University of Southern Indiana senior Emily Blinzinger (Oakland City, Indiana) earned her fourth All-Great Lakes Valley Conference award and freshman Ashley Rees (Vincennes, Indiana) was named Freshman of the Year, but the Screaming Eagles were only able to place third in the GLVC Tournament this weekend in St. Louis, Missouri.
The All-GLVC honor was the fourth for Blinzinger, who was the GLVC's top freshman in 1999. Blinzinger finishes the fall season owning the USI career records for singles, doubles, and combined wins. She was 11-4 at number one singles this fall and combined with Rees, junior Nichole Freyberger (Jasper, Indiana), and freshman Elizabeth Van Handel (Greenwood, Indiana) to go 11-5 in doubles.
Rees picks up the GLVC Freshman of the Year award and her first All-GLVC honor after posting a 13-3 record at number two singles. She also combined with senior Jamie Carie (Washington, Indiana), sophomore Kalie Ackerman (Allendale, Illinois) and Blinzinger to go 12-4 in doubles action.
The Eagles, who entered the tournament with high hopes of winning the GLVC crown for the first time since 1985 as the number two seed, finished the fall with a 10-2 record. USI swept through its first round match with the University of Missouri-St. Louis, 5-0, but ran into trouble against Lewis University.
USI started the match with Lewis by dropping two of the three doubles matches. A key to the match may have been the tie-breaker loss by junior Kathleen Davis (Sullivan, Indiana) and Freyberger at number two doubles. USI's number two team entered the tournament with a perfect 5-0 record against the GLVC this fall.
In singles, USI was only able to go 3-3 and dropped the match, 5-4, to Lewis. Ackerman and freshman Cassandra Froderman (Brazil, Indiana), who only had one conference loss between them this fall at number five and six singles, battled their opponents for three sets before losing. Ackerman dropped her third set 6-4, while Froderman fell 7-5.
The Eagles bounced back in the third place match to defeat Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, 5-1 and take third place in the conference tournament. This time, USI took a 2-1 lead in the doubles matches before sweeping through three singles matches for the team's 10th victory of the fall.
USI must now look to the spring season as it searches for its first ever NCAA Division II Tournament bid.
2002 ALL-GLVC TEAM
Maggie Schuering - Quincy
Laura Schuering - Quincy
Keli Keener - SIU Edwardsville
Liz Mendoza - Lewis
Emily Blinzinger - Southern Indiana
Ashley Rees - Southern Indiana
Elizabeth Brunsman - Northern Kentucky
Lindsay England - Northern Kentucky
Grace Wilhoite - Indianapolis
Gayal Jones - Indianapolis
Simmi Rani - Indianapolis
Jessica Broadus - Indianapolis
Player of the Year - Grace Wilhoite, Indianapolis
Freshman of the Year - Ashley Rees, Southern Indiana
Coach of the Year - John Venter, Indianapolis
FIRST ROUND
Southern Indiana def. Missouri-St. Louis 5-0
Doubles
1. Emily Blinzinger/Ashley Rees (USI) def. Chrissy Duffy/Lauren Wiele (UMSL), 8-3
2. Nichole Freyberger/Kathleen Davis (USI) def. Devin Foy/Lauren Spangler (UMSL), 8-6
3. Kalie Ackerman/Liz Van Handel (USI) def. Krissy Howard/Neringa Bandzeviciute (UMSL), 8-6
Singles
2. Ashley Rees (USI) def. Krissy Howard (UMSL), 6-0, 6-1
5. Kalie Ackerman (USI) def. Neringa Bandzeviciute (UMSL), 6-0, 6-1
SEMINFINALS
Lewis def. Southern Indiana 5-4
Doubles
1. Emily Blinzinger/Ashley Rees (USI) def. Anne Leary/Liz Mendoza (LU) 8-1
2. Tracy Reece/Alane Lezatte (LU) def. Kathleen Davis/Nichole Freyberger (USI) 9-8 (5)
3. Daphne Hill/Jill Beem (LU) def. Kalie Ackerman/Jamie Carie (USI) 8-4
Singles
1. Emily Blinzinger (USI) def. Liz Mendoza (LU) 6-0, 6-1
2.
