MSU Women's Tennis Hands Out Team Awards
5/11/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
May 11, 2004
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State women's tennis team held its year-end banquet to celebrate the 2004 season and to present awards to deserving individuals.
Junior Keri Thompson was presented with the team's MVP award. Thompson played No. 1 singles all spring, and posted an 8-14 singles mark, including a 4-6 record against the No. 1 singles players in the always tough Big Ten. Thompson had several big wins, including a 7-6(1), 6-3 victory over then-No. 38 Dora Vastag of Indiana April 11. She also had a 7-14 doubles record, again all at No. 1.
"Keri has had a fantastic year," said MSU head coach Tim Bauer. "Her hard work is paying off and she led our team to a successful season. She had some excellent victories and I am very excited for her senior season. Keri has a lot to look forward to and much to be proud of."
Freshman Jessica Baron received the Most Improved award. Baron was 14-7 in singles play this spring, including a 6-4 Big Ten record while playing No. 5 and No. 6. She had the best winning percentage of any member of the MSU squad. She also competed at No. 2 and No. 3 doubles, recording a 6-14 mark.
"Jessica matured quite a bit during her freshman season," said Bauer. "She is becoming a leader and has really thrived in the Spartan program. Jessica learned to be a strong competitor, and her winning percentage reflected that."
The Spartan Award was presented to freshman Pascale Schnitzer, who had a 12-9 singles record during the spring, moving up from No. 6 as high as No. 4. She was 5-5 in Big Ten matches, and also played No. 2 and 3 doubles, posting a 6-15 record.
"This award is given to a player in recognition for outstanding efforts and accomplishments and Pascale was a clear choice, having clinched some very big matches for us, under high pressure," said Bauer. "Pascale is a tough competitor and her passion for winning rubbed off on our entire team."
Also recognized was sophomore Shelley Brady for serving as a team captain. Before suffering an injury late in the spring season, Brady was 11-19 at No. 2, 3 and 4 singles, including a 5-12 dual record. She also played No. 2 doubles, and held a 10-7 dual match record and was 14-16 for the year.
"Shelley stood out as a leader and her efforts as Captain of this team could not go unnoticed," said Bauer. "It is not an easy job leading a team, yet Shelley has helped our team become a close unit and has helped others make the connection between hard work and success."
Michigan State concluded its season with an 8-14 record and a 3-7 Big Ten mark. The Spartans earned the No. 8 seed at the Big Ten Championships, which was the highest seed in Spartan history. The key victories included a 4-3 win at then-No. 58 Purdue.
"I am more proud of this team than any of my other Spartan squads before them," said Bauer. "This year's team has set higher standards and has begun to understand our motto 'hard work pays off'. I feel our future is bright, and having three freshmen in the starting six says a lot.
"Leading the way among the freshmen, Sarah Andrews brought a great enthusiasm to the court each day filling a tough role at No. 3 singles. I look for her talent to really shine through next season as she improved with each match this year. Sarah's teammates Jessica Baron and Pascale Schnitzer excelled filling the No. 4 and 5 spots below her.
"In addition to the promising youth on this team, having a team of athletes who are able to help each other and take responsibility for their destiny is something we have been striving for over the past several seasons. They can all be proud of the foundation they have built for those who will follow in their footsteps.
"We will also miss senior Caroline Lay, someone who has been instrumental in taking this program up into national visibility and has led with class throughout her four seasons"
Players Mentioned
