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BAY CITY, Mich. - Wayne State University senior Sharon Gill Windsor, Ontario/Academie Ste. Cecile) earned GLIAC Women's Tennis "Athlete of the Week" honors after leading the Warriors to a 3-0 record to open the 2010 season.

GLIAC Women’s Tennis Athlete of the Week:
Sharon Gill  - Wayne State University
Sr./Windsor, Ontario/Academie Ste. Cecile

Wayne State University senior Sharon Gill had a perfect 5-0 record over the weekend as she led WSU to a 3-0 record with wins over Ohio Dominican (6-3), Lake Erie College (9-0) and Ashland (8-1). Gill, who is playing at No. 1 singles and doubles again this year, won all three singles matches in straight sets and teamed with junior Kristina Goranskaya (Thornhill, Ont./Northview Heights) to win two doubles matches. Gill holds the school record for most singles (67) and doubles (58) wins. She has earned All-GLIAC honors the past three seasons.

GLIAC Women’s Tennis Weekly Honor Roll:  Amy Ingle - FS, Kaitlynn Hutchinson - LS, Malaika Messi - TU.

2010 GLIAC Women’s Tennis Athletes of the Week: (9/8) Sharon Gill - WS;

 Ashland Eagles

The Ashland University women’s tennis team could not polish off a season-opening road trip sweep when it fell at Wayne  State, 8-1, on Sunday (Sept. 5) morning... The Eagles (2-1, 2-1 GLIAC) beat Tiffin and Findlay earlier in the weekend. The Warriors remain unbeaten on the season at 3-0... The only Ashland player able to come away with a win was Kira Kotova (Moscow, Russia), who beat Monte McCall (6-3, 7-5) at fourth singles. Senior Alexandra Ware (Plymouth, Mich.) took Debora Correa to a third set, but fell, 10-8 in the tie-break... The Eagles were swept in doubles matches... Ashland opens its home season on Saturday (Sept. 11) with a match against visiting Michigan Tech at 10 a.m. The Eagles host Lake Superior State the next day.

Ferris State Bulldogs

The Ferris State University women’s tennis team opened its 2010-11 campaign in impressive fashion as the Bulldogs topped Saginaw Valley State by a 9-0 score on Friday (Sept. 3) at the FSU Racquet and Fitness Center in Big Rapids .  The Bulldogs, who are guided by fourth-year head coach Alex Palladino, quickly won all three doubles flights with the closest score coming by virtue of identical 8-2 triumphs at the numbers one and three positions in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) match.  FSU then swept the singles round with five of the six flights being decided in straight-sets. The match was the first of five home encounters for the Bulldogs during the fall conference schedule.  FSU will next travel to Findlay for its initial conference road match of the season on Friday, Sept. 10, with first serve set for 3 p.m. (ET) in Findlay, Ohio.  The Bulldogs also visit Tiffin on Saturday, Sept. 11, for a 2 p.m. (ET) league encounter before facing Wayne State on Sunday, Sept. 12, at 11 a.m. (ET) in Detroit.

Findlay Oilers

The University of Findlay women’s tennis team was defeated 7-2 by Ashland University on Saturday, September 4 at the Armstrong Complex... The Oilers fell 8-1 to Ohio Dominican University on Sunday, September 5 at the Armstrong Complex. The losses give the Oilers an 0-2 record on the season with a 0-2 mark in the GLIAC... The Oilers will be back in action again on September 10 when they host Ferris State University at 3:00 p.m.

Grand Valley State Lakers

The Grand Valley State women’s tennis team will open the 2010 season with three road matches this weekend.  The Lakers will visit Wayne State on Friday (3:00 p.m.), Findlay on Saturday (11:00 a.m.) and Tiffin on Sunday (10:00 a.m.).

Lake Erie Storm

Host Wayne State University won all six contested matches and picked up three other points via forfeited matches in a 9-0 victory over the Lake Erie College women's tennis team in the Storm's season and Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference opener on Saturday (Sept. 4)... The Warriors won each match in straight sets.  The Storm won just five games in the match, getting three from sophomore Cassie Rideout (Perry, Ohio/Perry) in a 6-3, 6-0 loss at second singles... LEC dropped a 9-0 decision at Tiffin University on Sunday (Sept. 5).

Lake Superior State Lakers

LSSU’s Hutchnson, Wiethoff, and Adrienne DiVito (Washington, Mich.) were all 2-0 over the weekend in singles matches. No. 2 doubles of Helen Sheridan (Mattawan, Mich.) and Katie Watchorn (Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.) were 2-0 along with No. 3 doubles of Hutchnson and Wiethoff.

Michigan Tech. Huskies

The Michigan Tech women’s tennis team will try to take another step up after compiling a 14-6 overall record and second-place finish at the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament last year. The Huskies return three of their top players and add two newcomers who should help the team’s depth... Ploy Suthijindawong returns atop the lineup after going undefeated in dual matches a year ago at 18-0. The Thailand native did not surrender a set in those 18 matches, and her only loss came in the ITA Regional Quarterfinal. Suthijindawong could vie for GLIAC Player of the Year honors with a year of experience and a strong offseason... Seniors Nathalia Rondelli and Asel Otunchieva should hold down top spots in the lineup with their level of play and experience. The two are the third- and fourth-winningest Tech players over the last six years with 44 and 37 singles wins, respectively. Rondelli and Otunchieva have both been highly successful in doubles as well. Rondelli owns 47 career doubles wins. Otunchieva has 50...Michigan Tech’s quest for another top three finish in the GLIAC and NCAA Tournament berth begins Sept. 10 at Ohio Dominican.

Northwood Timberwolves

Northwood has not competed in a match so far this season … the Timberwolves will open at SVSU Friday (September 10).

Ohio Dominican Panthers

The ODU women's tennis team traveled to Tiffin, Ohio to face Tiffin University on Wednesday for its third GLIAC match of the season. The Panthers turned in another strong performance on the doubles court and carried that momentum to the singles court to earn their second-consecutive GLIAC win, 8-1... In doubles play, the Panthers continued to show signs of growth, taking 3-of-3 doubles courts. Sofia Espana-Perez (Fr./Mexico City, Mexico) and Aline Mariano (So./Sao Paulo, Brazil) took court one with a very solid 8-2 win. On court two, Ruchika Alahakoon (Sr./Colombo, Sri Lanka) and Nathalia Braga (So./Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) earned an 8-5 decision; while Mari Monaco (Jr./Port Clinton, OH; pictured) and Krista Derry (So./Baltimore, OH) secured a point with another convincing win on court three, 8-2... In singles action, ODU performed at a high level, earning 5-of-6 singles points as they moved their early season record to 3-1. Earning singles points for ODU was Espana-Perez on court one, 6-0, 6-4, Braga on court three, 6-2, 6-4 and Derry on court four, 6-2, 6-2. Mariano and freshman Kelsi Klein (Pickerington, OH) closed out the scoring for ODU with wins at #5 and #6 singles, 6-2, 6-3, and 6-2, 6-1.

Saginaw Valley State Cardinals

The SVSU tennis team was swept by Ferris State (Sept. 3) 9-0.  Charlotte Wong was a bright spot for SVSU, winning her first set 6-4, however could not hold out and was defeated in the final two sets.  The SVSU tennis team will host Tiffin (Sept. 7) and Northwood (Sept. 10) this week in two GLIAC matches.

Tiffin Dragons

The Dragons lone victories against Ashland came by default at first singles by Emily Egan-Morris and at second singles, where Malaika Messi won 6-3, 6-1…Malaika Messi won her second singles match against Charleston 6-3, 6-3, while the second doubles team of Taylor Cooper/Jessie Stefanov also won a close one 9-8…Tiffin University’s women’s tennis team picked up their first GLIAC victory of 2010, beating Lake Erie at home 9-0. Tiffin dominated play, winning all singles matches in straight sets. Emily Egan-Morris won 6-1, 6-2, Malaika Messi improved to 3-0 with a 6-1, 6-0 victory, Taylor Cooper posted a 6-1, 6-2 win, and Cassie Dye won her first varsity match 6-1, 6-2. Nicole Ardner and Renee Mattson won by default. In doubles play, Egan-Morris/Messi won 8-1 and Cooper/Stefanov posted an 8-0 shutout…Malaika Messi picked up two of the Dragons’ three points against Saginaw Valley, notching a 6-4, 6-2 singles win and teaming with Emily Egan-Morris for a close 8-6 win at first doubles. TU’s other win came from Jessica Stefanov at third singles 6-2, 6-4.

Wayne State Warriors

Wayne State enjoyed a perfect start to the 2010 campaign by picking up a trio of victories this past weekend. The Warriors have now won 11 of their past 12 matches, dating back to last spring. WSU began the year by defeating Ohio Dominican 6-3 on Friday. The team earned four points in singles competition and two in doubles play with the highlight of the match being an 8-1 victory in No. 1 doubles by Gill and Goranskaya. Less than 24 hours later, Wayne State followed with a 9-0 win over Lake Erie. Gill led the way with a 6-0, 6-0 win at No. 1 singles, while Jennifer Bradford (Detroit, Mich./Mumford) and Jessica Kruczek (Detroit, Mich./St. Clair Shores Lakeview) defeated Cassie Rideout and Stephanie Koval, 8-0 in No. 2 doubles. WSU ended the weekend with an 8-1 victory over Ashland. Gill and Goranskaya continued their solid play, picking up wins in No. 1 and No. 2 singles, respectively. In addition, they defeated Victoria Goudy and Paige Cooper, 8-4 in No. 1 doubles to win their 11th straight doubles match together.