Women's Tennis Hands Out Season Awards
5/17/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
May 17, 2005
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State women's tennis team has announced its award recipients for the 2004-05 season. The Spartans finished the year 11-12 overall and 1-10 in the Big Ten.
"I am very proud of our award winners," said head coach Tim Bauer. "I feel they represent the team and our program in a way that we are very proud of."
The season's highest award went to sophomore Sarah Andrews (Darwin, Australia), who was named Most Valuable Player after winning her last seven Big Ten singles matches and posting a 20-11 overall season record.
"Sarah had a fantastic year," said Bauer. "Her hard work and dedication has truly brought her game around. Sarah's athleticism and shot-making, combined with her mental approach, has brought her game to a new level this year. Her finish in the Big Ten conference was outstanding. This kind of development is what we like our program to represent."
Sophomore Pascale Schnitzer (Santiago, Chile) grabbed the Most Improved Player award after seeing playing time no lower than the No. 3 spot, compiling a 10-7 record in the regular season. Schnitzer even grabbed one win at the No. 2 spot with a 6-2, 6-0 win over Florida A&M's Charlana Brown.
"Pascale has come a long way in a year," said Bauer. "Sometimes players lose themselves in the transition from clay courts to hard courts, but Pascale has done quite well in balancing both. Pascale is a very explosive athlete and plays a very physically-demanding style of tennis. Pascale finished the year playing her best tennis."
Freshman standout Christine Bader (Okemos, Mich.) was MSU's Big Ten Sportsmanship honoree, after compiling a 9-11 record at No. 2 singles and a10-10 record at No. 1 doubles with senior Keri Thompson (Clarke Lake, Mich.).
"Christine played a huge role and shouldered a lot of responsibility as a freshman," said Bauer. "The sportsmanship she showed, despite the pressures of college tennis, says a lot about her character and even more about what she will be able to accomplish in her career as a Spartan. I am very proud of her progress and professionalism both on and off court."
State will lose three players next fall, as seniors Marissa Macholz (East Lansing, Mich.), Karen Gustafson (East Lansing, Mich.) and Thompson graduated this May.
"Our seniors have been committed to a program that has been through some difficult times in their fours years of playing," said Bauer. "They came to MSU with the intent to leave the program better off than when they started and they accomplished that."
MSU began the season with its best start in school history after winning 10-straight matches at home. The 10-2 record prior to the Big Ten season earned the Spartans their first ranking since 2003 as they grabbed the No. 75 spot in the ITA poll. State climbed as high as No. 62 in the poll, which tied the final poll of 2002 as the highest ranking the program has seen. Thompson also saw success in the rankings while landing as high as No. 100 in the ITA singles poll.
The Green and White's winning streak, however, was snapped after opening the Big Ten season at then-No. 39 Michigan. MSU continued to battle throughout a tough Big Ten season as it picked up only one win, coming against then-No. 52 Minnesota in East Lansing. The 5-2 win over the Gophers marked the teams' eighth straight victory at home. That record was snapped the following day after No. 55 Iowa handed the Spartans a 6-1 loss.
Finishing with a 1-10 record in the Big Ten, State grabbed the No. 10 seed at the Big Ten Championship and was pitted against long time rival Michigan. Despite their determination, the Spartans were unable to grab a win against then-No. 40 Michigan, falling 4-1 to end their season.
