2009-10 LIU Tennis Media Guide by Jeff Mead

Quick Facts/Directions Quick Facts General Information Founded........................................................................1926 Enrollment .................................................................11,000 Nickname .............................................................Blackbirds Colors .......................................................... Black and Silver Conference ............................................................ Northeast Home Court ........................................ USTA Tennis Center Capacity .......................................................................2,500 Athletics Web Site ................................www.liuathletics.com President ............................................ Dr. David J. Steinberg Provost ..................................................Gale Stevens Haynes Director of Athletics ........................................... John Suarez Senior Associate AD/SWA ..........................Margaret Alaimo Head Athletic Trainer ...............................Danny O’Connor Athletic Department Phone ......................... (718) 488-1030 Athletic Department Fax .............................. (718) 488-1669

Coaching Staff Head Coach ........................................................ Asi Phillips Alma Mater, Year ............................ Mount St. Mary’s, 2000 Overall Record (Years) ........................................... 43-36 (4) Record at LIU (Years) ................................................... same E-mail .....................................................asi.phillips@liu.edu Women’s Tennis Office Phone .................... (718) 488-3497

Table of Contents Quick Facts/Directions................................................................................... 1

Coaching Staff Head Coach Asi Phillips ................................................................................. 2

Meet the Blackbirds Roster............................................................................................................. 3 Season Outlook .............................................................................................. 3 Player Profiles ................................................................................................. 4

In Review 2008-09 Team Results .................................................................................... 7 2008-09 Singles and Doubles Records............................................................ 7 Northeast Conference .................................................................................... 8

Long Island University University Administration .............................................................................. 9 Athletics Administration .............................................................................. 10 Athletic Training/Strength and Conditioning ............................................... 11 Academics .................................................................................................... 12

Team Information 2008-09 Overall Record .................................................10-8 2009 Conference Record/Finish .................................3-0/1st 2009 NEC Tournament Finish ......................................... 1st Letterwinners Returning/Lost...........................................4/3 Newcomers .........................................................................3

Athletics Media Relations

Credits The 2009-10 Long Island University Women’s Tennis Media Guide was designed, written and edited by Shawn Sweeney. Editorial assistance by Jeff Mead and Brett Hertel. Printed by William Charles Printing of Plainview, N.Y. Special thanks to Brian Ierardi. Photography by Gene Boyars. Cover design by Karyn Olsen.

2009-10 Long Island University Women’s Tennis

Assistant Director of Media Relations .......... Shawn Sweeney ......................................................Women’s Tennis Contact Phone........................................................... (718) 488-1307 E-mail ..............................................shawn.sweeney@liu.edu Assistant AD/Media Relations Director..................Jeff Mead Phone........................................................... (718) 488-1420 E-mail .......................................................jeff.mead@liu.edu Media Relations Graduate Assistant .................. Brett Hertel Phone............................................(718) 488-1000 ext. 3026 E-mail .............................................. brett.hertel@my.liu.edu Media Relations Fax .................................... (718) 488-3302 Mailing Address ................................... One University Plaza ........................................... Wellness Center/Room 214-216 ........................................................... Brooklyn, N.Y. 11201

Directions to LIU Via Subway: Take the M,R (local) or B, Q (express) to DeKalb Avenue or take the 2, 3, 4 or 5 to Nevins Street. Also, A, C can be taken to Jay St./Borough Hall. Manhattan via the Manhattan Bridge: Proceed along Flatbush Avenue Extension to Myrtle Avenue and turn left at light. Take Myrtle Avenue to Ashland Place. Turn right onto Ashland Place and proceed to DeKalb Avenue, turning right. Parking garage is first brick building on the right. From Manhattan via the Brooklyn Bridge: Proceed along Adams Street, making a left onto Tillary St. Turn right onto Flatbush Avenue Extension and make first left at Myrtle Avenue. Turn right onto Ashland Place and proceed to DeKalb Avenue and make a right. Parking garage is first brick building on the right. From Brooklyn: Belt Parkway to BQE. Take BQE to Cadman Plaza West and proceed to Tillary Street. Turn left on Tillary Street and turn right onto Flatbush Avenue Extension. Make immediate left at light onto Myrtle Avenue. Turn right onto Ashland Place and proceed to DeKalb Ave. and make a right. Parking garage is first brick building on the right. From Queens/Long Island: Long Island Expressway (495 West) to BQE (278 West) to Tillary Street exit. Turn right onto Flatbush Avenue Extension and make first left at Myrtle Avenue. Turn right onto Ashland Place and proceed to DeKalb Avenue, turning right. From Staten Island: Take Verrazano Bridge to BQE. See above. From Northern New Jersey: Take New Jersey Turnpike south to Holland Tunnel to Canal Street East and follow to Manhattan Bridge. See above. From Southern New Jersey: New Jersey Turnpike north to Exit 10 (Outerbridge Crossing) to 278 East Verrazano Bridge to BQE. Follow directions from Brooklyn. From New England/Westchester County: Merritt Parkway South or 95 South to the Hutchinson Parkway South and over the Whitestone Bridge. Take 678 South (Van Wyck Expressway) to 495 West (Long Island Expressway). Follow directions from Queens.

Long Island Blackbirds • 2009-10 Women’s Tennis • www.liuathletics.com

Head Coach

Asi Phillips Head Coach• •Fifth Season Mount St. Mary’s, 2000

Individual accolades are nice, but fifth-year head coach Asi Phillips’ goal in 2008-09 was to bring a team championship back home to downtown Brooklyn after having fallen just short in each of the last three seasons. Phillips and his Blackbirds did just that, defeating topseeded Quinnipiac, 4-1, in the Northeast Conference finals. Prior to leading the Long Island University women’s tennis team to its first NEC championship, Phillips saw the same, less-than-desirable result in three straight seasons. In his first three years at the helm of the program, Phillips guided the Blackbirds to runner-up finishes in the NEC Tournament and was twice named NEC Coach of the Year for his efforts, in 2006 and 2007. In 2008, for the third straight year under his guidance, Long Island reached the championship match only to fall at the hands of Quinnipiac. In 2007, the Blackbirds had five championship points but were again denied by Quinnipiac for the title. After inheriting a veteran squad with loads of experience and talent in his first year, the neophyte head coach led his team to a perfect 4-0 record in league play and a trip to the NEC Tournament final for the third consecutive season. Despite dropping a thrilling 4-3 match to Quinnipiac in the finals, the season’s performance was good enough to earn Phillips NEC Coach of the Year honors for the first time.

2009-10 Long Island University Women’s Tennis

Over his first four seasons, Phillips has coached 15 first team allconference performers, 14 second team all-conference members, a pair

The Phillips File 2005-06 Long Island1 ..................................... 12-10 (4-0 NEC) 2006-07 Long Island1 ..................................... 10-12 (4-0 NEC) 2007-08 Long Island1 ........................................11-4 (4-0 NEC) 2007-08 Long Island1 2......................................10-8 (3-0 NEC) Totals (four seasons) ................... 43-36 (15-0 NEC) 1 NEC Coach of the Year 2 NEC Champions

of NEC Player of the Year honorees (Jessica Loose, 2005-06; Selma Babic, 2008-09) and an NEC Rookie of the Year (Ashley Harvey, 200506). In his championship season, Phillips was once again named NEC Coach of the Year and saw an impressive four players earn All-NEC First Team singles honors and one more gain a spot on the second team; he also saw a doubles team placed on both the first and second team all-conference squads. Phillips came to Long Island after serving as a group and individual tennis instructor at the United States Tennis Association in Flushing, N.Y. He has served as a head professional since 2000 and continues to conduct private lessons at the facility. In 2003, Phillips was the head coach of the varsity squad at Townsend Harris High School in Brooklyn, N.Y. He also was the head instructor at the East Side Tennis Association in the summer of 2000, where he taught private lessons. The East Elmhurst, N.Y., native is no stranger to the NEC, earning four varsity letters for the Mount St. Mary’s tennis squad (1996-1999). As a freshman and sophomore, Phillips reached the semifinals round at the NEC Championships in flight D singles. In 1998, Phillips was runner-up in flight C doubles and advanced to the semifinals in singles. Serving as captain during his senior season, Phillips compiled 13 victories in doubles competition which ranks seventh on the Mountaineers single season list. Phillips graduated from Mount St. Mary’s in 2000 with a bachelor’s degree in business. He currently resides in East Elmhurst, N.Y.

Long Island Blackbirds • 2009-10 Women’s Tennis • www.liuathletics.com

Roster/Season Outlook The sixth time was the charm. After five straight trips to the Northeast Conference championship match and five straight losses to Quinnipiac, the Long Island University women’s tennis team finally broke the mold last season. The Blackbirds found themselves in a familiar place at the 2009 NEC Tournament, pitted against Quinnipiac with a title hanging in the balance, only this time the result would be delightfully different.

Stephanie Elie

Long Island took the doubles point with a pair of wins at the top two spots and Selma Babic locked up a win at the No. 1 singles position, ousting Mary Wilson, 6-4, 6-1. Minutes later, Quinnipiac scored a win at the No. 3 spot just as Ashley Harvey was about to serve match point in her No. 2 match. Harvey won the point, taking the match 6-4, 6-1, leaving the Blackbirds feeling good with a 3-1 lead. Just as Harvey had finished off her win, Amy Hosotsuji, who had been leading her match against Nicole Adams, was seen heading down the hill from the No. 6 court, victorious with a 6-1, 6-3 decision. Upon seeing Hosotsuji’s triumphant trek down the hill, Long Island realized that the match was over and the Blackbirds had captured their first conference crown. Long Island earned a date with No. 9 California in the NCAA Tournament and suffered a loss despite strong play by Babic. The Bosnia and Herzegovina native gave Jana Juricova, the nation’s 11th-ranked singles player, a go at the top spot. In a hard-fought top-position match, Babic took a 4-3 lead in the first set before Juricova captured the last two games prior to the match being called when Cal secured the team win.

Babic enters her senior season coming off a stellar junior campaign. She carried a 14-match winning streak into the NCAA Tournament and finished the season 16-1 in dual matches (3-0 NEC) and 21-4 overall. On the doubles court, Babic went 16-4 overall, with a 13-3 mark in dual match play. When teamed with Johnson, the duo went 12-0 before taking a postseason loss to Cal. Johnson went 7-12 overall (5-10 in dual matches) and compiled an overall doubles mark of 15-11. Elie went 9-10 while playing singles, amassing a 7-6 record in dual matches and a perfect 3-0 mark against NEC competition. The Fresh Meadow, N.Y., native worked out a 6-14 doubles record, including a 3-2 mark when teamed with Lahens. Lahens, who enters her junior season, finished the season with an overall singles record of 7-11, going 7-7 in dual matches and 3-0 in the NEC. The Blackbirds welcome the addition of three freshmen to the roster, all with international ties. Taysha Blessington comes to Long Island from Australia, Aleksandra Pavlovic hails from Serbia and Linn Sjogren is a native of Sweden. The troika of newcomers will challenge for action at the second through sixth singles positions and bolster a strong upper class that will look to repeat at NEC champions and improve on last season’s 10-8 (3-0 NEC) finish.

2009-10 Roster Name Selma Babic Taysha Blessington Stephanie Elie H’Ann Johnson Dara Lahens Aleksandra Pavlovic Linn Sjorgen

Ht. 5-6 5-5 5-8 5-7 5-4 5-10 5-5

Long Island Blackbirds • 2009-10 Women’s Tennis • www.liuathletics.com

Yr. Sr. Fr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Fr. Fr.

Hometown/Previous School Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina/Clemson Univ. Sydney, Australia/Roseville College Fresh Meadow, N.Y./Univ. of Massachusetts St. John’s, Antigua/Samuel J. Tilden Rosedale, N.Y./Benjamin Cardozo Uzice, Serbia/Sports Gimnazium Gavle, Sweden/Borgarskolan

2009-10 Long Island University Women’s Tennis

The trip to the NCAA Tournament was the cherry on top of a historic season for the Blackbirds. En route to capturing its first NEC championship, Long Island cleaned up in the hardware department. Babic earned NEC Player of the Year honors, along with spots on the All-NEC First Team at No. 1 singles and at No. 1 doubles with senior H’Ann Johnson. Head coach Asi Phillips took home his third NEC Coach of the Year award in four seasons and the Blackbirds had three other first team singles winners: Harvey at No. 2; senior Stephanie Elie at No. 4 and Hosotsuji at No. 6. Junior Dara Lahens earned a spot on the All-NEC Second Team at No. 5 singles and teamed with Elie to garner second-team doubles honors at No. 3.

Selma Babic

Player Profiles

Selma Babic

Stephanie Elie

5-7• •Senior Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina Clemson Univ.

2009-10 Long Island University Women’s Tennis

2008-09: Named Northeast Conference Player of the Year... Earned a spot on the All-NEC First Team at No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles, pairing with H’Ann Johnson... Carried a 14-match winning streak into the NCAA Tournament where she led California’s No. 11 Jana Juricova 4-3 in the first set before dropping the next two games prior to the match being called... Went 16-1 in dual matches, all at the top position... Compiled a 21-4 overall singles mark, including a 3-0 NEC record and three wins in the conference tournament... Posted a 16-4 doubles record... Went 12-1 when teaming with Johnson with the lone loss coming in the NCAA Tournament against the No. 7 ranked team of Juricova and Mari Andersson... Was 13-3 in dual matches and 2-0 against the NEC. 2007-08: Named to All-NEC Second Team at No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles… Was named NEC Rookie of the Week on four occasions… Compiled a 17-5 singles record and a 15-5 mark in doubles action… Led team in wins… Went 4-0 in NEC play in singles, matching that mark in doubles…Won seven straight singles matches from March 2-19… Had a five-match singles winning streak from Sept. 29 to Oct. 6… Teamed with Johnson to win nine doubles matches. Background: Posted a 2-5 record in singles at Clemson... Won her first match, a 6-4, 6-0 decision over Lauren Tomory of Furman at the Furman Fall Classic... Defeated Tory Zawacki of Duke in the qualifying round of the Southeast Regional before falling to 117th-ranked Austin Smith of North Carolina... Posted a 3-4 overall record in doubles play... Defeated Penn State’s team of Bevard and McCarthy and Nusslock and Tuttle of Wisconsin... Defeated Simone and Totevska of Florida Atlantic, 8-5... Ranked in the top five in Bosnia... Participated in the WTA-sponsored Mostar Tournament in Bosnia... Won two matches in the event before falling in the quarterfinals... Named Athlete of the Year in Bosnia in 2004… Named to NEC Academic Honor Roll. Personal: Daughter of Hajrudin and Nisueta Babic... Born on July 21, 1988.

5-8• •Senior Fresh Meadow, N.Y. Univ. of Massachusetts

2008-09: Named to the All-Northeast Conference First Team at No. 4 singles and earned a spot on the All-NEC Second Team at No. 3 doubles along with Dara Lahens...Was 3-0 in singles against league opponents, improving to 4-0 when factoring in completed NEC Tournament matches... Went 9-10 for the season with a 7-6 dualmatch mark... Compiled a 4-2 record at the No. 4 spot... Match against California’s No. 54 Claire Ilcinkas in NCAA Tournament was unfinished… Went 13-18 in doubles action, including a 5-11 mark in dual matches... Was 2-1 in NEC doubles action. 2007-08: Compiled a 6-12 record in singles action… Amassed a 7-4 mark in doubles play… Went 2-2 in singles against NEC opponents… Teamed with Dara Lahens to win her only NEC doubles match… Won five straight singles matches from March 15-19. Background: Attended the University of Massachusetts, but did not play varsity tennis... Member of the varsity tennis team for three seasons at Francis Lewis High School... Played at the No. 1 singles spot all three seasons. Personal: Daughter of Kerner and Nathalie Elie... Born on Oct. 18, 1988... Majoring in journalism.

Selma Babic• •Career Records Singles Year 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 Total Doubles Year 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 Total 4

Stephanie Elie• •Career Records

Overall Dual Tournaments Played at Clemson 17-5 10-3 7-2 21-4 16-1 5-3 38-9 26-4 12-5

NEC

Overall Dual Tournaments Played at Clemson 15-5 10-4 5-1 16-4 13-3 3-1 31-9 23-7 8-2

NEC

4-0 3-0 7-0

4-0 2-0 6-0

Singles Year 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 Total Doubles Year 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 Total

Overall 6-12 9-10 15-22 Overall 7-4 6-14 13-18

Dual Tournaments Did not play 6-8 0-4 7-6 2-4 13-14 2-8

NEC

Dual Tournaments Did not play 4-2 3-2 5-11 1-3 9-13 4-5

NEC

2-2 3-0 5-2

1-0 2-1 3-1

Long Island Blackbirds • 2009-10 Women’s Tennis • www.liuathletics.com

Player Profiles

H’Ann Johnson

Dara Lahens

5-4• •Senior St. John’s, Antigua Samuel J. Tilden

2008-09: Named to the All-Northeast Conference First Team with Selma Babic at No. 1 doubles... Went 12-1 when teamed with Babic with the lone loss coming in the NCAA Tournament against the No. 7 team of Jana Juricova and Mari Andersson... Was 15-11 in doubles overall, including a 12-4 dual-match mark... Went 2-0 in NEC doubles play... Compiled a 7-12 singles mark... Won five out of 10 dual matches... Fell to No. 41 Andersson in the NCAA Tournament... Went 1-2 in NEC play. 2007-08: Earned All-NEC accolades at No. 3 singles and No. 1 doubles… Went 13-6 in singles with an 11-5 mark in doubles play… Was 3-0 in NEC action in singles, adding a pair of wins at the NEC Tournament… Compiled a 3-0 doubles mark in NEC play… Teamed with Babic to win nine of 10 doubles matches from March 9 to April 11. 2006-07: Named to the All-NEC Second Team at No. 1 singles... Tallied six victories in singles, including four at the top spot... Went 2-2 at the No. 2 position... Had six victories at the No. 3 doubles position, including a 3-3 mark with teammate Ashley Harvey. Background: Participated on the ITF Touring Team in Antigua in 2001... Ranked No. 1 in singles in Antigua... Played inter-school tennis in 1999 in Antigua... Was a member of the high honor roll during her junior and senior seasons. Personal: Born on May 28, 1987... Majoring in computer science.

5-4• •Junior Rosedale, N.Y. Benjamin Cardozo

2008-09: Named to All-Northeast Conference Second Team at No. 5 singles and No. 3 doubles... Compiled a 7-11 singles record with a 7-7 mark in dual-match play... Went 4-4 at the fifth position and was a perfect 3-0 in NEC matches, adding a win in the NEC Tournament... Match against California’s No. 32 Bojana Bobusic went unfinished in the NCAA Tournament... Strung together five straight wins from March 26 to April 11... Registered a 9-10 record in doubles action... Teamed with Stephanie Elie to go 3-0, including two NEC Tournament wins. 2007-08: Amassed a 6-4 singles record and a 9-12 mark in doubles action… Won all her matches in three-match streaks… Teamed with Stephanie Elie for seven doubles wins, garnering two more with Liliana Cortes… Went 2-0 in NEC singles matches… Compiled a 2-1 doubles mark in NEC play... Teamed with Cortes for a doubles win against Wagner in the NEC Tournament. Background: Played four seasons of varsity tennis at Benjamin Cardoza High School... Played second singles for the team. Personal: Daughter of Brenda Lahens... Born on Feb. 8, 1989... Major is undecided.

2009-10 Long Island University Women’s Tennis

H’Ann Johnson• •Career Records Singles Year 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 Total Doubles Year 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 Total

Overall 6-15 13-6 7-12 26-33

Dual 6-14 10-4 5-10 21-28

Tournaments 0-1 3-2 2-2 5-5

NEC 2-1 3-0 1-2 6-3

Overall 3-13 11-5 15-11 29-29

Dual 3-12 9-2 12-4 24-18

Tournaments 0-1 2-3 3-7 5-11

NEC 1-1 3-0 2-0 6-1

Dara Lahens• •Career Records Singles Year 2007-08 2008-09 Total Doubles Year 2007-08 2008-09 Total

Long Island Blackbirds • 2009-10 Women’s Tennis • www.liuathletics.com

Overall 6-4 7-11 13-15

Dual 6-2 7-7 13-9

Tournaments 0-2 0-4 0-6

NEC 2-0 3-0 5-0

Overall 9-12 9-10 18-22

Dual 6-7 6-8 12-15

Tournaments 3-5 3-2 6-7

NEC 2-1 1-1 3-2 5

Newcomer Profiles

Taysha Blessington 5-5• •Freshman Sydney, Australia Roseville College

Background: Attended Roseville College in Sydney, Australia… Was part of a duo that won the Tildesley Doubles Championship from 2004-08, marking the first time in the history of the tournament that a pair had won more than three consecutive titles… Named Independent Girls’ School Sports Association Honour Recipient from 2003-07… Received Pamela Jones Award for application of studies and sport throughout school life… Also played basketball and field hockey. Personal: Daughter of Adrian and Jenine Blessington… Born on April 7, 1991… Majoring in sports management.

Linn Sjogren 5-5• •Freshman Gavle, Sweden Borgarskolan

Background: Played four years of tennis Borgarskolan in Gavle, Sweden… Ranked No. 1 in district… Achieved a No. 18 junior ranking in Sweden… Reached No. 50 on the senior ranking… Played in the quarterfinal at both the Swedish Outdoor and Bastad championships in 2008… Was one of 16 to qualify for the Women’s Under-21 Swedish Championship in 2009. Personal: Daughter of Lina Nystrom… Born on Nov. 20, 1990… Majoring in sports science.

Aleksandra Pavlovic 5-10• •Freshman Uzice, Serbia Sports Gimnazium

2009-10 Long Island University Women’s Tennis

Background: Played at Serbian tennis academy Jedinstvo... Became full time member of Serbian Junior National Team at age 14... Ranked in top 10 from age groups 12-18... Ranked No. 250 on Europe 14-and under list... Placed third on the Serbian Junior Tour’s 12-and-under and 14-and-under programs... Ranked No. 5 in Serbia... Won first place on Serbia Junior Tour at Beograd... Placed first at Serbian State Junior Team competition. Personal: Daughter of Grujo and Felica Pavlovic… Born on April 29, 1990… Major is undecided.

Dara Lahens

H’Ann Johnson

Long Island Blackbirds • 2009-10 Women’s Tennis • www.liuathletics.com

In Review 2008-09 Team Results

Ashley Harvey

Overall: 10-8 Northeast Conference: 3-0 Date Sept. 19 Sept. 26 Oct. 11 Oct. 25 Jan. 31 Feb. 5 Feb. 21 March 7 March 16 March 17 March 18 March 19 March 21 March 26 March 27 March 30 April 5 April 11 April 17 April 18 April 19 May 8 * 1 2 3

Opponent Stony Brook Invitational Eastern Championships USTA Women’s College Invitational Wilson/ITA East Region Championships at Albany at Massachusetts at Columbia at Saint Peter’s vs. Cleveland State1 vs. North Dakota1 vs. Rhode Island1 at Rollins vs. Coastal Carolina1 at Sacred Heart* Bryant Monmouth* Fairleigh Dickinson* at Army vs. Saint Francis (Pa.)2 vs. Fairleigh Dickinson2 vs. Quinnipiac2 at No. 9 California3

Result --------L 6-1 L 6-1 L 7-0 W 7-0 L 5-2 W 6-1 L 5-2 L 5-2 L 5-2 W 4-3 W 5-2 W 7-0 W 6-1 W 4-3 W 5-0 W 4-0 W 4-1 L 4-0

Northeast Conferernce match Orlando, Fla. Northeast Conference Tournament NCAA Tournament

2008-09 Singles/Doubles Results

Selma Babic Liliana Cortes Stephanie Elie Ashley Harvey Amy Hosotsuji H’Ann Johnson Dara Lahens Total

1 2 3 16-1 --- ----- --- 0-1 --- 0-1 1-1 --- 11-3 0-1 --- --- ----- 1-0 3-8 --- --- 1-0 16-1 12-4 5-12

4 ----4-2 --0-1 1-2 2-2 7-8

5 6 Dual Tourn. NEC Overall --- --- 16-1 5-3 3-0 21-4 --- --0-1 0-1 --0-2 2-2 --7-6 2-4 3-0 9-10 --- --- 11-4 4-3 3-0 15-7 1-2 7-6 8-9 1-3 1-1 9-12 --- --- 5-10 2-2 1-2 7-12 4-4 0-1 7-7 0-4 3-0 7-11 7-8 8-10 55-43 14-20 15-3 69-63

2009-10 Long Island University Women’s Tennis

Singles

Amy Hosotsuji

2009 Northeast Conference Champions

Doubles 1 2 Cortes/Johnson --- --Babic/Lahens 1-2 --Elie/Hosotsuji --- 1-6 Elie/Lahens --- 1-0 Harvey/Hosotsuji 0-1 2-4 Elie/Johnson --- 0-1 Babic/Johnson 12-1 --Harvey/Lahens --- 1-0 Elie/Harvey --- 0-1 Hosotsuji/Lahens --- --Totals 13-4 5-12

3 ----1-0 2-1 0-1 0-2 --1-4 --0-1 5-10

Dual Tourn. NEC Overall --3-7 --3-7 1-2 3-1 --4-3 2-6 1-2 1-1 3-8 3-1 0-1 1-0 3-2 2-6 0-2 0-1 2-8 0-3 ----0-3 12-1 --2-0 12-1 2-4 --0-1 2-4 0-1 ----0-1 0-1 ----0-1 23-26 7-13 5-3 30-39

Long Island Blackbirds • 2009-10 Women’s Tennis • www.liuathletics.com

In Review Embarking upon its 29th season, the Northeast Conference and its member institutions look forward to a new era of growth and opportunity in 2009-10. Driven by a new strategic plan, the NEC will strive to be recognized as an NCAA Division I leader for student-athlete achievement, integrity, competitiveness and national engagement. The NEC can trace its roots back to 1981, when the league was first established as the men’s basketball-only ECAC-Metro Conference. A single-sport entity at its inception, even the league’s most ardent supporters during its formative years could not have envisioned a transformation into a burgeoning 12-member, 22-sport conference. The remarkable success story of the conference began to unfold in 1985, when the league began sponsoring additional sports. Three years later, a change of name was in order and the Northeast Conference as we know it today was born. With membership and sport sponsorship continuing to grow over the next decade and beyond, the NEC now enjoys qualification or play-in access to 13 different NCAA Championships (baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, field hockey, men’s and women’s golf, women’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s soccer, softball, men’s and women’s tennis and women’s volleyball). Though the NEC has featured various looks since its inception,

charter members Fairleigh Dickinson, Long Island, Robert Morris, St. Francis (N.Y.), Saint Francis (Pa.) and Wagner remain part of the current 12-school alignment. They are joined by Monmouth (admitted in 1985), Mount St. Mary’s (1989), Central Connecticut State (1997), Quinnipiac (1998) and Sacred Heart (1999). NEC expansion, which will culminate in 2012 with the addition of Bryant University as the league’s 12th member, will give the league a six-state geographic footprint with access to such major media markets as New York City, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Hartford and Providence. With the addition of women’s bowling last fall, NEC member institutions now compete in 22 championship sports: baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, women’s bowling men’s and women’s cross country, field hockey, football, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s indoor track and field, women’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s outdoor track and field, men’s and women’s soccer, softball, women’s swimming, men’s and women’s tennis, and women’s volleyball. Men’s lacrosse will become the league’s 23rd sport by the 2011 season. Over the last five years, the NEC has televised nearly 150 events, as the league’s coverage area expanded to 40 million homes plus coverage internationally. The NEC also webstreamed the women’s basketball, softball and baseball tournaments to much acclaim, and plans to expand webstream offerings in 2009-10.

2009 NEC Championship Results

2009-10 Long Island University Women’s Tennis

Opening Round: #8 Robert Morris 4, #9 Wagner 0 #7 Saint Francis (Pa.) 4, #10 St. Francis (N.Y.) 0 Quarterfinals: #1 Quinnipiac 4, #8 Robert Morris 0 #2 Long Island 5, #7 Saint Francis (Pa.) 0 #3 Fairleigh Dickinson 4, #6 Monmouth 0 #4 Sacred Heart 4, #5 Mount St. Mary’s 0

Ninth Place: Seventh Place: Fifth Place: Semifinals:

#9 Wagner 4, #10 St. Francis (N.Y.) 0 #6 Monmouth 4, #7 Saint Francis (Pa.) 2 #5 Mount St. Mary’s 5, #8 Robert Morris 0 #1 Quinnipiac 4, #4 Sacred Heart 1 #2 Long Island 4, #3 Fairleigh Dickinson 0 Championship: #2 Long Island 4, #1 Quinnipiac 1

2009 All-NEC Teams

First Team Singles #1 Selma Babic #2 Ashley Harvey #3 Natalie Duckor #4 Stephanie Elie #5 Kristina Chao #6 Amy Hosotsuji

Long Island Long Island Quinnipiac Long Island Sacred Heart Long Island

First Team Doubles #1 Selma Babic H’Ann Johnson #2 Julija Korshunova Jessica DeCarlos #3 Kasey Rosenberger Nikki Adams

Long Island Long Island Fairleigh Dickinson Fairleigh Dickinson Quinnipiac Quinnipiac

Second Team Singles #1 Mary Wilson #2 Adrienne Markison #3 Ksenia Chernyshova #4 Elizabeth Harrington #5 Dara Lahens #6 Delaney Downing

Quinnipiac Quinnipiac Fairleigh Dickinson Sacred Heart Long Island Sacred Heart

Second Team Doubles #1 Mary Wilson Adrienne Markison #2 Julianne Kasinow Darcy Demers #3 Dara Lahens Stephanie Elie

Quinnipiac Quinnipiac Sacred Heart Sacred Heart Long Island Long Island

Coach of the Year Asi Phillips

Long Island

Long Island Blackbirds • 2009-10 Women’s Tennis • www.liuathletics.com

University Administration

Dr. David Steinberg President Long Island University

Dr. David Steinberg, the ninth president of Long Island University, was appointed April 1, 1985. During his tenure, the University has experienced a renaissance becoming one of the largest and most comprehensive private universities in the United States. Under his leadership, the University’s endowment has increased nearly tenfold from $4.8 million to over $80 million, and its enrollment has risen from 19,000 to over 28,500. He has spearheaded a capital improvement plan, which has led to $400 million in investments in new construction and major renovations, resulting in vast improvements in the quality of study and life on each of the University’s campuses, especially, the C.W. Post and Brooklyn Campuses. New doctoral programs have been added and operating reserves have been created and increased. Born in New York City, Dr. Steinberg, is the son of the late Rabbi Milton Steinberg of Manhattan’s Park Avenue Synagogue. He was educated at Phillips Academy at Andover, Malvern College in England, and Harvard College, from which he graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. After a Fulbright year at the University of the Philippines and a year at Columbia University on a Woodrow Wilson Fellowship, he returned to Harvard, where he received both a master’s in East Asian Studies (1963) and a Ph.D. in History (1964). Dr. Steinberg also has received several honorary degrees. He began his teaching career in the Department of History at the University of Michigan, where he rose to the rank of full professor. In 1973, he joined the administration of Brandeis University as Executive Assistant to the President, becoming Vice President and University Secretary in 1977. The author of numerous books and articles on Southeast Asia and, in particular, Philippine history, Steinberg has taught, lectured and written about this important area of the world for four decades. His ﬁrst book, “Philippine Collaboration in World War II,” won the University Press Award in 1969. “The Philippines: A Singular and a Plural Place,” now in its fourth edition, was described by U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines, Nicholas Platt, as “the best single-volume guide to understanding the Philippines, past and present.” Dr. Steinberg also edited and co-authored both editions of “In Search of Southeast Asia,” one of the major textbooks on the area. He recently collaborated with top scholars from around the world to co-author “The Emergence of Modern Southeast Asia,” a new and multifaceted history of this complex region. He is a co-author of “Religion and Religiosity in the Philippines and Indonesia: Essays on State, Society and Public Creeds,” 2005.

Gale Stevens Haynes Provost Long Island University Brooklyn Campus

As head of a doctoral-granting institution, Provost Haynes has achieved many of her dreams both as an educator and a parent. Today, she oversees one of the most diverse campuses in the country, with more than 11,000 students, managing an annual budget of over $160 million. Provost Haynes has led her institution through a remarkable renaissance: doubling student enrollment, creating new facilities, diversifying faculty, forging links with the community and transforming the Campus into a vibrant urban academic center. One of the Provost’s visions – a modern performing arts center for the students and the community – became a reality in 2005. The centerpiece of the new complex is the wood-paneled, 320-seat Kumble Theater for the Performing Arts, where cutting-edge and traditional dance, music and theater performances regularly draw standing-room-only crowds from the Campus and the surrounding region. In 2006, under the Provost’s leadership, the Campus completed the biggest building project in its history: the $45 million Wellness, Recreation and Athletic Center. With state-of-the-art fitness and aquatic facilities for students and other members of the Campus, the WRAC also features an outstanding, 2,500seat venue, open to the public for athletic and civic events. Its Harriet Rothkopf Heilbrunn ’32 Academic Nursing Center offers an extensive array of free preventive health services as well as a home for Brooklyn’s first Lupus outreach and education office, all in service to the entire community. A wider array of wellness services, including special cluster of intervention programs addressing asthma and lead poisoning in children, are planned to begin in 2007. In recent months, the Provost also has overseen a dramatic re-landscaping that has nearly tripled the green space for the central campus, with native plants and amenities that create a serene environment and enhance the “college experience” on this urban campus. Involved in higher education for three decades, Provost Haynes began her association with the Brooklyn Campus as a student, earning a bachelor’s degree in English and a master’s degree in counseling. She started her career as director of the Higher Education Opportunity Program. Upon completing her law degree at St. John’s University in 1983, she became Long Island University’s legal counsel before assuming the position of Provost in 1989. A Queens, N.Y., native, Provost Haynes grew up with a love of books and the spoken word, which she attributes to her West Indian heritage. She has passed on that love of learning to her three daughters – a doctor, a lawyer and an educator – whom she raised as a divorced single parent. “Parenting is a training ground for being a good CEO,” she maintains. Acting on her belief that a sound education is the key to realizing one’s dreams, Provost Haynes is dedicated to creating an urban campus whose varied pathways help students to realize theirs. Long Island Blackbirds • 2009-10 Women’s Tennis • www.liuathletics.com

2009-10 Long Island University Women’s Tennis

“I am a big dreamer,” says Gale Stevens Haynes, Provost of Long Island University’s Brooklyn Campus and an exemplary educator, lawyer and role model. “If you don’t dream, nothing ever changes.”

Athletics Administration

John Suarez Director of Athletics

John Suarez enters his 13th year as director of athletics at Long Island University, where he has overseen a dramatic growth of the school’s athletic department. During his tenure, Suarez has witnessed a sensational rise in the Blackbirds’ on-field success with 27 Northeast Conference championships and 22 NEC Coach of the Year awards. Under his guidance, Long Island captured its first-ever NEC Women’s Commissioner’s Cup in 2006 and posted its best overall finish in over 20 years with a third-place standing in 2008-09. Academic success has also been a priority in Suarez’s tenure. The department posted its highest cumulative grade-point average in over 20 years of record keeping with a 3.14 mark following the 2008-09 school year. It was the eighth consecutive year that the department’s cumulative GPA was above 3.0. In addition, LIU has been cited with two National Graduation Awards sponsored by USA Today and has had its programs regularly recognized by the NCAA for its Academic Progress Rate scores. Suarez has also spearheaded the department as it has made major improvements to its facilties. The 2006 opening of the Wellness, Recreation and Athletic Center culminated a decade of facility improvement at the Brooklyn Campus. The $45 million facility houses as 2,500-seat arena, an NCAA regulation-size swimming pool and a state-of-the-art fitness center. The WRAC also features a wellness center that is geared toward a growing Brooklyn community. The Wellness Center came on the heels of other improvements that included the addition of lights to LIU Field in 1999, FieldTurf in 2001 and bleachers for softball and baseball in 2003. Suarez has also overseen upgrades to the weight room, locker rooms and scoreboards. Suarez’s work is not done, as there are plans to further upgrade to the Blackbirds’ facilities, including an extensive redesign of LIU Field and the addition of a bubble atop the Wellness Center, covering the track and tennis courts.

2009-10 Long Island University Women’s Tennis

With a keen eye toward the future, Suarez has been mindful of LIU’s past. He helped spearhead the creation of the LIU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2000 with 11 inaugural members, as well as the reestablishment of the Blackbird Club in 2002.

Suarez has also continued to make his presence felt outside the downtown Brooklyn campus. He served on the NCAA Management Council from 2003-06 and was a member of the Division I Budget Committee from 2004-06. Prior to that, Suarez was on the NCAA Championship Cabinet from 2000-03 and served as chair of the NEC Athletic Directors Committee from 2000-02. Suarez arrived following a three-year stint as athletics director at Mercer County College in Trenton, N.J., which won two national championships and produced 11 regional titles in that span. Eighty percent of the athletes in his time attended four-year schools and every team produced a winning record during his last two years. Suarez earned his bachelor’s degree in marketing at Fairleigh Dickinson University, where he competed on the baseball team. He completed his master’s in sports management at East Stroudsburg University.

Margaret Alaimo Senior Associate A.D. Senior Woman Administrator

Greg Fox

Matthew Scally

Associate Director of Athletics External Relations

Associate Director of Athletics Director of Compliance

Long Island Blackbirds • 2009-10 Women’s Tennis • www.liuathletics.com

Athletic Training/Strength and Conditioning

Danny O’Connor

Courtney Civitano

Head Athletic Trainer

Assistant Athletic Trainer

Erica Marcano Assistant Athletic Trainer

The campus’ athletic training staff is dedicated to the prevention, rehabilitation and recovery needs of over 200 student-athletes for the school’s 18 athletic teams. Headed by three full-time athletic trainers, the staff consists of several graduate and undergraduate trainers who are enrolled in LIU’s renowned athletic training program. Due to the extreme availability of the training program’s resources, LIU’s athletic trainers strive to place great attention and detail on each athlete in order to provide the best care possible. The sports medicine staff prides themselves on not only providing the best injury-specific plan of care, but also ensuring that the athlete’s long-term health goals are met. In the winter of 2005, a state-of-the-art Athletic Training Room opened in the Wellness, Recreation and Athletic Center. It is fully equipped with the latest modalities and rehabilitative equipment to ensure the needs of each individual student-athlete are fully met. The new Athletic Training Room allows the LIU sports medicine staff to conduct all short-term and post-operative rehabilitation on-site. The staff also works in conjunction with LIU’s Center for Physical Rehabilitation in order to utilize a HydroWorx therapy pool. The Wellness Center also houses resources and programs to promote the health of community residents. Cardiac rehabilitation, orthopedic therapy and asthma education services are available. In addition to providing treatment and rehabilation, the athletic training staff provides education to student-athletes regarding health matters and concerns in order to aid students in achieving optimum health and conditioning. Danny O’Connor has directed the sports medicine program since being promoted to head trainer in 2001. O’Connor, who started with LIU as a graduate student in 1994, and is staff are responsible for maintaining the operation of the athletic training room. His office coordinates the medical coverage and the administering of the athletic department’s drug education and testing program. The athletic trainers also schedule appointments with the program’s physician, coordinate preseason physical exams and design treatment and rehabilitation programs.

Richard James Strength and Conditioning Coach

The strength and conditioning program at Long Island University is designed to help student-athletes maximize their athletic potential and performance while reducing the risk of injury. Coordinated by Richard James, a former Blackbird and All-American in the 400-meter dash, specialized workout programs are tailored to enhance athletes’ physical abilities in their specific sports, as each sport places different demands on the body. Included in his regimen are weight training, power and speed training, flexibility training, plyometrics and conditioning. James, who represented Jamaica in the 4x400-meter relay at the 2004 Olympics held in Athens and holds a master’s degree in exercise physiology from Long Island, is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and a U.S.A. Weightlifting Performance Specialist. The weight training room is located in the new state-of-the art Wellness, Recreation and Athletic Center. The facility houses not only a fitness center equipped with the latest equiment - from stationary bikes with built in televisions to a full weight station - but also a separate weight room especially geared for student-athletes. There is a full range of equipment to meet the diverse needs of each student-athlete from preseason conditioning to the offseason variety. Treadmills and stationary bikes, free weights and press machines are just some of the pieces of equipment which make it one of the most complete facilities in the Northeast Conference. Long Island Blackbirds • 2009-10 Women’s Tennis • www.liuathletics.com

2009-10 Long Island University Women’s Tennis

O’Connor and his staff consult regularly with athletic department orthopedic surgeon Dr. Howard Levy, a doctor of orthopedic surgery and sports medicine at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. Levy and a network of medical staff, mostly from Lenox Hill, work closely with LIU athletes to meet their surgical and rehabilitative needs.

Academics

Nora Mavashev Academic Enhancement Coordinator

The balancing of academic achievement and athletic success is the primary concern of LIU’s Department of Athletics. The University’s student-athlete academic services are designed to help the department fulfill its commitment to all student-athletes in their pursuit of academic excellence. At LIU, there is a high priority placed on academic integrity, along with an opportunity to take advantage of extraordinary academic programs. The goal of the LIU Athletic Department is to give student-athletes an avenue to seek help, whether it be for tutorial assistance, scheduling of classes, personal or career development or to improve on their test-taking and time-management skills. In her sixth year, Nora Mavashev is responsible for monitoring academic progress of the student-athletes, ensuring they meet and exceed the University’s academic goals in compliance with NCAA and institutional standards. In conjunction with the director and senior associate director of athletics, Mavashev has formed close relationships with the academic advisement office and counseling center to assist the student-athlete in negotiating the demands of daily practices and games. The athletic department had an overall grade point average this past year of 3.14. During the 2008-09 academic year, 15 of the 18 teams posted cumulative averages above 3.00. There were 111 student-athletes (58 percent) who had a cumulative GPA above 3.00 and 32 student-athletes (17 percent) with GPAs above 3.50. Over 100 student-athletes were named to the Northeast Conference Academic Honor Roll and for the second straight year, the NCAA announced Public Recognition Awards for the academic work of the women’s golf, indoor track and field and cross country teams. In additon, the men’s golf and soccer teams earned NEC Team Academic Awards. The University has twice been recognized by the NCAA and USA Today for having the highest graduation rate in the nation as compared to the remainder of the student body.

2009-10 Long Island University Women’s Tennis

Program Offerings

Undergraduate Richard L. Connolly College of Liberal Arts and Sciences • Art Education • Bilingual Teaching for the Handicapped • Biology • Biochemistry • Chemistry • Cytotechnology • Dance • Economics • English • French • German • Humanities • History • Jazz Studies • Journalism • Mathematics • Media Arts • Medical Technology • Music - Applied Music • Music Theory • Nuclear Medicine Technology • Philosophy • Physics • Political Science • Psychology • Social Science • Social Studies

• Social Work • Sociology • Spanish • Speech • Studio Art • Visual Arts

Graduate

School of Business, Public Admin. & Information Sciences • Accounting • Business Finance • Business Management • Computer Science • Information Systems • Marketing School of Education • Elementary • Physical Education Teacher • Bilingual Teacher of Special Education School of Health Professions • Health Sciences • Occupational Therapy • Physical Therapy • Physician’s Assistant • Respiratory Care • Sports Sciences School of Nursing • Nursing • Nursing/Adult Nurse Practitioner

Richard L. Connolly College of Liberal Arts and Sciences • Anthropology • Biology • Chemistry • Economics • English • Language Pathology • Mathematics • Media Arts • Political Science • Psychology • Social Science • Sociology • Urban Studies School of Business, Public Admin. & Information Sciences • Accounting • Business Administration • Computer Science • Health Administration • Human Resources Management • Public Administration • Taxation

• Elementary • English/Second Language • Reading Teacher • School Counselor • School Psychologist • Special Education School of Health Professions • Athletic Training/Sports Sciences • Coaching & Conditioning • Community Health • Community Health Management • Health Sciences • Occupational Therapy • Physical Therapy School of Nursing • Adult Nurse Practitioner • Nurse Management Arnold & Marie Schwartz College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences • Drug Regulatory Affairs • Drug Information & Communication • Pharmaceutics • Pharmacy Administration

School of Education • Bilingual Education • Computers in Education • Counseling

Long Island Blackbirds • 2009-10 Women’s Tennis • www.liuathletics.com