2008 Mizzou Tennis Preview
Jan. 25, 2008
Columbia, Mo. -
The 2008 Missouri Women's Tennis program looks forward to a challenging 2008 campaign as it hopes to mix a core group of returners with an exciting influx of newcomers.
Included among those newcomers is assistant coach Blake Edwards. A former standout at Columbia's Hickman High School, Edwards played collegiate Tennis at Washburn University in Topeka, Kan., and brings a strong playing background to complement Head Coach Blake Starkey's high-energy teaching philosophy. In addition to Edwards, the Tigers added five standouts; freshmen, Kaitlyn Ritchie, Maureen Modesto and Mallory Weber, and University of Alabama transfer, junior Sofia Ayala, as well as recent addition Jessica Giuggioli from the University of Kentucky. Starkey hopes these additions, along with two returning starters, bring another exciting season of MU Tennis back to the Green Tennis Center.
Senior Chrissy Svetlic and sophomore Kaitlin Dunham headline the Tiger returners following strong 2006-07 season.
A native of Kansas City, Mo., Svetlic led the team with 19 singles wins last year, to go along with 17 doubles victories. During the 2007 fall campaign Svetlic teamed with Weber to claim both the Mizzou and Maryland Invitational doubles crowns and later defeated teammate Maureen Modesto to earn the "B" draw singles title at the Mizzou Invite. One of three Division I transfers on this year's club, Svetlic opened her career at Northern Illinois University, but has made an immediate impact for the Tigers since her arrival prior to her sophomore year.
The steady performances of returners Svetlic and Dunham will help ease the transition for newcomers Ritchie, Modesto, Weber, Ayala and Giuggioli.
A freshman from Belleville, Ill., Weber brings a great playing resume to Columbia, including a No. 1 ranking in the Missouri Valley region. Ranked as high as No. 69 nationally, Weber is coming off a great fall season in doubles action, where she won three tournament championships; the Mizzou Invitational, Drake Invitational and Maryland Invitational with two different Tiger partners. She won the `A' Singles Flight Championship at the Drake Invitational and also played in the `A' draws the Maryland and Mizzou tournaments.
Ritchie, a newcomer from Bartlesville, Okla., also has played well in juniors and looks to continue her strong career in a Tiger uniform. She finished No. 1 in the Missouri Valley region in the 16-year-old division, and was third at the Missouri Valley Sweet 16 Tournament her junior year of high school. She was ranked as high as No. 72 nationally in juniors and teamed with Weber to win the Drake Invitational Doubles Championship earlier this fall. She also played with Modesto in the Maryland Invitational, winning two matches in the `B' flight, before pairing with Kaitlin Dunham at the Mizzou Invitational, winning the `B' flight title.
Modesto comes to Mizzou from Northwest Indiana, where she played at Munster High School. A three-time state runner-up at Munster, Modesto played at No. 1 her entire prep career and has been ranked as high as No. 1 in the USTA Midwest Section. Modesto is coming off a productive fall campaign, which included taking the `B' flight singles title at the Drake Invitational and reaching the finals of the `B' draw at the Mizzou Invitational.
Ayala, a junior from Quito, Ecuador, transferred to Mizzou from the University of Alabama, where she earned valuable experience in her short career in Tuscaloosa. She helped the Crimson Tide to the Southeastern Conference's West Division crown in 2006 and started her Tiger career off strong by winning the `C' Draw singles title at the Mizzou Invitational.
Giuggioli, a native of Torino, Italy, came to Columbia from the University of Kentucky just in time for the spring semester of tennis action. In her two years at Kentucky, she earned a total of 46 singles victories, including 14 wins in the spring of 2007. She will bring more Division I experience to the Tiger team and looks to contribute to Mizzou's success right away.
With two returners and five newcomers entering the fray, optimism is high as Starkey enters his 11th season in Columbia. The Tigers have beefed up their spring schedule, which includes non-conference road trips to Arkansas, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin, as well as an always difficult Big 12 ledger. Following a ninth-place finish in the league a year ago, Starkey's club enters the season with an opportunity to move up the Big 12 ladder and position themselves for a run at the league's upper division.
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08-09 Singles and Doubles Results
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 Four Tigers Named To Academic All-Big 12 Team04/19/2009 - W. Tennis On Friday afternoon the Big 12 Conference announced their choices for the 2009 Academic All-Big 12 Tennis Team. Four Missouri players were recognized on the teams, Mallory Weber, Maureen Modesto, Jessica Giuggioli and Kaitlyn Ritchie. |
 Tigers Drop Heartbreaker, 4-304/17/2009 - W. Tennis The 71st-ranked Missouri Tigers (7-11, 3-7 Big 12) hosted No. 73 Nebraska (13-6, 5-4 Big 12) on Friday (April 17). |
 Mizzou Finishes Regular Season At Home04/16/2009 - W. Tennis Coach Blake Starkey and the Missouri Tigers (7-10, 3-6 Big 12) welcome the University of Nebraska (12-6, 4-4 Big 12) on Friday (April 17), play begins at 5:00 p.m. and the Iowa State Cyclones (10-10, 1-8 Big 12) on Sunday (April 19), with play beginning at 1:00 p.m. |
 Colorado Snags Doubles Point, Match, 4-304/11/2009 - W. Tennis The 68th-ranked Missouri tennis team (7-10, 3-6 Big 12) came up just shy in doubles competition falling to the Colorado Buffaloes (10-7, 6-2 Big 12), 4-3, on Saturday afternoon. |
 Tigers Host Buffaloes04/10/2009 - W. Tennis The Missouri tennis team (7-9, 3-5 Big 12) welcomes the University of Colorado (9-7, 5-2 Big 12) to the Green Tennis Center on Saturday for dual competition. |
