Ladyjacks Land Team/Individual Regional Rankings
6/20/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
June 20, 2011
The Stephen F. Austin Ladyjacks record-setting season under first-year head coach Patrick Sullivan came to a close two months ago but the honors continue to come pouring in from the 2011 campaign. Junior Alina Shazhko and senior Meaghan Ocanas each received a top 20 regional ranking. Shazhko finished the year ranked 12th, while Ocanas closed out her career ranked 17th overall.
"I just want to congratulate Alina and Meaghan for becoming the first ever pair of teammates at SFA to finish in the singles regional rankings together," said Sullivan. "Considering all of the outstanding teams in the our region, it is really an accomplishment to finish in what is basically the top 10 percent of all Division 1 players in Texas. For Mo, originally a soccer player, starting tennis at a relatively late age, struggling on a weak Division 2 team before transferring to SFA, and having one of the best individual seasons as a senior on SFA's winningest team ever is a storybook ending to her college career. I'm really proud of the tennis player and leader she has willed herself into and am excited that she is going to continue developing as a leader by staying with us as a student assistant coach.
"With Alina, for whom the expectations are always high, she really handled the pressure well and carried the team on her back all season. She's working hard this summer and playing at a really high level - I'm looking forward to what she's going to do next season when she comes into the year in great shape and with the best supporting cast she has ever had," added Sullivan.
Shazko posted a career year in 2011 with a 28-7 singles record and winning 19 doubles matches. A dominant force during at No. 1 singles and doubles, Shazhko was nearly unstoppable during the spring going 20-4 overall, including a 9-2 mark in conference play. She closed out the season winning eight of her final nine matches, including a victory over the league's player of the year.
In similar fashion, Ocanas closed out her SFA career with her best season in a Ladyjack uniform. She posted a 21-6 overall record, and was 18-4 during the spring, with a 7-3 Southland Conference mark. Ocanas was nearly perfect at No. 6 singles carding a 15-3 record, and was 3-1 at No. 5 singles. She was one of the hottest players in the league to close out year winning her final five matches.
As a team, the Ladyjacks finished the year ranked 10th in the region. It is just another first in a year of first for the Ladyjacks. SFA started the year with a program-best nine-match win streak, which led to its first-ever team national ranking. In addition to the team ranking, senior Andreea Enica became the first SFA player to receive a national individual ranking. The Ladyjacks closed out the season recorded a program-best 20-5 record, and .800 winning percentage.
"The team ranking is a nice final accolade on a great 2011 season, and significant because a top-10 ranking helps us get more individuals into the fall regional, which will be valuable with so many freshmen on the team needing to get experience," said Sullivan. "I'm very proud of this team and really appreciate the hard work they put into building the foundation for future SFA teams. Winning championships is never an overnight job, and when we do hoist that trophy over our head, we'll remember this 2011 team and know that they were the ones that took the first step, which is always the most difficult.
-SFA-
