Five Tigers Ranked In Final ITA Tennis Polls; Four Named All-America

May 29, 2009

CLEMSON, SC – Five Clemson women’s tennis players were ranked in the final Campbell/ITA Tennis individual polls and a school-record four were named All-America as announced by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association on Friday. The honors mark several program firsts for Head Coach Nancy Harris’ squad, including the first time in history that two student-athletes earned All-America status in both singles and doubles in the same season, while Clemson placed more representatives on the All-America team than any other school.

Ani Mijacika and Josipa Bek concluded successful seasons with the prestigious honor and rankings in both the singles and doubles polls. Mijacika was also named an All-American in singles and doubles in 2008 and is now a program-best five-time honoree. The native of Makarska, Croatia headlined the Clemson group with the #4 final ranking in singles after spending every poll in 2009 among the top five. She finished with a 29-9 record for the fall and spring seasons combined and boasted 18 wins over ranked opponents. Mijacika was also named the 2009 ACC Player-of-the-Year and ranks in the top 10 in school history for her career singles winning percentage.

Bek was ranked 13th in the final poll to give the Tigers two players ranked in the top 15 for the first time in history. The rookie from Osijek, Croatia became just the fourth different player all-time to win more than 30 singles matches in a single season and her 34 in 2008-09 rank ninth in the Clemson record books. Bek became the first freshman in school history to earn All-America honors in both singles and doubles. As a 9-16 seeded player in the NCAA Singles Championship, she reached the round of 16 and also advanced to the quarterfinals in the national doubles tournament.

Bek and partner Ina Hadziselimovic were ranked 24th in the final doubles poll, jumping 13 spots after their run in the NCAA Doubles Championship. By reaching the elite eight, the duo qualified for All-America status. They finished with a 17-8 overall record as the Tigers’ number-two doubles team.

Mijacika teamed with Keri Wong to finish at #11 in the final doubles poll and mark the third consecutive season in which two Clemson doubles teams have been ranked in the final poll. The tandem received All-America honors as a seeded team in the national doubles tournament and finished the year with a 16-6 record. They own a trio of wins over teams that were ranked in the top 10 in the final poll.

Wong was also listed in the singles rankings at #112. The freshman from Jackson, MS posted a 26-9 record in her first collegiate season and had a 19-6 record in dual matches. Junior Estefania Balda rounds out the Tigers ranked in the singles poll at #115. Balda struggled with a shoulder injury for much of the season and was sidelined during the post-season. She was 15-17 for the fall and spring seasons combined.

Clemson posted a 19-8 record in 2009 and was ranked 11th in the final Campbell/ITA Tennis team poll.

A player must meet any of the following criteria to earn ITA All-America honors:

Singles 1.) Top 16 seed in NCAA Singles Championships, or; 2.) Reach round of 16 in NCAA Singles Championships, or; 3.) Finish in the Top 20 of the final ITA Rankings.

Doubles 1.) Top eight seed in NCAA Doubles Championships, or; 2.) Reach quarterfinals of NCAA Doubles Championship, or; 3.) Finish in Top 10 of final ITA Rankings

Clemson’s 2009 All-AmericansJosipa Bek – S/D Ina Hadziselimovic – D Ani Mijacika – S/DKeri Wong – D