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The successful 2007-2008 season ended satisfyingly for the Pomona-Pitzer Women’s Tennis Team with an NCAA National Singles Championship, an ITA Fall National Doubles Championship, and a 4th place finish in their second consecutive trip to the NCAA Final 8. The Sagehens improved over their 6th place finish the year before by advancing to the semi-finals with a 5-3 win over Bowdoin College. It was the first appearance of the Sagehens into the Final 4 since they won the team championship (and both singles and doubles titles) in 1992. In the semis, the Pomona-Pitzer team fell to Williams College 5-2, then lost to Denison College in the 3rd/4th place match.
After the team competition, the Individual Singles and Doubles Championships were held. In a field of 32 singles players and 16 doubles teams, Pomona-Pitzer was represented by Siobhan Finicane ’10 and Rebecca Lange ’09 in singles and the doubles team of Finicane and Olivia Muesse ’10. In the singles draw, Finicane lived up to her #1 seeding entering the tournament to win her first NCAA DIII National Singles Title, prevailing 6-3, 5-7, 6-2 over Cary Gibson of Williams College in the finals. With a spectacular 07-08 DIII singles record of 31-2, Finicane cemented her ranking as the #1 player in the country. Also in the singles draw, Lange had a strong showing and advanced to the round of 16, giving her All-American status for her 3rd year in a row. Entering as the #1 seeds in the doubles draw, Finicane and Muesse suffered a loss in the first round, only the 2nd DIII loss of their career as a doubles team. Their final DIII record was 28-2.
However, Finicane and Muesse could already claim one national title this season, having won the ITA Fall DIII National Doubles Championship. They first won the ITA West Region Tournament in order to advance to these final national rounds, which made both Finicane and Muesse All-Americans in doubles. Finicane also won the West Region Tournament in singles and was a finalist in the same ITA Fall DIII National Singles Championship. Finishing the 2007-2008 season, the Pomona-Pitzer team claimed 3 All-Americans: Siobhan Finicane ’10 (Singles & Doubles), Rebecca Lange ’09 (Singles) and Olivia Muesse ’10 (Doubles).
The Pomona-Pitzer team received yet more accolades this season. Rebecca Lange was the West Region recipient of the ITA Arthur Ashe Sportsmanship and Leadership Award for NCAA DIII Tennis, becoming the 5th Sagehen to win this award for the West Region in seven years.
Head Coach Dr. Ann Lebedeff won the National (and West Region) ITA Coach of the Year Award for NCAA DIII Women’s Tennis. This season marks the second time Coach Lebedeff has been National Coach of the Year in her 10 years at Pomona-Pitzer. This award celebrates her achievements in coaching the Pomona-Pitzer team to a standout season and in developing her players as successful teammates and people both on-court and off. Coach Lebedeff also remains highly active in various committees and boards for the NCAA and ITA.
The Pomona-Pitzer team had individuals, such as Finicane, Lange and Muesse, who stood out as national stars this season, but the entire team made the year successful. The team was characterized by its ability to improve rapidly and step up to any challenge. Simply in order to reach the NCAA Final 8, the Sagehens had to overcome a bad regular season loss within conference and regional play. The Hens effectively brought another level of play to the next meetings between the teams, at the Conference Championship Finals and the round of 16 of Nationals, both times giving up only 1 match of 9. The entire Sagehen lineup improved greatly throughout the season, with important wins coming from every position. As a top 4 team in the country, holders of national and regional titles and awards, Pomona-Pitzer Women’s Tennis looks only to continue improving in future seasons. |
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