April 2, 2009

SANTA CLARA, Calif.- The Bronco women's tennis team will face Gonzaga and Saint Mary's in a WCC-filled weekend. The Broncos will take on the Zags on Saturday, April 4th at Degheri Center at 11:00 a.m. The following day, Santa Clara will travel to Saint Mary's for a match against the Gaels at 12:00 p.m.

The Broncos have improved throughout the season to earn a 7-8 overall record and a 1-1 WCC record. "We're always hoping to improve," said Bronco head coach Ben Cabell. "We're always playing our best by the end of season and we're hoping to pull off two upsets this weekend against Gonzaga and Saint Mary's. Both teams are very good, but I think we can do well against both of them."

Both matches are extremely important for the Broncos because their outcomes determine the seeding for the upcoming WCC tournament. Cabell explains, "Last year we were seeded eight in the WCC tournament so we're definitely looking forward to being seeded higher this year. We want to get a good seed this year for sure. We're more favored this year compared to some of the other teams in the conference, and that gives the team confidence to play well during this weekend's matches."

Scouting Gonzaga: The Bulldogs are 9-7 for the season after their recent loss against fellow WCC opponent Saint Mary's, 6-0. Gonzaga is 1-2 in the WCC and is coached by DJ Gurule. Last season, senior Aglaya Kokurina was named to the All-WCC Second Team, while fellow senior Emily Anderson received her third consecutive All-WCC Honorable mention.

Last Match Against Gonzaga: In their last meeting on April 5, 2008, Gonzaga defeated the Broncos, 5-2. Senior Myra Davoudi and sophomore Carmen Pham picked up two singles wins for the Broncos.

Scouting Saint Mary's: The Saint Mary's Gaels are 6-9 this season and 4-0 in the WCC. Saint Mary's recent win over Gonzaga is their third consecutive win of the season. The match against the Broncos will be the Gaels' final home match for the season.

Last Match Against Saint Mary's: In their last match against the Gaels on February 17, 2008, the Broncos fell 6-1. Sophomore Carmen Pham defeated Saint Mary's Nienke Strijibis to earn one win for the Broncos.