[matshark]

EXCELLENT!!!

GO LU!

[SuperJon]

Why does our men's team play schools like Averett? I'm not knocking the team or anything, just wondering the scheduling thoughts behind playing a DIII.

[ATrain]

MEN DEFEAT WINTHROP 4-3

SJ-I'll get to your question later

[BJWilliams]

That is like HUGE! Wasnt Winthrop picked to sweep the men's and women's titles in preseason?

[ToTheLeft]

2008 Big South Conference Preseason Men’s Tennis Poll (combined votes)

RK Team (first-place votes 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Points
1 Radford (12) 84 12 - - - - - 96
2 Winthrop (2) 14 60 10 - - - - 84
3 Charleston Southern - - 35 16 9 - - 60
4 Coastal Carolina - 12 15 12 18 - - 57
5 High Point - - 10 24 12 4 - 50
6 Liberty - - - 4 3 16 4 27
7 UNC Asheville - - - - - 8 10 18

[ATrain]

That is like HUGE! Wasnt Winthrop picked to sweep the men's and women's titles in preseason?

Radford was picked first for the men. They have the best player in the Big South (No. 117 Martin Sayer), and have been nationally ranked this year. The win over Winthrop gives us 5th in the conference, and we were picked 6th. Radford will have the #1 seed heading into the tournament, I think High Point is #2 and if so that means that CSU is #3, Coastal #4, LU #5, WU #6, UNCA #7.

Winthrop was picked first on the women's side, and after beating Coastal today have the #1 overall seed at 5-0 (their women did not play us). LU is #2 at 4-1, CCU is #3 at 4-2, CSU is #4 with a 4-2 record (CCU owns the head-to-head with CSU). High Point, Radford, and UNCA round out the lower portion of the conference.

[ATrain]

Why does our men's team play schools like Averett? I'm not knocking the team or anything, just wondering the scheduling thoughts behind playing a DIII.

I did not make the schedule nor do I speak for the one who does, but its not uncommon for many of the DI schools we've played to schedule a few matches with DII and DIII teams.

[matshark]

go flames!

[ATrain]

The tournament pairings are set
Women First Round:
#1 Winthrop-bye
#2 LU v. #7 UNCA
#3 CCU v. #6. Radford
#4. CSU v. #5 High Point

Men First Round:
#1 Radford-bye
#2 High Point v. #7 UNCA
#3 CSU v. #6 Winthrop
#4 CCU v. #5 LU

FTFY!!!

[BJWilliams]

Good night for women's tennis!

Liberty freshman Jordan Jenkins and Lady Flames’ head coach Chris Johnson have been voted the 2008 Big South Women’s Tennis Player of the Year and Coach of the Year, respectively, by the League’s head coaches and sports information directors.

http://www.libertyflames.com/index.cfm? ... 55&TeamID=

[ATrain]

Yep, here are the awards won by each of our players/coach:
Coach of the Year (Chris Johnson)
Freshman of the Year (Jordan Jenkins)
Player of the Year (Jordan Jenkins)
All Conference Singles (Jordan Jenkins)
#1 Singles Flight Champion (Jordan Jenkins)
All Conference Doubles (Jordan Jenkins/Ekaterina Kuznetsova)
#1 Doubles Flight Champion (Jordan Jenkins/Ekaterina Kuznetsova)
#3 Doubles Flight Champoin (Fabiana Gouveia/Martyna Hanusz)
All-Academic (Martyna Hanusz)

[Sly Fox]

So what you are saying is that Jordan is better than average.

[BJWilliams]

I was talking to ATrain back around the beginning of the season and he said that Jordan is as good if not better now than Jonita Randolph (PoY last year) was by the end of her career

[ATrain]

Jordan is easily better than Jonita ever was or ever will be...whats scary is we've got someone SIGNED for next season thats better than Jordan
Our men's team will also start earning some awards next year as well.

[ATrain]

So what you are saying is that Jordan is better than average.

Actually:
Jordan Jenkins at tennis > Tyler Baker at basketball

[olldflame]

So, as the talent level of our women's team steps up exponentially, are we going to schedule some tougher opponents?

[ATrain]

So, as the talent level of our women's team steps up exponentially, are we going to schedule some tougher opponents?

You are thinking like a coach who is trying to get his team nationally ranked

[ATrain]

Well a disappointing end to the season for our ladies, but it was still a great season for the team with the nation's 17th-ranked recruiting class. Lets compare a few things:
2007 record: 5-14
2008 record: 13-4
Common opponents:
Longwood
2007: L 1-6
2008: W 6-1
UNC-Wilmington
2007: L 2-5
2008: 2 4-3
Coastal
2007: L 2-4
2008: w 4-3
High Point
2007: L 2-5
2008: W 5-2
Radford
2007: L 3-4
2008: W 6-1
Results against teams with high-ranked recruiting classes:
George Washington
Recruiting class ranked 14th, LU won 5-2
UNC-Wilmington
Recruiting class ranked 7th, LU won 4-3

The women finished in a 3-way tie for 5th last season with Radford and Birmingham-Southern, and this year were picked fourth but finished in second place , and had the match against Winthrop not gotten cancelled could've been regular season champions. We had the freshman of the year and player of the year in Jordan Jenkins, unfortunately our youth caught up to us against a more experienced Coastal Carolina squad.
The women's program is definitely headed in the right direction.

The men suffered some major injuries, with #1 player Louis Steyn having to redshirt the season after being struck by a drunk driver in South Africa (we're just thankful he's alive, let alone able to return to the tennis courts). However, they did manage 8 wins which was double last season's win total of 4, which was double the prior season's win total of 2 (that season also included a loss to an NAIA school), and were picked 6th but finished 5th after beating UNC-Asheville and Winthrop. A win against Richmond was also a nice start to the year. The men are also heading in the right direction.

GO FLAMES!!!

[bigsmooth]

you have to give props to both teams but especially the ladies. what a great season and it looks like they are on the verge of some great stuff.

[ATrain]

For next year, we welcome Lais Souza to the lineup. Jordan Jenkins is the greatest Lady Flames to play tennis to date, but Souza is actually another level higher than Jordan:

http://www.libertyflames.com/index.cfm? ... 19&TeamID=

And Medic, I know this was a concern of your's last year so I'm going to answer it now: there will be new talent on the men's team coming in the fall.

[matshark]

Must be good assistant coaching...

[ATrain]

Must be good assistant coaching...

Actually, its just good coaching by the Coach of the Year.

[PAmedic]

good to hear about the new men's talent. Sorely needed.

[matshark]

Must be good head coaching...

Actually, its just good coaching by the Assistant Coach of the Year.

Congrats A-Train on BSC Assistant Coach of the Year!!!

[ATrain]

Ur gonna get me in trouble