Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Saluki Women's Tennis: 2015 Season in Review
05/04/2015 | 12:00:00 | Women's Tennis
By Elizabeth Robinson
SIUSalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. - The Saluki women's tennis team concluded the 2015 season with a 16-10 record, 5-4 in the MVC after the team's semifinal appearance at the MVC Team Championships.
The season was filled with highs and lows, including a record-setting win streak, challenging conference opponents and high-pressure third set matches to determine a winner. With the team's depth and success across the board, the Salukis finished the season fourth in the MVC.
After a win over Morehead State to begin the 2015 campaign, SIU struggled at the onset of the season, falling to challenging opponents in seven straight matches. Three of the seven - Louisville, Arkansas and Oklahoma - were nationally ranked teams.
With a 1-7 record, the Salukis returned to Carbondale to play on their home courts for the first time all season. The home opener resulted in a 5-2 victory over Eastern Illinois, and from there a spark was ignited. The Salukis went on to earn 12 consecutive wins - the longest win streak in SIU women's tennis history.
"That run at home and just how they protected their home court and how they were so comfortable at home, that was really impressive," head coach Audra Anderson said.
The win streak was not an easy feat though. Only three of the 12 were 7-0 sweeps, while four were close 4-3 victories. Early on in SIU's run, the Salukis topped No. 74 ranked Northern Illinois, 4-3, after losing the doubles point and rallying back in singles with a win by senior Ariadna Cairo Baza to seal the match.
Later in the season, the Salukis kept their win streak alive with a thrilling 4-3 victory over Western Kentucky. After sweeping Western Illinois earlier in the day, the outcome of the match against Western Kentucky came down to the wire. With the score tied 3-3, senior Natasha Tomishima's third-set tiebreaker at the No. 1 singles position determined the winner. Despite forearm cramps that required medical attention, Tomishima earned the tiebreaker point to clinch the set, match and win for the Salukis.
"That Western Kentucky win was definitely a defining moment for our season," Anderson said. "A third-set tiebreaker, it doesn't get more exciting than that."
As a result of her match-winning performance, Tomishima was named MVC Women's Tennis Player of the Week, which marked the second time she earned MVC Player of the Week honors in her career, after coming away with Player of the Week in 2013.
Conference play presented more of a challenge for the Salukis, snapping the team's win streak with losses against Wichita State, Northern Iowa and Drake. SIU finished with a 5-4 conference record and entered the MVC tournament ranked fourth. After a 4-2 win over host school Evansville in the first round of play, SIU fell, 4-0, to top-ranked Wichita State who went on to take the MVC title.
This year's team - made of three seniors, two sophomores and four freshmen - saw success across the board, with movement in the doubles and singles positions throughout the season.
"Having that ability to be interchangeable, that was really important," Anderson said. "We wanted the hardest working, most passionate people on the court, so our lineup kept changing."
Sophomore Meagan Monaghan led the Salukis in singles wins, finishing with a 21-17 record at the No. 2 singles spot. In doubles play, Monaghan and senior Natasha Tomishima each finished with 20 wins individually after playing together and earning 18 wins at the No. 1 doubles spot for the majority of the season.
SIU's No. 3 doubles team - senior Ariadna Cairo Baza and Yana Golovkina - had the best conference record of the Salukis, going 6-2 in conference play with their only losses to Wichita State in the regular season and at the conference tournament. The pair earned All-Conference recognition for their success in MVC doubles.
Baza and Golovkina weren't the only Salukis to be recognized by the conference, however. Sophomore Polina Dozortseva and seniors Gisela Cairo Baza and Natasha Tomishima each earned MVC Scholar-Athlete honors, while Ariadna Cairo Baza and Meagan Monaghan earned MVC Scholar-Athlete Honorable Mention.
"As a team, this group was easy to work with, very coachable, very respectful," Anderson said. "You tell them on thing and then you actually see it, and that doesn't happen a lot."
The Salukis celebrated their season last week with a team banquet where awards were voted on by the team and given to individual players. Freshman Vitoria Beirao was selected as Most Improved Player, seniors Natasha Tomishima and Ariadna Cairo Baza were chosen as Most Inspirational Players, and Tomishima earned Most Valuable Player. Senior Gisela Cairo Baza was awared the Saluki Hustle Award, which the team gives to the most all-around hard working player.
With the conclusion of the season, the Salukis will lose Natasha Tomishima, Ariadna Cairo Baza and Gisela Cairo Baza to graduation. The team's youth and depth, however, promises opportunities for growth and success in the future.
"We're still young, so we're really going to push them," Anderson said. "We've got a lot more work to do and we have another level we need to get to, so they just need to be on board."
Players Mentioned
