Complete All-Conference Team in PDF Format

April 23, 2008

San Bruno, CA - The No. 53 Saint Mary's women's tennis team was awarded for their efforts, garnering multiple West Coast Conference awards, headlined by head coach Lisa Alipaz's Co-Coach of the Year honor. Joining Alipaz in the all conference selections are, Jessica Hoath, Stef Ordoveza, Alex Poorta, and Claire Soper. Saint Mary's finished the season with a 16-7 overall record and second place finish in the WCC.

Alipaz led the Gaels to their best season in program history, earning a preseason ranking of No. 59 by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, while staying within the top 60 for the remainder of the season. The Gaels propelled up the rankings to as high as No. 35, following a huge victory over No. 35 UC Irvine, 4-3. The team currently ranks No. 53 by the ITA, as they wait in anticipation for an at large bid into the NCAA tournament.

Senior Jessica Hoath tabbed two awards this season, as she was named to the All-WCC First Team for singles, and the All-WCC Second Team for doubles, along with partner Nienke Strijbis. Hoath earned her first ever singles ranking this season, as she was named No. 117 by the ITA. The Aussie totaled a 10-11 record on the season, with 20-of-21 matches coming at the No. 1 singles position. The award marks the seniors' third and fourth straight singles and doubles recognitions respectively.

Stef Ordoveza and Alex Poorta tabbed their first career conference awards, as they were named to the All-WCC Second team for singles. Ordoveza posted a team-high 16 wins while playing at the No. 5 and 6 positions for the Gaels, including a six-match win streak midway through the season.

Poorta joins Saint Mary's as a freshman this season, posting a 15-5 record. Poorta played at the No. 2 spot for the majority of the season, playing a crucial role in the Gaels' 16-7 overall record. In addition to her singles award, Poorta was named to All-WCC Second Team for doubles, along with fellow freshman Claire Soper.

The final two Gaels to earn conference recognitions were sophomore Nienke Strijbis and Claire Soper. Strijbis was named to the All-WCC Second Team for doubles, along with Hoath, marking her second straight all-conference award. Strijbis paired up with Hoath at the No. 1 spot all year, finishing with an 11-9 overall record

Soper was awarded with both a doubles and singles award, as she was named to the second team for doubles and the honorable mention team for singles. Soper totaled a 13-5 overall record in singles in her debut as a Gael, with all of her matches coming at the No. 3 position. Soper joined Poorta at the No. 3 doubles spot, posting a team-best 14-3 record.

The Gaels hope to continue their stellar performances in the post season, as they await the NCAA selection show on Tuesday, April 29.