Women’s Tennis Picked To Finish First In The MAC

The Bulls have reached the MAC Championship game the last two years

Kathy Twist

BUFFALO, NY- The University at Buffalo women’s tennis team was picked as the preseason favorite in the Mid-American Conference, the league office announced on Wednesday night. The poll is the result of voting by the league’s head coaches. The Bulls have been finalists in each of the last two Mid-American Conference Tournaments.

The Bulls received three first place votes, one more than Western Michigan who was picked to finish second in the league. Miami (OH) was tabbed third, while Eastern Michigan, who received one first place vote, was picked fourth. Toledo, Bowling Green, Ball State, Northern Illinois and Akron rounded out the preseason poll.

Last season, the Bulls finished with a 17-3 record and a 7-1 mark in Mid-American Conference play. Following the season, four UB players were honored by the league office. Both of UB’s second-team selections return this year in senior Andreea Novaceanu (Bucharest, Romania/Emil Racovita) and sophomore Denise Harijanto (Jakarta, Indonesia).

The Bulls had another outstanding fall that culminated in Novaceanu gaining a regional ranking of 21st in the East by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association and sportswear company Fila.

UB is slated to start its spring season with two straight home matches. The Bulls host Niagara on Feb. 2 at 1:00 pm and then host Syracuse on Feb. 9 at 1:00 pm.

2008 MAC Women’s Tennis Preseason Poll

1. Buffalo (3)
2. Western Michigan (2)
3. Miami
4. Eastern Michigan (1)
5. Toledo
6. Bowling Green
7. Ball State
8. Northern Illinois
9. Akron

01/17/2008