the 2013 season, was named Monday as the league’s softball “hitter of the week.”
The Kats kept pace with league leaders McNeese State and Northwestern State in the Southland race by sweeping Nicholls State with 8-7, 5-4 and 11-2 victories.
In the series-opening doubleheader, Tucker accounted for both game-winning hits including a walk-off home run in the first game to cap the Bearkats’ comeback to win 8-7 after trailing 7-3.
In the second game of the doubleheader, the senior from Montgomery knocked a three-RBI triple in the sixth inning with Sam Houston trailing 4-2 to give the Bearkats the 5-4 win.
For the weekend, Tucker hit .778 (7-for-9) with a home run, a triple and five RBI while scoring five runs.
She slugged an impressive 1.333 percent while recording an on-base percentage of .800.
Sam Houston State will close out its 2013 regular season schedule this week with a 4 p.m. non-conference doubleheader with Texas Southern and a Southland showdown series with first place McNeese State Saturday and Sunday.
First pitch both days for the Cowgirls series is 1 p.m.
Saturday will be a doubleheader while Sunday is a single game.