April 18, 2006

St. Louis - Saint Louis has been tabbed as the seventh seed for the 2006 Atlantic 10 Conference Women's Tennis Championship that begins on Fri., Apr. 21, at the Club 4 Life indoor courts in Monroeville, Pa. The Billikens will square off against 10th-seeded Dayton at 7 a.m. (CT) with the winner of that match playing at 2:30 p.m. (CT) versus No. 2 Charlotte.

SLU, which enters the weekend with a 13-8 overall record, has enjoyed one of its better seasons in recent history. The Billikens' 13 wins is the most since the 1997 team posted 14 wins. SLU also put together nine consecutive wins this season, the most since the 1997 squad began the season with 11 straight.

"I think this team is in a great position to surprise some people at the conference tournament," coach Jonathan Zych said. "I believe we have the talent and ability to be one of the top three teams in the conference. We have achieved the goals we set for ourselves in the regular season, and we look to continue our success at the conference tournament."

Amanda Hellberg, playing at mainly first singles, leads the team with a 16-5 record, which includes a win against a ranked opponent from Missouri State. "Amanda has proved she can compete with the best in the country," Zych said. "She showcases world-class strokes and has a great work ethic. She is a great player now, and will only get better as her career progresses."

Katerina Lozanova, who has missed time this season due to injury, enters the A-10s with a 6-7 record and will play at No. 2 singles. "Katerina's skill level is extremely high, perhaps the highest on the team," Zych said. "I expect her to be tough to beat at the top of the lineup."

Ana Renda, who missed all of the fall season and the beginning of spring action as she recovered from off-season knee surgery, has posted an 8-2 record playing primarily in the middle of the lineup. Zych likes her chances at the No. 3 position this weekend. "I have been very impressed with the way she came back from her injury," Zych said. "It takes a lot of match experience to come back from something like that, and I think she just going to get stronger and stronger after each match she plays."

Tara Grant has posted a 7-13 record playing primarily in the middle of the lineup. Zych plans to use her in the No. 4 singles position. "I know she can consistently win in the No. 4 spot," Zych said. "She is a great all-around player, it is just a matter of her putting it all together."

Rachel McCullagh will try to build on her 11-9 overall record while playing out of the No. 5 position at the A-10 Tournament. "Rachel is one of the more consistent players on the team and plays a very impressive volley," Zych said. "It is important to have a strong anchor at the bottom of our lineup, and that is exactly what Rachel is for us."

Jo Becker has posted a 6-9 record playing in the middle of the lineup. She has been playing in the United States only four months and Zych is excited about her potential. "Jo faced a difficult transition from the clay courts she was used to in Germany to the faster style of play here," Zych said. "She has worked hard physically and is becoming a better and better player every day."

Caitlin Bokulic, who should see time at No. 3 doubles, and Lauren Page have also been solid contributors during the regular season and will be available should their services be needed. Bokulic has six wins in singles play, and Page has a 2-0 record at the No. 6 position. "Caitlin and Lauren both add a lot of intangibles to the team," Zych said. "Both demonstrate tremendous work ethic and do a good job of finding ways to contribute."

A year ago, Richmond downed Massachusetts to claim its third Atlantic 10 crown in four years. Richmond is seeded first for the Championship with Charlotte seeded second. The rest of the field is Xavier (third), Massachusetts (fourth), Duquesne (fifth), George Washington (sixth), Saint Louis (seventh), Temple (eighth), Fordham (ninth), Dayton (10th), Rhode Island (11th), Saint Joseph's (12th), La Salle (13th), St. Bonaventure (14th).