The University of Akron Athletics
2009-10 Year in ROO-view: Tennis
June 30 | Women's Tennis
Throughout the month of June, GoZips.com will revisit the 2009-10 highlights of each of the University of Akron's 19 varsity sports in a special series titled 2009-10 Year In ROO-view. Each weekday, one shining moment per sport will be featured along with a recap of that team's overall season. During the first week of July, fans will have the opportunity to select their top-three favorites. The final installment looks at the tennis team...
AKRON, Ohio - The University of Akron tennis team opened the dual-match portion of its season with a 15-match win streak and was the only undefeated Division I squad in the country prior to a loss at 26th-ranked DePaul on April 10. The Zips' impressive start earned them a season-high national ranking of 63rd by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association during the first week of April.
UA spent the majority of its dual-match schedule ranked in the ITA's top 75, being recognized by the governing body of collegiate tennis each week from Feb. 23-April 20. The Zips kicked off the season with a 6-1 win at Michigan State on Jan. 22 - the program's first-ever victory over a Big Ten opponent - and built on that momemtum with a 5-2 victory at Penn State on Jan. 29.
Akron closed out the season listed eighth in the ITA's end-of-season Midwest region rankings. Additionally, sophomore Zara Harutyunyan was ranked ninth in the region and 111th nationally, while freshman Angelina Jogasuria was listed 19th regionally. Harutyunyan, the Mid-American Conference's player of the year each of the last two seasons, was the first-ever Zip to earn a spot in the ITA's final national rankings.
Harutyunyan, also a member of the All-MAC First Team each of the last two years, was one of 19 automatic qualifiers selected to participate in the NCAA Championships singles competition in May. She was the first-ever Akron player chosen to the 64-person field and is one of just four MAC student-athletes to ever qualify, and the first since 2007 (in nearly 30 years of MAC tennis). She lost in the opening round of the NCAA event to Southern California's Danielle Lao, who was then-ranked 37th nationally. At the time of the competition, Harutyunyan was listed 98th in the country.
Jogasuria was selected as the league's freshman of the year and also earned a spot on the All-MAC First Team. She was the first-ever Akron player to be named MAC Freshman of the Year. In October, she was one of three Zips to qualify for the singles main draw of the Wilson/ITA Midwest Regional in Evanston, Ill. (joining Harutyunyan and her identical twin Angelika Jogasuria).
UA's recognition in the ITA final rankings closed out what was arguably the most successful season in program history. The Zips clinched a bye out of the league championship's first-round for the second-consecutive year, after achieving their highest-ever finish in the conference standings. Second-seeded Akron was edged 4-3 by third-seeded Western Michigan in the semifinal round of the MAC Championship - advancing farther into the league tournament than any other squad in program history.
UA closed out the year with a program single-season record for league wins (7-1) and tallied the most overall victories (19-3) since the 1990-91 squad posted a 26-6 mark.2009-10 Year In ROO-view Schedule:
Fall Sports:
Cross
Country (men) - Fri., June 4
Cross
Country (women) - Mon., June 7
Football
- Tues., June 8
Soccer
(men) - Wed., June 9
Soccer
(women) - Thurs., June 10
Volleyball
- Fri., June 11
Winter Sports:
Basketball
(men) - Mon., June 14
Basketball
(women) - Tues., June 15
Indoor
Track and Field (men) - Wed., June 16
Indoor
Track and Field (women) - Thurs., June 17
Rifle
- Fri., June 18
Swimming
and Diving - Mon., June 21
Spring Sports:
Baseball
- Tues., June 22
Golf
(men) - Wed., June 23
Golf
(women) - Thurs., June 24
Outdoor
Track and Field (men) - Fri., June 25
Outdoor Track and Field (women) - Mon., June
28
Softball - Tues., June 29
Tennis - Wed., June 30
Vote For Your Favorite Moment - Thurs., July 1-Thurs., July 8
