College Tennis News - Plenty To Be Proud Of: Reviewing The 2008-09 Tennis Campaign

Excitement surrounded the UTEP tennis program as the Miners entered the 2009 dual-match season. The Orange and Blue had progressed steadily under the direction of head coach Jamie Campbell, and everything was in place for a breakthrough season.

UTEP burst out of the gates at 8-1, which was the best start in 10 years and equaled the third-best ever at the school. The lone setback came in the second match of the year at No. 75 Kansas, 4-3.

UTEP returned home and pounded the next seven opponents to the tune of a combined team score of 43-6 on the way to sweeping the homestand. The seven straight victories set a school record.

A nine-game roadswing started slowly with three losses in four tries. UTEP dug deep and went 4-1 to close the stretch. A 5-2 defeat of Santa Clara-which had won five in a row, capped the trip.

Following a 4-3 loss at the hands of Tulane-which proved to be the lone home setback on the season- the Miners bounced NCAA Division II No. 7 Abilene Christian and Conference USA foe UAB by identical 6-1 counts. The victories put UTEP at a program-best 9-1 at home on the year.

At the Conference USA Championships, UTEP derailed Memphis, 4-0, to advance to the quarterfinals of the for the second time in the past three years and the third occasion overall under Campbell. UTEP mustered four such showings from 1991-2003, and hadn’t claimed a tournament match since 1999.

The Miners’ season came to a close at the hands of eventual champion and No. 23 SMU, but the defeat couldn’t erase the achievements by the team. UTEP racked up a school-record-tying 16 wins on the strength of the best single-season winning percentage (.696) in program annals.

Seniors Weronika Bloczynska, Vicky Michaud and Megan Pritchard became the winningest class at UTEP. Bloczynska departs second in career singles win percentage, third in singles triumphs and fourth for combined victories. Pritchard and Michaud rate seventh and 10th, respectively for career doubles wins. Pritchard is also eighth for doubles win percentage.

Campbell elevated to second place for career winning percentage at UTEP. She has now reached the 40, 50 and 60 career victory barrier faster than any other coach in program history.

In dual-match singles, UTEP finished with a combined record of 88-40. Seven different Miners boasted winning records, with Marina DeLuca (19), Bloczynska (16) and Pritchard (15) establishing career highs for dual-match. Carolina DeLuca (11) also reached double figures, while Michaud, Carla Murgia and Trierweiler posted winning slates.

Marina DeLuca registered 24 overall triumphs, becoming the second player in school history to post consecutive 20-victory campaign in singles play. All-time great Tanja Magoc put together four successive seasons.

UTEP impressed in dual-match doubles, as well, checking in a combined 40-15. Pritchard led the charge at 16-2, with 14 of those coming when teamed up with Bloczynska. Trierweiler, both Carolina and Marina DeLuca, and Fuentes also finished with winning marks. Overall, Pritchard was a part of 21 doubles triumphs on the year to tie for the second most ever in a single season at UTEP.