Feb. 6, 2013

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LOS ANGELES -- The Lions got a big win at home last weekend when they upset No. 39 Long Beach St. 4-3. LMU was then swept at No. 67 UC Irvine later that weekend. But the Lions remain undefeated at home so far this season and are looking to continue that streak against UC Riverside Thursday.

This Week:
LMU vs. UC Riverside
Date: Thursday, Feb. 4
Time: 1:30 PM
Location: LMU Tennis Center
Live Stats

LION TRACKS
The competition for the Lions heated up last weekend, with LMU taking on two ranked opponents. At home last Friday, the Lions barely held on to upset No. 39 Long Beach St. LMU was able to steal the doubles point and then won three of the six singles matches to win 4-3. However, two ranked opponents in one weekend proved to be too much as the Lions then lost 7-0 at UC Irvine on Sunday.

ABOUT UC RIVERSIDE
UC Riverside has struggled early on in 2013. They have started off the season at 0-2, getting swept in both matches. Their home-opener was postponed due to rain and the team is having trouble winning on the road. UC Riverside played at San Diego St. to open the spring, where they were defeated 7-0. The team then played at Long Beach St., where they were swept again. Now, UC Riverside will visit the LMU Tennis Center this weekend where they will be seeking their first match victory.

HALL OF FAME WORTHY
In November, LMU announced that former women’s tennis player Lynn Scott has been named to the LMU Athletic Hall of Fame. Scott was the Lions’ #1 singles and doubles player during her two seasons (1976-1977), leading LMU to back-to-back Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference titles. Scott’s achievements will be recognized at the 2013 LMU Hall of Fame ceremonies taking place on March 3.

This past week, the West Coast Conference announced that LMU two-sport athlete Edit Pakay will be induced in the conference’s Hall of Fame on Saturday, March 9. Pakay’s stellar play guided the Lions to a victory over Pepperdine to win the 2002 WCC Women’s Tennis Championships, the first in program history. She finished her illustrious career in 2003 with her second first-team All-WCC selection in singles and another honorable mention selection on the doubles side.

EARLY SEASON ACCOLADES
LMU sophomore Tory Parravi was named West Coast Conference Women’s Singles Player of the Month in October 2012. Parravi finished the month 7-1 in singles during the month, which included a tournament victory.

In addition, senior April Bisharat is currently ranked No. 19 in the Southwest region by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. Bisharat went 8-2 in singles in the 2012 fall schedule, following an All-WCC second team honor from last spring leading to her current ranking.

THE LIONS GIVE BACK
LMU women’s tennis are no strangers to comuunity outreach. This past fall, the Lions participated in the 28th annual California Coastal Cleanup Day this past Saturday, Sept. 15. The Lions helped clean up Toes Beach in Playa del Rey, Calif. along with other LMU clubs and organizations and hundreds of local community members. The team volunteered to pick up trash and debris at the event set up by the California Coastal Commission’s Public Education Program.

The team is also giving back to the local community by participating in a mentoring program with students from Westport Heights Elementary, a local school in the Westchester area of Los Angeles near the Loyola Marymount campus. The team is serving as mentors to a team encompassing the diverse student body at Westport Heights. LMU’s women’s tennis team is a multi-cultural group from many countries, with players who are new to the United States. This makes the team ideal mentors for Westport Heights.

PREDICTIONS, PREDICTIONS
The WCC released the preseason coaches’ poll last weekend, which has predicted the Lions to finish in sixth-place in the conference.

FOLLOW THE LIONS THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA
The LMU Women’s Tennis team has started a Facebook page. Check out photos, videos and all information about the program at facebook.com/LMUWomensTennis. In addition, you can follow all of the LMU Lions’ Athletics Programs through Lions’ social media. To connect with us, all you need is LMULions. Follow the Lions on Twitter at twitter.com/LMULions, Like the Lions on Facebook at facebook.com/LMULions, watch highlights and exclusive videos at youtube.com/LMULionsTV. For individual programs and coaches, visit the LMU Lions Social Media Directory at http://www.lmulions.com/multimedia/social-media-directory.html.

EXPERIENCE COUNTS
The Lions return 10 players this season. Senior April Bisharat was named All-WCC second team in singles with a 9-6 record in doubles last season, including a win over #45 Pepperdine. Sophomore Tory Parravi had a great freshman season as she was also named to the All-WCC second team with five conference victories including a fantastic win at the number-one position against #34 Saint Mary’s.

Senior Adriana Radnovic returns after missing last season. Juniors Claudia Razzeto, Reka Rohnoyi, and Miya Jin bring valuable experience in singles and doubles to the Lions. Razzeto received an honorable mention in doubles on the All-WCC team. Sophomores Logan Finnell, Ana Lucia Fuentes, Lisa Piller, and Madison Wesseln provide the squad with depth. The only newcomer this season is freshman Kristine Kouyoumjian, a transfer from Cal Poly and four-year letterwinner at West High School in Torrance, Calif.

HALL OF FAME COACHING
LMU head coach Jamie Sanchez enters his 38th year as Director of LMU Tennis. An alum, Sanchez, has served as head coach since the inception of the program and is a member of the LMU Athletics Hall of Fame. In his playing career, Sanchez was a four-year letterwinner in men’s tennis and a member of LMU’s 1969 national champion football team. Sanchez is a three-time WCC Coach of the Year, and led the Lions to win the 2002 WCC title.

Assistant coach Ivan Lopez is in his third season with LMU women’s tennis, and his second as an assistant coach after serving one year as a volunteer assistant. An alumni of LMU, Lopez had an impressive collegiate career. A 2010 graduate, Lopez recorded a 56-42 overall singles record finishing his senior season with a 16-8 record in both singles and doubles and a 6-3 singles record in conference match ups. This play earned Lopez first-team All-Conference Honors in both singles and doubles.

A LOOK BACK
LMU’s 2012 spring season ended in the second round of the West Coast Conference tournament when they fell to Santa Clara, 4-3 in a nailbiting match which finished with multiple tiebreakers. The Lions finished the year 5-3 in conference (9-16 overall) giving the team a 4th-place finish.

Senior April Bisharat and sophomore Tory Parravi were named All-WCC Second Team for their impressive singles play. In doubles, the Lions had two duos receive All-WCC Honorable Mention recognition: Bisharat and her playing partner junior Claudia Razzeto as well as Parravi and her partner, former Lion, Ashley Anderson.

- GO LIONS -