Women's Tennis adds five to 2006-07 roster
06/19/2006 | 12:00:00 | Women's Tennis
June 19, 2006
By Shalae Schulte
www.siusalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. - Southern Illinois head women's tennis coach Rene Vidal announces his first recruiting class, adding five athletes to the 2006-07 Saluki roster.
The class includes two junior college transfers, Sabine Tsala Mvilongo and Ame Blacketer, one sophomore, Andrea Courtney and two freshmen, Jessica Flannery and Michela Cruise.
Vidal is looking forward to the upcoming season, and with the blend of juniors, sophomores and freshmen, he feels the team has a high level of maturity and leadership right from the start. The leadership process begins with returning Saluki Amanda Taillefer (Raleigh, N.C.) and continues with incoming juniors Blacketer and Mvilongo.
"To date, I am very excited and impressed regarding the quality of our incoming class," Vidal said. "Recruiting is the foundation of a successful program."
Blacketer, a Lubbock, Texas native, was a member of the Tyler Junior College National Championship team as a freshman. She also earned All-American honors in both singles and doubles, while being named an ITA All-American. As a sophomore she was on the fourth-place doubles and fourth-place overall team at nationals. She finished her junior college career ranked eighth nationally in singles and seventh in doubles. At Coronado High School, Blacketer was a four-time All-District performer in both singles and doubles. As a senior, she was on the 5A State Championship team. She also graduated as the school record-holder for wins in a career.
Sabine comes to SIU from Florida Community College at Jacksonville where she was 45-4 in two years. She also finished second in doubles and singles at FCCAA State. She rounded out her junior college career ranked 18th in singles and 11th in doubles in the NJCCA.
"Both Ame and Sabine have strong track records at two of the top junior college programs in the country," Vidal said. "Not only do they have strong team-oriented backgrounds, but their fathers are accomplished tennis coaches, so they have a unique perspective on the game."
Courtney, a Naperville, Ill. native, spent one year at Western Illinois where she went 8-9 at the number one singles spot. At Neuqua Valley High School, she was a three-time conference champion in the number two position. As a senior she was the conference runner-up at the number one spot, finishing in the top 16 in state singles.
"Andrea brings a lot to the table by way of her experience at Western Illinois and junior tennis background," Vidal said of the incoming sophomore. "Growing up in the Chicago area allowed her to compete against some of the best competition in the country. And at WIU, playing at the top of the lineup at the Division 1 level has made her a more complete player."
A West Palm Beach, Florida native, Cruise claimed a 2004 class 2A Florida State title at the number four position, carrying a 23-0 record. As a senior, she made it to state, losing in the state quaterfinals in individual singles. She is also ranked in the top 50 of the Florida Tennis Association.
Flannery comes to the Salukis via Hamilton, Ohio, where she was the 2002 state doubles champion, a two-time district qualifier and two-time state qualifier at Stephen T. Badin High School. She was a three-time All-Conference First-Team Singles, a 2002 first-team All-State selection and a three-time team MVP.
"Cruise and Flannery each bring proven track records of success at both the junior competitive and high school levels," Vidal said of his incoming freshmen. "Michela has grown up competing in one of the toughest sections in the country, while Jessica has also accomplished much in the Midwest Section, also considered one of the strongest in the country."
"Although we are still actively recruiting to round out the team, the foundation that we have set for a successful program is phenomenal," Vidal added. "More importantly, we've surrounded ourselves with a core group that cares about high performance both on and off the court."
Players Mentioned
