April 13, 2009

Final Stats

DURHAM, N.C. - The Kennesaw State women's tennis team ended its most prolific Division I season on a high note Saturday, earning its second-straight 7-0 decision and fourth-straight win after cruising past North Carolina Central in the season finale.

"Finishing the season with our second straight sweep was great," said Kennesaw State Head Coach Brandon Padgett on the strong finish. "I am very proud of this year's team, as we made excellent strides this season."

With the win, the Owls finished the season with an 11-9 overall record and a 6-3 mark against the Atlantic Sun Conference, both school D-I records. Though not eligible to compete in the conference tournament because they are still in the transition period, the Owls finished fifth in the regular season against the A-Sun, another school best.

The 11 wins are the most since the 2002-03 season when the Owls were members of the Peach Belt Conference, while the six wins against the conference tripled their total from last season. The four-match winning streak is also the Owls first in over three seasons.

A number of Owls also completed the season with new school Division I records. Vera Shkundina won 6-0, 6-1 on Saturday to record her fifth-straight win at No. 1. Her 15-4 dual match record is the best-ever for an Owl at the D-I level, as are her 15 wins at No. 1 singles .

Agatha Palider and MacKenzie Swindall also put a cap on stellar seasons, each earning straight-set wins after moving up in the lineup. Palider moved from her usual spot at No. 5 to No. 3, winning 6-1, 6-0 over Tatiana Velasquez. Swindall moved up to No. 4, overcoming Monica Medina 6-0, 7-5 .

Both Palider and Swindall finished the spring dual season with double-digit wins, joining Shkundina as the only Owls in D-I history to do so. Palider finished 13-4 after winning her last four matches, while Swindall won her last five to finish 12-4. Both players set records for wins at their respective singles positions, with Palider finishing 8-1 at No. 5 and Swindall finishing 11-2 at No. 6.

Courtney Cox and Lindsay Dillon cracked the Owls lineup for the first time in nearly two months, each winning in convincing fashion to end the season with some positive momentum. Cox stepped in at No. 5 and won 6-3, 6-1, while Dillon defeated Antoinette Spain 6-2, 6-2 at No. 6. Dillon finished the season 3-0 in limited action, earning all three victories in straight-sets. She also paired with Mercedes Cobos for an 8-0 win at No. 3 doubles, sending the Owls lone senior off in perfect fashion.

Rounding out the action for the Owls was Alena Sergeychik who played in the longest match of the day at No. 2. After losing the first set 6-2, Sergeychik climbed back with a 6-2 win of her own in the second before sealing the victory 12-10 in an extended super-tiebreaker.

"I am really looking forward to next season already," added Padgett. "I'm excited about the direction of this team."

Stay tuned to the Kennesaw State Athletics homepage for breaking news on the women's tennis program, including a season review and postseason awards.