Tiger Veterans MIJACIKA ANI Junior 5-10 Makarska, Croatia Highlights: Three-time All-American with 2007 honors in doubles and 2008 accolades in both singles and doubles...named to the 2008 ITA Collegiate All-Star Team was a finalist for the Honda Sports Award for tennis named to the 2008 All-ACC team rose to the #1 singles ranking in the Feb. 20, 2008 poll, the first Clemson tennis player, man or woman to earn the top ranking spent every poll of the spring season in the top five participated in the NCAA & Championships for the second straight year was the #2 seed in singles and #4 seed in doubles with Carol Salge moved into fifth place in the Clemson record books with a.797 career doubles winning percentage also ranked seventh with a.786 career singles winning percentage and a.705 career set winning percentage was named the ACC Player-of-the-Week twice in 2008...had one of the best seasons of all time and, arguably, the most successful rookie campaign, in 2006-07...named the 2007 ACC Freshman-of-the-Year and the 2007 ITA Southeast Region Rookie Player-to-Watch...was a 2007 All-ACC selection reached the second round of the NCAA Championship and made program history with Federica Van Adrichem for their semifinals appearance in the national doubles tournament advanced to the finals of the two most prestigious fall tournaments in 2007. Fall 2008 Won her first eight matches of the fall en route to a 12-3 record Was ranked #2 in the preseason singles poll Claimed the A bracket title at the MCC Collegiate Invitational in September Followed that with three straight wins at the Furman Fall Classic, including two over ranked players Defeated 25th-ranked Julie Cohen of Miami in the opening round of the Riviera/ITA All- American Championships in October and then won a three-set match in the round of 16 Her run in the tournament ended in the quarterfinals after falling in third-set tie break to Irina Falconi of Georgia Tech Then dropped a match to Baylor s Taylor Ormond at the Duals in the Desert before rebounding to win the next two Reached the finals of the ITA National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships for the second straight year, falling a second time to Arkansas Aurelija Miseviciute in a three-set battle She had dropped a set in the event prior to the finals, defeating four ranked opponents Won over #41 Kelcy McKinna of Arizona State to open the tournament; then defeated 72nd-ranked Laura Gioia of Furman in the second round Posted a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Cal s seventh-ranked Marina Cossou in the quarterfinals and #34 Maria Mosolova of Northwestern in the semifinals. Posted an 8-4 record in the fall with two partners Was ranked 17th in the preseason poll with Federica Van Adrichem With Van Adrichem was 6-3 for the fall Duo went 2-1 at the MCC Collegiate Invitational to open the season Then had a 2-1 record and reached the finals of the Furman Fall Classic in late September Earned a bid to the Riviera/ITA All-American Championships in October with Van Adrichem Won their first two matches to advance to the quarterfinals before falling Teamed with Keri Wong for the Duals in the Desert in November where they went 2-1. Spring 2008 Went 19-6 during the spring season with 11 wins over ranked opponents As the #2 seed, reached the round of 16 of the NCAA Championships; defeated Anastasia Petukhova of Fresno State in the opening round (6-3, 6-1) and VCU s Tatsiana Uvarova in the second round (6-0, 6-3) before falling to 9-16 seed Fani Chifchieva of Auburn (2-6, 4-6) One of just three players in school history to advance to the round of 16 in both singles and doubles play in the same season Had an 8-1 record against conference opponents and was named to the All-ACC team for the second straight year Opened season at the no. 3 position due to a minor injury, winning matches over Troy and Furman Did not play against Purdue or Virginia Commonwealth Returned to the line-up and the no. 1 spot on Feb. 7 in the USTA/ITA National Team Indoor Championships Defeated #10 Suzi Babos of California in the first match, avenging a loss to the Golden Bear player in the finals of the Riviera/ITA All-American Championships in October Suffered back-to-back losses, to #39 Melanie Gloria of Fresno State and #25 Riza Zalameda of UCLA, in the final two matches of the Indoors Then posted three straight victories over SEC players, including a straight set (6-1, 6-2) win over #35 Gira Schofield of South Carolina as the nation s top player Fell to sixth-ranked Kristi Miller of Georgia Tech in Atlanta on Feb. 27 in a three-set battle, 4-6, 7-6(7), 6-7(6) Rebounded with win over #24 Laura Vallverdu of Miami (6-2, 7-6(4)) to begin an eight-match winning streak Defeated two more ranked opponents during the stretch, including a win over #9 Sanaz Marand of North Carolina Fell in the first set against Marand and then won the second, 7-5; trailed 5-0 in the third set but rallied to defeat the Tar Heel player in the tie-break Did not play against Boston College and Maryland in the final regular season weekend due to back spasms Suffered a loss to Marand in the second round of the ACC Championships on Apr. 18 Then defeated Miller, ranked #5 at the time, in the semifinals to help the Tigers knock off the top-seeded Yellow Jackets, 4-1 (2-6, 6-3, 6-3) Posted a straight-set victory over Tara Iyer of Duke in the finals (6-1, 6-4) as Clemson won the title Match against Winthrop was suspended after the Tigers swept the Eagles, 4-0, in the first round of the NCAA regionals Won 6-0, 6-4 against #50 Chisako Sugiyama of Michigan in the regional final to help Clemson advance in the national tournament Fell to #3 Hilary Barte of Stanford in the NCAA round of 16 as the Tigers run in the tournament ended. Posted a 21-3 individual doubles record for the spring season, including a 17-3 ledger with Carol Salge With Salge, ranked as high as #4 in the doubles poll and received the fourth seed in the NCAA Championships, earning the pair All-American honors Advanced to the quarterfinals at the national doubles tournament with wins over teams from LSU (6-4, 6-3) and Texas (6-2, 7-6(5)) in the first and second rounds, respectively; fell to Fresno State tandem in the final eight to conclude their run Defeated four top-10 teams with Salge and recorded 11 total wins against teams ranked in the top 4 Opened season with four straight wins with Estefania Balda at no. 2, defeating teams from Troy, Furman, Purdue and California Win over Cal team was at the USTA/ITA National Team Indoor Championship on Feb. 7 Also paired with Balda against UCLA in the team indoors but match was no decision was recorded First match with Salge was against #1-ranked Gloria and Rowe of Fresno State in the team indoors on Feb. 8, Tiger duo fell, 8-5 Partnered with again with Salge against Kentucky on Feb. 16, sweeping the 20th-ranked Wildcat duo, 8-0, for the first of four straight wins Then won a tie-breaker over Georgia s #36 team and an 8-6 decision over #17 team from South Carolina Began the conference season with an 9-8(5) win over 16th-ranked Miller and Flower of Georgia Tech on Feb. 27 Entered the polls at #12 following the win Suffered only other loss of the dual season at Miami on Mar. 7 Won 8-2 over team from Florida State to start the win- ning streak Then knocked off #10 team from North Carolina, 8-5, on Feb. 22 and 16
Tiger Veterans posted their second straight upset with an 8-2 win over Duke s thirdranked duo Rose to the #8 national ranking in the next poll Continued success in ACC with wins over Wake Forest, NC State, Virginia Tech and Virginia Defeated Marand and Grabinski of North Carolina (then ranked #8) for the second time in 2008, downing the duo, 8-2, in the second round of the ACC Championships Followed with an 8-5 win over Miller and Krupina of Georgia Tech in the semifinals before downing Duke s Mang and Granson, ranked #4, for the second time (8-5) Team was ranked fourth in Apr. 22 poll Duo did not record a decision in Clemson s 4-0 win over Winthrop in the first round of the NCAA regional, but did defeat the Eagle team; final point was recorded just moments after the Tigers had clinched doubles Defeated Michigan s 40th-ranked team in the regional final, 8-5 Match against Stanford in the NCAA round of 16 was suspended following the Cardinal s clinch. Fall 2007 Earned the #1 ranking in the southeast region with an 11-2 record in the fall season Reached the finals of the two most prestigious fall tournaments (Riviera/ITA All-American and ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Tennis Championships) Posted wins over seven players ranked in the top 70 Ranked #21 to enter the fall season Upset three players ranked in the top 10 Won the flight one bracket at September s Furman Fall Classic, defeated #20 Amanda Taylor of Vanderbilt in three sets in the finals Earned a bid to the main draw of the ITA All-American in October Advanced to the second round with a walkover against #2 Lindsey Nelson of Southern California. Then defeated Georgia Tech s #64 Whitney McCray in straight sets in the round of 16. Upset #6 Zuzana Zemenova of Baylor in the quarterfinals after falling, 6-0, in the first set and won over Maya Johansson of Georgia Tech in the semifinals. Went three sets with fourth-ranked Suzi Babos of California in the championship match (5-7, 6-2, 2-6). Road to the finals of the ITA National Indoor included a win over #54 Lenka Broosova of Baylor in the opening round and a three-set upset of #5 Kristi Miller of Georgia Tech in the quarterfinals. Defeated Maya Johansson for a second time with a second-round victory over the Yellow Jacket player and posted a straight sets win against Ellah Nze of Duke in the quarterfinals. Allowed Nze just two games in the whole match. Fell in the finals, again in three sets, to Arkansas Aurilija Miseviciute to conclude her fall season. Was ranked #2 in the preseason individual poll with Federica Van Adrichem Ranked #5 in the regional poll released in December Duo went 7-3 during the fall, advancing to the semifinals of the Riviera/ITA All-American and Wilson/ITA Southeast Regional Championships. Teamed with Van Adrichem for a second-place finish at the Furman Fall Classic in September. Fell to #23 team from South Carolina Defeated ranked teams from Notre Dame and Southern California in the All-American before falling to Tennessee s 10th-ranked team in the tie break of the third set in the final four of the tournament Duo then advanced to the semifinals of the regionals just two weeks later. Suffered the loss to Granson and Mang of Duke. Spring 2007 Highlights Went undefeated at 11-0 against ACC opponents...was ranked as high as #24 in the Fila/ITA Tennis singles poll and was listed in the final seven polls of the season after the first rankings were released Feb. 21...earned ACC Player-of-the-Week honors twice during 2007...put together a 14-match winning streak during the season...was extremely successful in three-set matches, posting 12 wins during 2007 to rank second all-time in Tiger women s tennis history. The 12 wins are a Clemson freshman record as she bettered a 21-year-old mark. Boasted an impressive 20-4 ledger during the spring season Was also a perfect 11-0 against ACC competition during the regular season, with all 11 wins coming at the top two positions Won 14 straight matches from Feb. 25 until Apr. 21. The loss that ended the streak was to Audra Cohen of Miami, the nation s #1-ranked player, in the semifinals of the ACC Championships Started out the spring season at the number three position Won her first match over a ranked opponent when she defeated #31 Colleen Rielley of Notre Dame at flight two in the USTA/ITA National Team Indoor Championships on Feb. 1 (6-4, 4-6, 6-4) Earned her first number-one assignment against Brigham Young in the national indoors and won in three sets over the Cougars Lauren Jones (6-4, 3-6, 6-4) Streak began with a 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 victory over Gira Schofield of South Carolina on Feb. 25 at flight one Win over Florida State s #76 Nicola Slater was the first of six straight wins over top-100 opponents. Also defeated #38 Audrey Banada of Miami (6-3, 7-5) and #59 Melissa Mang of Duke (6-3, 6-2) at flight two before posting a tremendous upset over North Carolina s fifth-ranked Jenna Long (6-7(5), 6-1, 6-1) at number one Remained at the top position for the final 10 matches of the season Recorded her 20th victory of the spring in the regional final, helping the Tigers advance to the round of 16 was again paired against Virginia s Stevens and defeated the Cavalier in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3 Won the first set and was ahead 1-0 in the third frame against California s fourth-ranked Susie Babos in Clemson s round of 16 loss to the Golden Bears Fell in the first round of the NCAA Championships to Lindsay Burdette of Stanford (6-0, 7-6) to end her freshman singles campaign. Posted a 21-6 doubles record in 2007, playing all but two matches at flight one Reached the semifinals of the 2007 NCAA Double Championships with Federica van Adrichem Became the first Clemson doubles team in history to reach the final four of the national tournament. Defeated Notre Dame s team of Brook Buck and Kelcy Tefft in the first round (6-4, 7-6). Then won a three-set match over Yasmin Schnack and Riza Zalameda of UCLA in the round of 16 (6-4, 3-6, 6-3). Won in straight sets against Stanford s duo of Lindsay Burdette and Anne Yelsey (6-3, 6-4). Fell in the semifinals to William & Mary s top-ranked team of Megan Moulton-Levy and Katarina Zoricic (6-3, 7-5) Opened the season at the number two position with Estefania Balda, winning 8-2 Then teamed with Federica van Adrichem for the next 11 matches, winning nine of them After one match at flight two, pair moved to the top position beginning with matches at the USTA/ITA National Team Indoor Championships. Upset UCLA s 17th-ranked team of Schnack and Zalameda, 9-8, in the tournament. Entered the ITA doubles rankings at #55 on Feb. 21 and recorded their second upset on the same day, winning 8-5 over #23 Ivanov and Yvette Hyndmann of Georgia With van Adrichem, opened the conference season with an 8-6 win over Georgia Tech s 18thranked tandem of Miller and McCray (8-6) Duo then jumped to #12 in the next rankings, released on Mar. 6 Teamed with Carol Salge for the next three matches, going 1-2 Partnered back with Van Adrichem for the remainder of the season, compiling a 15-4 overall record together Moved up to #7 in the polls with van Adrichem on Mar. 20 Duo won their remaining three matches of the regular season Then won their ACC Championships quarterfinal rematch over the Cavalier tandem, 8-4 Posted an upset over California s fifth-ranked team of Babos and Fodor in the NCAA Round of 16, winning by an impressive 8-1 margin. Fall 2006 Boasted a 5-3 ledger in fall play Reached the quarterfinals of the Southeast Regional in October, as did teammate Carol Salge to give Clemson two players in the round of eight, the only school to make that claim. Posted a 6-3, 7-6(4) victory over Tennessee s Caitlin Whoriskey in the round of 64 and then won by default in the round of 32 to advance to the round of 16 where she defeated Katrina Tsang of North Carolina, 7-5, 6-4. Suffered a three-set loss to Blakeley Griffith of Tennessee, 2-6, 7-6, 7-6(4) In the first match of her career, took 17th-ranked Amanda Fist of Vanderbilt to two tie breakers before falling in the flight one bracket of the Furman Fall Classic Had a 2-1 record at the Miami Invitational in November. Posted a 6-2 record during the fall, playing all eight matches with Carol Salge Reached the finals of the Wilson/ITA Southeast Regional in October. Duo blanked Middle Tennessee s Kommireddi and Parkinson, 8-0, in the round of 32 and then posted an 8-6 victory over Duke s Granson and Zawacki in the round of 16. Defeated Wake Forest s team of Davis and Kulikova, 8-1, in the quarterfinals and won 8-6 over Collins and Marand from North Carolina in the semifinals. Fell to Kentucky s team of Coventry and Schwenk by an 8-6 margin in the finals At the Miami Invitational in November, went 2-1 with Salge. Before Clemson Number-one ranked player in Croatia Ranked in the top 30 by the European Tennis Association Born June 15, 1987 Majoring in language and international trade. Mijacika Career Statistics SINGLES Highest DOUBLES Highest Year Sets 3SM TB ACC Dual Overall Pct. Ranking Overall Pct. Ranking 2006-07 54-26 12-4 2-6 11-0 20-3 25-7.781 #24 27-8.771 #4 2007-08 62-23 7-4 9-2 8-1 17-5 30-8.789 #1 28-6.824 #2 Totals 116-49 19-8 11-8 19-1 37-8 55-15.786 #1 55-14.797 #2 17
Tiger Veterans FEDERICA VAN ADRICHEM Senior 5-11 Amersfoort, The Netherlands Highlights: Exceptional talent who has proved to be great doubles teammate for the past three years was a doubles All-American in 2007 after an historic semifinals run in the NCAA Championships with Ani Mijacika pair was ranked #4 in the final ITA Tennis poll for a program high just the fourth player in Clemson history to win the ITA Southeast Regional singles championships, doing so in 2005 named to the 2006 and 2007 Academic All-ACC Women s Tennis Teams also a member of the ACC Academic Honor Roll and a fixture on the Clemson Honor Roll. Fall 2008 Went 6-6 during fall singles play Ranked #108 in the preseason singles poll Opened the season with a win in the MCC Collegiate Invitational, going 2-1 in the tournament Also had a 2-1 record in the Furman Fall Classic in late September, winning the consolation bracket to finish fifth in the tournament Won her first match in the main draw of the Wilson/ITA Southeast Regional Championship in October before falling in a three-set battle in the round of 32 Then went 1-1 in the consolation rounds Dropped all three matches at the Duals in the Desert in November, losing the first set in a tie break in all three contests. Fell to Lauren Cash of Boston College in the final regular season match (6-4, 5-7, 7-10). Won in straight sets against Sophie Grabinski of North Carolina in the second round of the ACC Championships on Apr. 18, helping the Tigers defeat the Tar Heels, 4-2, and advance to the semifinals. Did not record a decision in Clemson s 4-1 win over top-seeded Georgia Tech on Apr. 19. Suffered a 6-2, 6-2 loss to Amanda Granson of Duke in the conference finals. Match against Lisa Wilkinson of Winthrop was suspended following the Tigers 4-0 sweep of the Eagles in the first round of the NCAA Championships. Then fell to Michigan s Rika Tatsuno in the NCAA regional final on May 10. Won the first set against Whitney Deason of Stanford in the NCAA round of 16 but did not record a decision in the contest. Compiled a 15-6 doubles record in 2008. Was 4-1 with Carol Salge at the top position to open the season. With Salge, defeated teams from Troy, Furman, Purdue and Virginia Commonwealth. Fell to team from Cal in the USTA/ITA National Team Indoor Championships. Did not play in the final two matches of the team indoors. Paired with Estefania Balda for the remainder of the season beginning with the Kentucky match on Feb. 16 and posted an 11-4 record playing primarily at the no. 2 position. With Balda, defeated the Wildcat team, 8-2. Then upset Georgia s 30th-ranked team, 8-4, and team of Jocic and Vuckovic of South Carolina for three straight wins over SEC opponents. Opened conference season with a loss to McCray and Krupina of Georgia Tech, 8-5, on Feb. 27. Rebounded to defeat teams from Miami and Florida State. Lost a close match to Smith and Tsang of North Carolina, 9-7, on Mar. 22. In other ACC action, won matches over teams from Duke, NC State and Virginia Tech at no. 2, while defeating teams from Maryland and Boston College at the top position. Fell to Wake Forest and Virginia in conference matches. With Balda, did not record a decision in the Tigers run in the ACC Championships from Apr. 18-20. Won 8-4 over Abutovic and Fadina of Winthrop in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Match with team from Michigan in the regional final was called following Clemson s clinch of the doubles point. Suffered an 8-0 loss to 49th-ranked team of Deason and Nguyen from Stanford in the NCAA round of 16 to conclude the season. 18 Boasted a 10-4 record in doubles matches during the fall season Was ranked 17th preseason with Ani Mijacika With Mijacika, was 6-3 for the fall Duo went 2-1 at the MCC Collegiate Invitational to open the season Then had a 2-1 record and reached the finals of the Furman Fall Classic in late September Earned a bid to the Riviera/ITA All-American Championships in October with Mijacika Won their first two matches to advance to the quarterfinals before falling Partnered with Josipa Bek at the southeast regional and advanced to the quarterfinals Tandem was 2-1 in the event after receiving a bye in the first round Also teamed with Ina Hadziselimovic for the three matches at the Duals in the Desert, going 2-1 in the event. Spring 2008 Had a 7-11 record during the 2008 spring season, playing at the three, four and five positions. Opened season with the #53 singles ranking in the Fila/ITA Tennis poll. Won her first two matches of the spring, defeating Lauren Tomory of Furman at no. 5 (6-0, 6-1) and Purdue s Joanna Craven at no. 4 (6-7(4), 6-3, 10-2). Fell against Virginia Commonwealth and didn t not record a decision in her one match at the USTA/ITA National Team Indoor Championships on Feb. 7-10. Returned to the lineup against Kentucky on Feb. 16, falling in three sets at no. 4. Then won a pair of matches over SEC opponents at the third position. Defeated Monika Dancevic of Georgia (6-2, 0-6, 6-4) on Feb. 20 and helped the Tigers sweep in-state rival South Carolina on Feb. 23 with a three-set win over Natasa Vuckovic. Dropped her next six matches, all against ACC competition. Posted a victory over Catherine Grotz of NC State at no. 5 (6-4, 6-3) on Mar. 30. Followed that with a win against Maryland s Lisa Miller on Apr. 2 (6-3, 6-0). Fall 2007 Recorded a 6-3 ledger during the fall Was ranked #14 in the regional rankings, released in December Highlight of the season was an upset of #18 Tracy Lin of UCLA at the Duals In The Desert in November Finished third at the Furman Fall Classic in September with a 2-1 record at the tournament Reached the round of 16 at the Wilson/ITA Southeast Regional Championships in October. Had straight-set victories in the first and second rounds before falling to a ranked player Was 2-1 at the Duals In The Desert at the flight one position. Was ranked #2 in the preseason individual poll with Ani Mijacika Ranked #5 in the regional poll released in December with Mijacika Duo went 7-3 during the fall, advancing to the semifinals of the Riviera/ITA All- American and Wilson/ITA Southeast Regional Championships. Teamed with Mijacika for a second-place finish at the Furman Fall Classic in September. Fell to #23 team from South Carolina Defeated ranked teams from Notre Dame and Southern California in the All-American before falling to Tennessee s 10th-ranked team in the tie break of the third set in the final four of the tournament Duo then advanced to the semifinals of the regionals just two weeks later. Suffered the loss to Granson and Mang of Duke Also played three matches with Carol Salge for a 9-4 overall fall record Went 2-1 with Salge at the Duals In The Desert with only loss suffered against 20th-ranked team from UCLA. Spring 2007 After playing just one match in the fall, boasted a 17-6 record during the spring Played primarily at flight four, where she was responsible for 12 of Clemson s 19 victories at the position Went 8-4 against ACC competition, bettering her 2006 mark by two wins Sat out the first two matches of the dual season and earned her first assignment against Notre Dame in the
Tiger Veterans 2007 USTA/ITA National Team Indoor Championships where she posted a 7-5, 6-4 win over the Irish s Katie Potts at flight six Moved up to number five in the Tigers win over Brigham Young in the tournament, defeating her opponent in straight sets, 6-3, 6-1 Helped Clemson to notch a 4-3 victory over UCLA in the third round of the tournament Upset Georgia Tech s 45th-ranked Amanda Craddock in three sets at flight four in Clemson s ACC opener (4-6, 6-3, 6-4) Hit a rough stretch as she lost four straight matches, but rebounded to close out the regular season with five consecutive straight-set victories Defeated Virginia for a second time in the quarterfinals of the ACC Championships, 6-3, 6-3, at flight four Also won her flight four match-up against Romy Farah of Miami in the semifinals, 6-3, 6-4 Did not record a decision in Clemson s NCAA first-round match-up against Coastal Carolina and fell to Virginia s Pereira in the regional final, 6-3, 6-3 Her match was suspended in the round of 16, but she had claimed the first set and led 3-2 in the second over Stephanie Kusano of California. Recorded a 21-6 ledger in the 2007 spring season Tallied 18 of those wins with Ani Mijacika Reached the semifinals of the 2007 NCAA Double Championships with Mijacika to became the first Clemson doubles team in history to reach the final four of the national tournament. Defeated Notre Dame s team of Brook Buck and Kelcy Tefft in the first round (6-4, 7-6) and won a three-set match over Yasmin Schnack and Riza Zalameda of UCLA in the round of 16 (6-4, 3-6, 6-3). Then won in straight sets against Stanford s duo of Lindsay Burdette and Anne Yelsey (6-3, 6-4) before falling in the semifinals to William & Mary s top-ranked team of Megan Moulton-Levy and Katarina Zoricic (6-3, 7-5) Sat out the first match of the season and then teamed with Mijacika for 11 of the next 12 matches, winning nine of them After one match at flight two, moved to the top position beginning with matches at the USTA/ITA National Team Indoor Upset UCLA s 17th-ranked team of Schnack and Zalameda, 9-8 Tiger duo then fell to Yuferova and Borisova of Virginia Commonwealth, 8-6 Entered the ITA doubles rankings at #55 on Feb. 21 and recorded their second upset on the same day, winning 8-5 over #23 Ivanov and Yvette Hyndmann of Georgia With Mijacika, opened the conference season with an 8-6 win over Georgia Tech s 18th-ranked tandem of Miller and McCray (8-6) Duo then jumped to #12 in the next rankings, released on Mar. 6 Paired with Carol Salge at the top position to post an 8-6 victory over Furman s team of Gioia and Manojlovic Teamed with Ina Hadziselimovic at the flight two position for three contests in March, going 2-1 in those matches Partnered back with Mijacika for the remainder of the season, compiling a 15-4 overall record together Moved up to #7 in the polls with Mijacika on Mar. 20 Duo defeated #27 Bercek and Mang of Duke (8-6) before falling to #11 Anundsen and Long of North Carolina (8-3) Then won their ACC Championships quarterfinal rematch over the Cavalier tandem, 8-4 Posted an upset over California s fifth-ranked team of Babos and Fodor in the NCAA Round of 16, winning by an impressive 8-1 margin. Fall 2006 Played just one match during the fall season due to an illness Suffered a 6-0, 6-3 loss to Jenny Keutin of Michigan in qualifying round of the ITA All-American Championship. Recorded a 4-3 ledger in doubles action during the fall Posted three wins with Carol Salge at the Furman Fall Classic to win the flight one title Played three matches with Ina Hadziselimovic at the Miami Invitational in November and went 1-2 in the tournament Played one match with Selma Babic at the Wilson/ITA Southeast Regional, suffering an 8-3 loss to Sufi and Szabo of Middle Tennessee in the round of 32. Finished the season ranked 55th in the final singles poll Compiled a 12-10 overall record during the spring, including a 6-1 mark in matches played at the flight two position Earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Championships Won her first match in the national tournament over #41 Emma Murphy of San Diego (6-3, 6-2) before falling to Megan Moulton-Levy, ranked 19th, in the round of 32 (6-4, 6-2) Started off dual match career with a 7-5, 6-2 victory over the College of Charleston s Amanda Becker at flight three Won six total matches over ACC competition, including Virginia and Virginia Tech Her wins over the Tar Heels, Wolfpack and Demon Deacons proved to be crucial as the Tigers won each of those matches by a 4-3 score. Earned the #21 ranking in the final Fila/ITA Tennis doubles poll with Carol Salge after the duo posted a 12-10 record, with all matches at the flight one position With Salge ranked nationally as high as #9 Duo earned a bid to the NCAA Championships, but fell to Carine Vermeulen and Dianne Matias of Southern California in the opening round Team of Salge and Van Adrichem posted three upset-victories in the early season, including two over teams ranked in the top 15 While unranked, defeated Furman s #39 team of Gioia and Morris, 8-3 Two matches later stunned Georgia s ninth-ranked team of Basu and Robinson, 8-5, to help the Tigers upset the Bulldogs Followed that match with an 8-5 victory over 11th-ranked Miller and Shosho of Georgia Tech With Salge, claimed wins over six ACC opponents Teamed with Salge, won six other non-conference contests Started off season paired with Daniela Alvarez, winning one match against Albertz and Ellington of College of Charleston (8-4). Fall 2005 Posted a 9-4 record during the fall singles season Won the flight one title at the Furman Fall Classic Claimed the Wilson/ITA Southeast Regional Championships by winning six matches in four days, including a 6-3, 6-3 upset of 68th-ranked Jackie Charleton of Duke in the finals. Defeated Hanes Harri of North Carolina (6-0, 6-1), Melissa Schaub of Tennessee (6-4, 6-1) and Caitlin Collins of North Carolina (6-4, 2-6, 6-4), and upset #107 Laura Ganzer of South Carolina (6-4, 6-3) and #108 Jenna Long of North Carolina (7-6(5), 6-2) en route to the title Advanced to the ITA National Indoor Championships after winning the regional crown, but fell to #11 Cristelle Grier of Northwestern in the opening round and 19th-ranked Emma Murphy of San Diego in the consolation bracket. Had an 8-2 record in fall doubles action with partner Daniela Alvarez Placed third at flight one in the Furman Fall Classic including an upset 38th-ranked team of Smith and Fanjoy of North Carolina in the first round (8-6) Won the A1 draw of the USTA Women s College Tennis Invitational after winning four straight matches Reached the quarterfinals of Wilson/ITA Southeast Regional Championships before falling to #11 Bercek and Robinson of Duke, 8-5 Posted an upset of Wake Forest s 32nd-ranked team of Davis and Hirsch in the round of 16 (8-5). Before Clemson One of top junior players from Holland Ranked as high as number eight in the national rankings Reached the final eight of the National Indoor Championships of Holland in 2001 Won the Haren Intemation Gasunie under-16 Tournament in 2002. Born October 8, 1986 Majoring in history. Spring 2006 Highlights Named to inaugural Academic All-ACC Team in 2006, only Clemson representative...ranked 55th in the final 2006 Fila/ITA Tennis singles poll, and earned the #21 ranking with Carol Salge in the final doubles poll...selected to the 2006 NCAA Championship field, winning her opening round match before falling in the round of 32. Van Adrichem Career Statistics SINGLES Highest DOUBLES Highest Year Sets 3SM TB ACC Dual Overall Pct. Ranking Overall Pct. Ranking 2005-06 49-34 6-5 5-3 6-4 12-10 22-15.595 #41 21-13.618 #9 2006-07 37-17 3-3 3-1 8-3 17-6 17-7.708 #40 25-9.735 4 2007-08 30-34 6-4 0-2 2-7 7-11 13-14.481 #53 24-10.706 #2 Totals 116-85 15-12 8-7 16-14 36-27 52-36.591 #40 70-32.686 #2 19
Tiger Rookies JOSIPA BEK Freshman 5-5 Osijek, Croatia KERI Wong Freshman 5-4 Jackson, MS Fall 2008 Boasted an impressive 11-3 record for her first collegiate season with six wins over ranked opponents Captured the tournament crown at the Wilson/ITA Southeast Regional Championships in October Upset 10th-ranked Sanaz Marand of North Carolina in the round of 16 and then defeated a pair of top-40 ranked players in the quarterfinals and semifinals in three-set thrillers Won a 6-2, 7-5 match over #72 Laura Gioia of Furman in the finals to become the third Clemson player to claim the title, joining Julie Coin and Federica Van Adrichem By winning the regional, earned an invitation to the ITA Intercollegiate National Indoor Championships in November Defeated Fresno State s #12 Melanie Gloria in the first round before falling in the round of 16 Went 2-1 in her first tournament at the MCC Collegiate Invitational in September Opened the Furman Fall Classic with a win over the nation s 45th-ranked player at flight two before falling to sixth-ranked Maria Mosokova of Northwestern in the semifinals Won her consolation match to finish third in the tournament and begin an eight-match winning streak. Had a 4-2 record in doubles play with two different partners Went 2-1 with Alexandra Luc in September s MCC Collegiate Invitational Reached the quarterfinals of the southeast regional in October with Federica Van Adrichem The duo received a first-round bye before posting a pair of wins in main draw competition. Fall 2008 Began her collegiate career with six straight wins, including the title in her respective flight at the MCC Collegiate Invitational Was 7-3 for the fall overall with one win over a ranked opponent Did not play in the Furman Fall Classic due to illness Advanced to the quarterfinals of the Wilson/ITA Southeast Regional in October Won in straight sets over her first two opponents and then eked out a three-set victory in the round of 16 Fell to Caitlin Whoriskey of Tennessee in the final eight of the tournament Defeated #123 Sarah Fansler of Southern California in her first match at flight two in the Duals in the Desert Fell to Baylor s 27th-ranked Csilla Borsanyi in the semifinals and then lost her consolation match as well. Had an 8-2 record in doubles play during the fall season Advanced to the quarterfinals in doubles action at the southeast regional as well as in singles Paired with Ina Hadziselimovic during the tournament to win three matches before falling in the round of eight Also teamed with Hadziselimovic in the first event of the fall where the duo claimed its flight championship at the MCC Collegiate Invitational Partnered with Ani Mijacika at the Duals in the Desert to conclude the season Tandem went 2-1 at flight one to finish third in the tournament. Before Clemson Stellar junior player from Croatia who was a 13-time national champion Was the Under-14 NJT Champion in 2002 Played against current Clemson players Ani Mijacika and Ina Hadziselimovic in juniors play Born January 27, 1988 Majoring in pre-business. Before Clemson Blue-Chip recruit from Jackson, MS Attended the prestigious Van Der Meer Tennis Academy in Hilton Head, SC Ranked as high as third in the nation according to www. TennisRecruiting. net and number-one in the tennis RPI by the same site Had a 55-17 record as a senior with 13 wins over other Blue-Chip players and a 23-2 record against 5-Star recruits Won the Bill Ozaki Sportsmanship Award Born December 25, 1989 Majoring in pre-business. 20
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Head Coach Nancy Harris NANCY HARRIS Head Coach - 12th Season 22 Under 12th-year head coach Nancy Harris, the Clemson women s program has taken its place on the national stage and become a perennial power in the sport. In the past six years, Harris has guided the Tigers to back-to-back NCAA Final Fours, a pair of ACC Championships and a top-20 finish each season. Her players annually compete for tournament titles and consistently earn regional and national accolades. Under Harris leadership, Clemson became a member of an elite group of schools that have reached the NCAA semifinals twice in the last five years (Stanford, Florida and UCLA). Since 1988, only 15 different universities have reached an NCAA Final Four. The Tigers are proud to have accomplished this feat twice, one of only 10 universities that can make that outstanding claim. Harris has now led Clemson to nine NCAA Team Tournament appearances in her 11 years with the program. She has coached the It is adopting a mindset for excellence and holding oneself accountable for one s action s and performance that leads to championships. - Harris Tigers to 174 wins against 104 losses and boasts a 66-33 record in regular season ACC matches. She has coached seven singles players to 14 appearances at the NCAA Championships and has led a Tiger doubles team to the national doubles tournament in each of the past six seasons. Eleven of Harris student-athletes have been named to the All-ACC team 18 times and seven Tiger singles players and five doubles teams have claimed conference flight championships during her tenure. In 2008, the Tigers, seeded fourth, won their second conference title under Harris, knocking off the top two seeds in the tournament en route to the crown. Clemson s win over number-one seed and second-ranked Georgia Tech in the semifinals was the program s great upset in history. Harris helped then-sophomore Ani Mijacika make individual history in 2008 as well. On Feb. 20, Mijacika became the first Clemson tennis player, man or woman, to rise to the #1 national ranking. She spent every week of the spring in the poll s top five and finished the season at #2. The 2008 Clemson team completed one of the greatest turn-arounds in program history, rallying from a 5-9 record on Mar. 22 to win the final seven matches of the regular season and the ACC Championship. The Tigers earned a bid to the NCAA Tournament for the eighth consecutive season and played host to their fifth straight regional, advancing to the NCAA round of 16 for the fourth time in the last five years. Clemson was then ranked 13th in the final Fila/ITA Tennis poll, marking the sixth straight top-20 finish for Harris squad. Harris coached Mijacika and Carol Salge to All-America honors in doubles after the duo earned the fourth seed in the NCAA Championship and ranked fourth in the final poll. Both also received bids to the singles tournament and were two of four Tigers listed in the final singles rankings of 2008. Estefania Balda and Laurianne Henry helped the 2008 team become just the second in Clemson history to have more than three players ranked at the end of the year. In 2007, Harris led Mijacika and Federica Van Adrichem to the semifinals of the NCAA Championships and a #4 final ranking. The duo s run in the national tournament was the best in program history; while the ranking was the highest a Clemson team had ever finished. Harris coached Mijacika to one of the most successful rookie campaigns all-time in 2006-07. Mijacika became the first Tiger to be named the ACC Freshman-of-the-Year and was also the first to be chosen as the ITA Southeast Region Rookie Playerof-the-Year. The 2007 squad went 10-1 in the ACC regular season to claim a share of the conference regular season championship and played host to their fourth consecutive NCAA regional. Harris led Clemson to a 22-5 overall record and the #11 final ranking. The team advanced to the NCAA Round of 16 for the third time in the last four years and made its mark on the school record books. The Tigers defeated seven teams ranked in the top-25 in 2007, second most in program history. The team spent nine straight polls listed in the top 10 in 2007 to set a program record for consecutive polls ranked among the top 10 in a single season and have been ranked in the top 25 in the last 23 polls. Harris led Clemson to back-to-back NCAA Final Four appearances in 2004 and 2005, becoming the only Clemson women s sports coach to reach consecutive Final Fours, and guided a 2006 Tiger team with just two upperclassmen to a 17-8 overall record and a #18 final ranking. Clemson played host to an NCAA regional for the third straight year in 2006, winning its opening round match before falling in the regional final. Harris coached Carol Salge and Van Adrichem to appearances at the NCAA singles tournament, while Van Adrichem claimed the Southeast Regional Championship title during the fall season. In 2006 ACC action, Clemson recorded an 8-3 ledger to finish fourth in the regular season and reached the semifinals of the conference tournament for the third straight year. The 2005 team finished the year with a 22-9 overall record and earned the #3 ITA ranking during the season, which marked the highest a Clemson team has been ranked nationally under Harris and in program history. Harris notched her 100th victory as head coach of the Tigers in 2005 and coached two players to All-America honors, the third national award winners in Harris tenure. Julie Coin received her second All-America recognition in singles after advancing to the final eight of the NCAA Tournament. She also finished the year ranked #2 in the country, the highest final singles ranking ever for a Clemson player. Harris also coached Coin and Alix Lacelarie to a #10 ranking in the final ITA doubles poll, which earned the Tiger duo All-American honors in doubles. Harris 2004 team is arguably the most successful in program history. She led the Tigers to the NCAA Final Four in 2004, which was the first time in Clemson athletics history that any women s team has reached an NCAA Final Four event. Clemson finished the 2004 season ranked fifth in the final Intercollegiate Tennis Association poll, which is the highest final national ranking both under Harris and in program history. Harris reached several other milestones during the 2004 season, including leading the team to her first ACC Regular Season title and her first ACC Tournament Championship. The 2004 team s 26 wins are the most for the Tigers under Harris and tie for the third-best win total in program history. Harris coached her first All-American, Julie Coin, to a Final Four appearance at the NCAA Tournament and also coached her first ACC Player of the Year (Coin) and ACC Tournament Most Valuable Performer (Alix Lacelarie) in 2004. Harris was named the ITA Southeast Region Coach of the Year for the 2003-04 season. The USTA of South Carolina also selected her as the 2004 Coach of the Year. Harris coached Julie Coin, who shocked the tennis world this past summer with her upset of #1-ranked Ana Ivanovic at the US Open, to the ITA Southeast Region Championship in 2002, while Coin and Maria Brito won the Southeast Region crown in 2003, becoming the first doubles team in Clemson history to claim that title. In 1998, her first season at the helm of the program, Harris led the team to an appearance in the NCAA Tournament. In 1999, she guided then-freshman Carmina Giraldo to a 54th-place national ranking and an appearance in the NCAA Individual Tournament. In 2000, the Tigers made their ninth appearance in the NCAA Tournament after finishing third in the ACC. Clemson transposed its win-loss record from the 1998 season and finished the season ranked 28th with a 15-7 mark overall. In 2000, Giraldo earned a second berth in the NCAA Tournament and a #28 final national ranking in singles. In 2002, Clemson reached the second round of the NCAA Championship, upsetting 16th-ranked William & Mary in the first round. Harris led the 2002 Tigers to a 14-11 overall record and a final national ranking of 34th. Alix Lacelarie advanced to the second round of the NCAA Championship and Milena Stanoycheva won the ACC Flight Championship at number six singles. During the 2003 season, Harris led the Tigers to a 19-6 record, a final ITA ranking of 19th, a second-place ACC regular season
Head Coach Nancy Harris finish and the team s second consecutive trip to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Academics have always been a priority for Harris, as evidenced by the success that her teams have enjoyed in the classroom in recent years. She has coached 11 ITA Scholar Athletes during her tenure at Clemson and the Tigers were named an ITA All-Academic Team in 2002 and 2003. Harris has also coached 27 athletes who have been named to the ACC Honor Roll, and current junior Federica Van Adrichem was named to the inaugural ACC All-Academic team in 2006. Van Adrichem earned her second honor in 2007, while then-freshmen Estefania Balda and Ina Hadziselimovic were also selected to the 2007 ACC All-Academic Team. Balda was then a repeat honoree in 2008. The Tigers have consistently recorded a cumulative team GPA of 3.0 or better in Harris years with the program. Harris, who speaks Spanish fluently, has a long and impressive resume. She has participated in three Grand Slam events, including Wimbledon, the U.S. Open and the Australian Open. Prior to her time at Clemson, she was a head coach at Auburn University in Montgomery, AL for nine seasons, during which time she coached both the men s and women s teams for five years. She led the women s team to the national championship once and the men s team to the same honor twice. Harris is a five-time National Coach-of-the-Year Award recipient, having won the award in 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996 and 1997. In her nine years as the head women s coach at Auburn-Montgomery, Harris coached 36 All-Americans and four Academic All-Americans. Harris competed professionally under the guidance of tennis great Pancho Segura from 1978 to 1982. She achieved a WTA world ranking of 226 before falling to injury. After leaving the tour, Harris returned to school to complete her degree and in 1984 she graduated cum laude with a degree in biology from Alabama. From 1983-89 Harris served two local tennis clubs in Montgomery, Alabama, as Tennis Director and Head USPTA teaching professional. The next challenge Harris chose to undertake was coaching at the collegiate level. Her first job was at Auburn University at Montgomery, where she served as the women s coach for nine seasons and the men s coach for five years. It was a lot of fun, but at the same time it was very challenging. Harris took the challenge head on and had great success, leading both teams to national championships. The Auburn- Montgomery women s NAIA National Championship title in 1992 marked the first time a women s tennis team from the state of Alabama won a national championship. She also led the women s team to four national runner-up finishes (1991, 1993, 1994 and 1997). Harris led the AUM men s tennis team to two NAIA National Championships (1995 and 1996), becoming the first female to coach a men s team to a national championship. She is currently the only female coach in the country who has led both a men s and women s team to a national championship. Harris was attracted to Clemson for many reasons. She was especially impressed with the level of support Clemson offers the student athletes. Clemson established Vickery Hall in 1991 to assist student athletes academically. Due to their rigorous schedule of traveling and practice, time can be very limited. There is tremendous support for a student-athlete to have the opportunity to succeed. I really feel the student is well cared for here. A great example is Vickery Hall. I have never seen anything like it; it is truly unique. It offers our players every opportunity to move forward academically while maintaining a busy schedule. We are very fortunate to have this support for our student-athletes. Harris is a coach who gives of her time freely and is completely devoted to her athletes. This is another reason she was drawn to Clemson. At Auburn University Montgomery, she was responsible for the coaching, academic counseling and administrative aspects of both tennis teams. I wanted to offer my players more, says Harris, This includes more of my time on the tennis court and more time devoted to the student-athletes. They can play at a higher level if they are given more personal attention. Since I have been at Clemson, I have had more time to be on the court coaching the athletes and I enjoy that so much. Harris has had a life filled with activity and success. I feel whatever road you take in life, it is most important to give your best effort and to perform as well as you can. By giving your best you know exactly where you stand and can make good decisions about your future. That is what I always tried to do, whether as a student or as an athlete. To say the least, she has succeeded. Harris is married to Jose Caban. Caban is the Chair of Clemson s School of Architecture. Harris Clemson Accomplishments Overall ACC NCAA Nat l Year Rec. Pct. Fin. Tourn. Rank 1998 7-15.318 6th R64 68th 1999 6-15.286 7th - - 2000 15-7.682 3rd R64 28th 2001 9-14.391 8th - - 2002 14-11.560 4th R32 34th 2003 19-6.760 2nd R64 19th 2004 26-4.867 1st R4 5th 2005 22-9.710 3rd R4 10th 2006 17-8.680 4th R32 18th 2007 22-5.815 3rd R16 11th 2008 17-10.630 1st R16 13th Total 174-104.630 NCAA Team Tournament Appearances: 9 1998 - First Round 2000 - First Round 2002 - Second Round 2003 - Second Round 2004 - Final Four 2005 - Final Four 2006 - Second Round 2007 - Round of 16 2008 - Round of 16 NCAA Individual Tournament Appearances: 9 1999 - First Round 2000 - Second Round 2002 - Second Round 2003 - Second Round 2004 - Final Four 2005 - Quarterfinals 2006 - Second Round 2007 - First Round 2008 - Round of 16 Academic Honors 2000 - ITA Scholar Athlete (1) 2002 - ITA All-Academic Team 2002 - ITA Scholar Athletes (3) 2003 - ITA All-Academic Team 2003 - ITA Scholar Athletes (4) 2006 - ITA Scholar Athlete (1) 2007 - ITA Scholar Athletes (2) 2008 - ITA Scholar Athletes (3) Harris AUM Accomplishments Auburn-Montgomery Women s Program Total 135-34.799 (1989-1997) Auburn-Montgomery Men s Program Total 63-13.829 (1994-1997) 1990 - NAIA National Champion (W) 1991 - NAIA National Finalists (W) 1991 - NAIA District Champions (W) 1992 - NAIA National Champions (W) 1992 - NAIA District Champions (W) 1993 - NAIA National Finalists (W) 1993 - NAIA National Champion (W) 1993 - NAIA District Champions (W) 1994 - NAIA National Finalists (W) 1994 - NAIA District Champions (M) 1994 - NAIA District Champions (W) 1995 - NAIA National Champions (Men) 1995 - NAIA National Tourn. Third Place (W) 1995 - NAIA Region Champions (W) 1996 - NAIA National Champions (M) 1996 - NAIA National Champion (M) 1996 - NAIA National Tourn. Third Place (W) 1996 - NAIA Region Champions (M) 1996 - NAIA Region Champions (W) 1997 - NAIA National Finalists (M) 1997 - NAIA National Finalists (W) 1997 - NAIA Region Champions (M) 1997 - NAIA Region Champions (W) Harris Professional Accomplishments - Played at Wimbledon, U.S. Open and Australian Open - Highest Professional World Ranking: WITA 226th, July 1982 - Certified USPTA Category 1 Tennis Professional - Coached by tennis great Pancho Segura, 1977-81 - Five-time National Coach of the Year - 2003-04 ITA Southeast Region Coach of the Year - 2004 USTA South Carolina Coach of the Year - Inducted into the Auburn University at Montgomery Athletic Hall of Fame in 2006 23
Head Coach Nancy Harris Clemson s Wins Over Top-25 Teams Date Opp. Rank Opponent Site Score 4/04/98 13 North Carolina A 6-3 3/02/99 18 Brigham Young H 5-4 4/09/00 19 Florida State H 5-4 4/04/02 17 Georgia Tech A 4-3 5/11/02 16 William & Mary N1 4-3 2/15/03 18 South Carolina H 6-1 3/01/03 14 South Alabama H 6-1 3/30/03 22 Virginia A 5-2 4/03/03 20 Georgia Tech H 4-3 4/13/03 12 North Carolina H 4-3 2/15/04 14 Va. Commonwealth H 7-0 4/10/04 12 North Carolina A 6-1 4/11/04 4 Duke A 5-2 4/17/04 14 North Carolina N2 4-1 4/18/04 5 Duke N2 4-2 5/20/04 13 Texas A&M N3 4-1 5/21/04 10 Washington N3 4-3 2/04/05 10 Tulane N4 7-0* 2/05/05 5 UCLA N4 4-3 2/21/05 18 Harvard H 4-3 3/07/05 24 Brigham Young H 4-3 3/16/05 24 South Carolina H 4-3 4/16/05 13 North Carolina H 5-2 4/17/05 16 Duke H 5-2 5/14/05 20 William & Mary H1 4-0 5/19/05 6 Northwestern N5 4-3 5/20/05 13 North Carolina N5 4-1 2/12/06 19 William & Mary H 4-3 2/22/06 18 Georgia A 4-3 4/09/06 5 North Carolina A 4-3 4/16/06 16 Wake Forest H 4-3 4/21/06 7 North Carolina N6 4-3 2/03/07 14 UCLA N7 4-3 2/10/07 12 Va. Commonwealth A 5-2 3/03/07 6 Georgia Tech H 4-3 3/23/07 15 Florida State H 5-2 3/31/07 20 Duke H 4-3 4/01/07 13 North Carolina H 6-1 4/08/07 15 Wake Forest A 7-0 3/09/08 12 Florida State A 5-2 3/23/08 9 Duke A 6-1 4/18/08 13 North Carolina N8 4-2 4/19/08 2 Georgia Tech N8 4-1 4/20/08 9 Duke N8 4-3 5/10/08 19 Michigan H1 4-1 Nancy was more than a great tennis coach. She is an wonderful person who cares not only about us as tennis players but as human beings. She will be a mom, counselor, friend, coach etc. Anytime we needed something she was always there. She made a huge impact in my life. She taught me a lot of lessons in life as a tennis player and as a person. She is a great model for everybody. Even though I left Clemson couple years ago, Nancy is still in the top list of people that I call when I need advice. She is always there to help me out. - Alix Lacelarie (at left), former player (2001-05) * - won match by forfeit N1 - Miami, FL; N2 - NCAA Championships, Gainesville, FL; N3 - ITA/Rolex National Team Indoor Championships, Madison, WI; N4 - Chapel Hill, NC; A1/N5 - NCAA Southeast Regional, Columbia, SC; N1 - NCAA Regional, Winston-Salem, NC; N2 - ACC Championships, Raleigh, NC; N3 - NCAA Championships, Athens, GA; N4 - USTA/ITA National Team Indoor Championship, Madison, WI; N5 - NCAA Championships, Athens, GA; N6 - ACC Championships, Cary, NC; H1 - NCAA Regionals, Clemson, SC; N7 - USTA/ ITA National Team Indoor Championships, Madison, WI; N8 - ACC Tournament, Altamonte Springs, FL Harris with Julie Coin following Coin s historic upset of #1-ranked Ana Ivanovic in the second round of 2008 US Open Harris with the children of former players and coaching staff from her 1992 and 1995 national championship teams. 24
Assistant Coach Darrell Jernigan DARRELL JERNIGAN Assistant Coach - Fourth Season Darrell Jernigan, entering his fourth year as an assistant women s tennis coach at Clemson, has helped the Tigers to achieve a presence on the national tennis stage and recruit high-profile talent. Clemson has been ranked in the top 20 in each of his three seasons, and the 2009 signing class was rated 17th in the nation. Jernigan s role in the Tigers success was acknowledged last season as he was named the ITA Southeast Region Assistant Coach-of-the-Year. With Coach Jernigan at my side, day in and day out, our program has a tremendous solid base, said Harris. From recruiting, to practice, to the court in competition I have such a fine person that I can count on to support our student-athletes and myself. He has a great worth ethic and comes to work with a smile everyday. No stranger to Clemson, Jernigan has been active with the Tiger program for two decades, serving as an instructor at the Clemson Tiger Tennis Camps since 1988. In the summer of 2000, he became the director of the camp under current head coach Nancy Harris and remained in that position for five years. Jernigan helped Clemson bring in a five-member class for the 2007 season. Ani Mijacika and Ina Hadziselimovic have been recognized as two of the top junior players in the world, while Estefania Balda ranked #1 in South America. For their lone signee for the 2008 season, Jernigan helped the Tigers land local player Laurianne Henry. Henry was a Blue Chip recruit who was ranked as high as #3 in the Tennis RPI and 11th in the United States. For 2009, the Clemson staff inked Jackson, MS native Keri Wong, who was also considered a Blue Chip recruit. Wong rose to the #4 national ranking, according to tennisrecruiting.net, following the 2008 summer play and was consistently among the top five in the Tennis RPI. Jernigan helped the 2008 Tiger squad complete one of the greatest turn-arounds in program history, rallying from a 5-9 record on Mar. 22 to win the final seven matches of the regular season and the ACC Championship. The Tigers earned a bid to the NCAA Tournament for the eighth consecutive season and played host to their fifth straight regional, advancing to the NCAA round of 16 for the fourth time in the last five years. As the fourth seed, Clemson won the 2008 ACC title, knocking off the top two seeds in the tournament en route to the crown. The Tigers win over number-one seed and second-ranked Georgia Tech in the semifinals was the program s great upset in history. Clemson was then ranked 13th in the final Fila/ITA Tennis poll. Individually, Ani Mijacika made school history when she became the first Clemson tennis player, man or woman, to rise to the #1 national ranking. She spent every week of the spring in the poll s top five and finished the season at #2. During 2007, Jernigan s second season, the Tigers claimed the ACC regular season cochampionship and returned to the NCAA Round of 16. Clemson players Mijacika and Federica Van Adrichem earned doubles All-America honors, while the accolade was just one on a lengthy list for Mijacika. She was also named the ACC Freshman-of-the-Year and the ITA Southeast Region Rookie Player-of-the-Year, both were firsts for the Tiger program. The 2007 squad set a record for consecutive weeks ranked in the top 10 in a single season with nine and posted seven wins over top 25 teams, second-most in school history. Clemson finished the season at #11 with a 22-5 overall record. In his first season as a full-time coach at Clemson, Jernigan helped the Tigers reach their fifth straight NCAA Team Tournament appearance and earn the #18 final national ranking. An experienced educator, he helped lead a young 2006 team, which featured three freshmen and two sophomores, to a 17-8 overall record and a fourth-place finish in the ACC with an 8-3 conference ledger. As the camp director, Jernigan was responsible for running the day-to-day operations, which included overseeing counselor duties, the payroll and parent contact, among other obligations. Jernigan also played an active role in reviving the Clemson Youth Tennis Program from 1998-2000, a program that serves area junior players. He trained a large group of players and traveled with the more advanced athletes to various tournaments around South Carolina. Prior to his hiring as the Clemson assistant coach, Jernigan taught sixth grade physical science at Stevens County Middle School in Toccoa, GA for the second half of the 2000-01 school year. He was then hired as a biology teacher at West- Oak High School in Seneca, SC in 2001 and served as the head of the science department until coming to Clemson. While at West-Oak, Jernigan also coached the girls and boys tennis teams. In his only season leading the girls team, the Warriors won the 2002 Skyline Conference Championship. Jernigan served as the coach of the men s team for five season, guiding the team to a conference championship in 2003-04. He was named the Region Coach-of-the-Year after that season. Jernigan is from nearby Seneca, SC, where he was a member of the Seneca High School varsity tennis team. He continued his tennis career as a scholarship player at North Greenville College from 1991-1993, receiving an associate degree in biology. From there, Jernigan attended Winthrop University and walked onto the Eagles tennis team, playing until 1994. He earned his a Bachelor of Science degree in Science Teaching-Biological Sciences from Clemson University in 2000. Jernigan and his wife Frances have two children, Alexis (11) and Riley (7). The Jernigans: Darrell, Alexis, Riley, Frances 25
Support Staff SHELLY GEER DENNIS LOVE Administrative Assistant Shelly Geer is in her fourth year with the Tiger women s tennis team, serving as the team s administrative assistant, but she is no stranger to the Clemson family. Geer earned a degree in Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management from Clemson in 1986. She remained in the area after graduation and taught preschool for a number of years. Geer also worked part-time at Vickery Hall, Clemson s Student-Athlete Enrichment Center, for nine years before head coach Nancy Harris offered her the position with the women s tennis team. Her responsibilities include organizing travel arrangements for the team, securing equipment and assisting with various other duties. Geer also helps with the team s budget, officials, housing and all aspects that deal with the administration of the Clemson women s tennis program. We are very fortunate to have Shelly on our staff, Harris said. She has an athletic background and has been around sports all her life. She understands the competitive nature of this program and has great people skills. Originally from Wheaton, MD, she is married to Dave Geer, a former track and field star at Clemson. The couple has three children, Corey (20), Tyler (17) and Matthew (14). Corey is a sophomore on the Clemson rowing team Strength & Conditioning Coach Dennis Love is in his first year as Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coordinator for Olympic sports after spending four years as a graduate assistant strength and conditioning coach. In his new position, Love will work directly with volleyball and women s tennis while assisting with the football team. In conjunction with David Abernethy, Love will also oversee the training programs for several other Olympic sports. During the 2007-08 season, Love trained the volleyball and women s tennis teams, both of which claimed ACC titles during their respective seasons. Eight student-athletes from the combined programs were named all-conference while volleyball senior Meghan Steiner was recognized as an NSCA Strength & Conditioning All-American. Love also trained Ani Mijacika, who rose to the #1 singles ranking in the Fila/ITA Tennis poll in 2008 and ranked as the #2 player in the nation in the final poll. Before coming to Clemson, Love spent two seasons as a Strength and Conditioning Coach at Catawba College and completed an internship at the Athletes Performance Institute in Tempe, AZ. At Athletes Performance, he worked with professional athletes ranging from football, basketball, baseball, tennis, soccer, hockey and golf. He helped the Athletes Performance Specialists implement strength, speed, agility, flexibility and mobility programs, while assisting with the daily operation and maintenance of the facility. Prior to his time in Arizona, Love held the title of Sports Director, among others, for KIDSS- PORTS in Salisbury, NC. He developed and oversaw all sports programs for youth and adults, while serving as a physical education instructor for children ages 4-12. A native of Cheraw, SC, Love played football and baseball on the collegiate level at Catawba College in Salisbury, NC. He graduated with a degree in Recreation in 2000 and earned his Master s degree in student affairs with an emphasis in counseling from Clemson University in May of 2008. Love is certified by the National Association of Speed and Explosion and currently resides in Seneca, SC. Travis Furbee Ticket Manager Phil Grayson Associate Athletic Director Women s Tennis Van Hilderbrand Associate Athletic Director Event Management Danny Poole Director of Sports Medicine/ Head Athletic Trainer Ginty Porter Academic Advisor Women s Tennis Courney Reeve Team Manager Dr. Len Reeves Team Physician John Seketa Assistant Athletic Director Sports Promotions Chelsey Thompson Graduate Assistant Athletic Trainer Gary Wade Assistant Athletic Director Facilities 26
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2008 Season Review Season Review The 2008 Clemson women s tennis team completed one of the greatest turnarounds in program history, rallying from a 5-9 record on Mar. 22 to win its final seven matches of the regular season, claim the team s eighth ACC Championship as the tournament s fourth seed and finish at 17-10 overall. The Tigers earned a bid to the NCAA Tournament for the eighth consecutive season and played host to their fifth straight regional, advancing to the NCAA round of 16 for the fourth time in the last five years. Clemson was then ranked 13th in the final Fila/ITA Tennis poll, marking the sixth straight top-20 finish for Nancy Harris squad. Individually, sophomore Ani Mijacika rose to the #1 singles ranking in the Feb. 20 poll, the first Clemson tennis player, man or woman, to be rated the best in the nation. She finished the year at #2 after spending every poll of the spring season in the top five. The native of Makarska, Croatia was named an All-American in singles after finishing with a 30-7 overall record and reaching the round of 16 at the NCAA Championships. During the fall, she advanced to the finals of the season s two most prestigious tournaments. Mijacika teamed with Salge for the better part of the spring season to compile a 17-3 doubles record. The pair earned All-America honors by meeting all three requirements. They were seeded (#4) in the NCAA Championships, reached the quarterfinals of the national tournament and were then ranked fourth in the final Fila/ITA Tennis doubles poll. Both Mijacika and Salge were named to the 2008 All-ACC team, each earning the accolade for the second time in her career. Mijacika was one of four players in the nation nominated for the Honda Sports Award for women s tennis as well. Salge also received a bid to the 2008 national singles tournament, winning her first match before falling in the second round. She was ranked in the final singles poll at #54, her highest listing of the year. Along with Mijacika and Salge, sophomore Estefania Balda and rookie Laurianne Henry were ranked in the final Fila/ITA Tennis singles poll at #117 and #120, respectively. It marked just the second time in program history that the Tigers had more than three players listed in the final singles poll. For helping the Tigers to all the aforementioned achievements, Assistant Coach Darrell Jernigan was recognized the ITA Southeast Region Assistant Coach-of-the-Year. ACC Champions! The Tigers won their eighth ACC Championship in thrilling fashion over the Apr. 18-20 weekend. As the fourth seed, Clemson received a first-round bye and then defeated #5- seed North Carolina (4-2) in the second round. The Tigers knocked off top-seeded and second-ranked Georgia Tech, 4-1, in the semifinals. Clemson then outlasted #2-seed Duke in the finals with Carol Salge clinching the title in a battle at flight three. It was the second conference title for the Tigers under Head Coach Nancy Harris and the eighth in school history. Clemson also won the conference in 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987 and 2004. Therefore, it was the first ring for all the current members of the Tiger squad. It was also the lowest seed for any Clemson ACC championship team and the first time the Tigers had beaten the top two seeds en route to the title. Tigers Punch Ticket To Tulsa The Clemson women s tennis team won a regional held on its own court in 2008 to advance to the NCAA round of 16 in Tulsa, OK. The Tigers swept Winthrop, 4-0, and then posted a 4-1 victory against 19th-ranked Michigan. Clemson claimed the doubles point in both matches to take the early lead. The tandem of Ina Hadziselimovic and Alexandra Luc posted two wins, while the Ani Mijacika/Carol Salge and Estefania Balda/ Federica Van Adrichem duos recorded one each. The Tigers then fell to Stanford, 4-0, in the round of 16 to conclude their season. Jernigan Named ITA Southeast Assistant Coach-ofthe-Year Clemson women s tennis assistant coach Darrell Jernigan was named the 2008 ITA Southeast Region Assistant Coach-of-the-Year, as announced by the ITA. Tigers Ranked 13th The Clemson women s tennis team was ranked 13th in the final Fila/ITA Tennis poll. The Tigers posted a 17-10 record for the 2008 season, winning an ACC Championship and advancing to the NCAA round of 16. The ranking was the 22nd top-25 ranking in the 33 years of the Clemson women s tennis team and the sixth straight year that the Tigers have been listed in the top 20. Mijacika Finalist For Honda Sports Award For Tennis Clemson s Ani Mijacika was one of four collegiate women s tennis players nominated for the 2007-08 Honda Sports Award for tennis. The Tiger sophomore posted a 30-8 singles record with a 28-6 individual doubles ledger for the 2007-08 season. She was the third Clemson women s tennis player in history to be nominated for this award, joining Gigi Fernandez in 1982-83 and Julie Coin in 2003-04. Four Individuals Ranked in Final Poll Ani Mijacika headed a list of four Tiger women s tennis singles players ranked in the final Fila/ITA Tennis poll of the 2008 season. Carol Salge, Estefania Balda and Laurianne Henry were also listed in singles, while a pair of Clemson doubles teams was ranked in the doubles poll. Mijacika was ranked as the #2 singles player in the nation. The sophomore from Makarska, Croatia finished the year with a 30-8 singles record and was listed in the top five of every poll during the spring season. With a top-20 final ranking and the second seed in the national tournament, Mijacika met requirements for All-America honors. The accolade is her first in singles after being named a doubles All-American in 2007. The #2 ranking ties Julie Coin for the highest final ranking for a Clemson women s tennis singles player in history. Coin earned the position in 2005. Mijacika partnered with Carol Salge in 22 matches in 2008 for a 17-3 ledger and the duo ranked fifth in the final doubles poll. The tandem met all three criteria to be considered an All-American with its final ranking, a top-eight seed in the NCAA Championship and by reaching the quarterfinals of the national tournament. Mijacika and Salge recorded eight wins over top-20 teams and won two matches at the NCAA Tournament to advance to the final eight. They were just the fifth Tiger doubles team to earn a top-10 final national ranking, while Mijacika has now been ranked in the top five in doubles in each of her two seasons at Clemson. Salge was also listed 54th in singles with a 16-10 record. The senior from San Roque, Brazil rebounded from a poor beginning to the season to reach the round of 32 in the NCAA Ani Mijacika & Carol Salge ranked 5th in the final doubles poll Championships. Balda, ranked #117, compiled a 17-17 record while playing primarily at the no. 2 position in the line-up, while Henry was listed 120th with an 18-7 overall record. The 1986 Clemson team was the only other to have more than three players listed in the final poll. Mijacika and Federica Van Adrichem were also ranked 37th in the doubles poll. The duo played 10 matches in the fall with a 7-3 record. Salge Named ACC Tournament MVP Following her battle back from a 5-2 deficit in the third set against Duke in the finals to clinch the championship for Clemson, Carol Salge was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2008 ACC Women s Tennis Championships. She became the seventh different Tiger player to garner the honor and the first since Alix Lacelarie in 2004. Salge, a senior from San Roque, Brazil, had her singles matches in the second round and semifinals halted so Sunday s win was her first decision of the weekend. However, she had teamed with Ani Mijacika to post three straight doubles victories, including two against top-10 opponents, and help Clemson claim the doubles point in all three matches. Greatest Upset In Program History Clemson s win over then-ranked #2 Georgia Tech in the semifinals of the ACC Championships was, arguably, the greatest win in program history. The highest ranked team the Tigers had previously defeated was #4 Duke during the 2004 season. By knocking off the top-seeded Yellow Jackets, Clemson advanced to the finals of the tournament and eventually defeated Duke for its eighth conference title. Make Mine A Double The Tigers were successful in doubles play in 2008, winning the point in 22 of their 27 matches. Head Coach Nancy Harris used eight different pairings but the line-up had been consistent for 16 of the final 18 match-ups. Salge Enters Record Books Tiger senior Carol Salge made her mark on the Clemson annuals, notching her 81st career doubles victory in 2008 to enter the top 10 list. She finished with 90 to rank in a tie for fifth. Overall, the native of San Roque, Brazil was 90-38 in doubles play. Mijacika s Magnificant Fall Clemson women s tennis sophomore Ani Mijacika concluded her fall schedule with an 11-2 record, making program history twice during the season. She accomplished two firsts for a Tiger women s tennis player by reaching the finals of the ITA National Intercollegiate Indoor Tennis Championships as well as the title-match of the Riviera/ITA All-American Championships in early October. No other Clemson student-athlete had advanced past the semifinals of either tournament. Tigers in the Polls Pre J8 J29 F5 F12 F20 F26 M4 M11 M18 M25 A1 A8 A15 A22 A28 Final Team - 10 9 16 18 24 24 42 31 34 28 23 21 25 13 13 13 Estefania Balda 58 - T T T - T - T - T 109 T 108 113 113 117 Laurianne Henry - - T T T - T - T - T - T - 114 115 120 Ani Mijacika 21 4 T T T 1 T 3 T 2 T 2 T 1 2 2 2 Carol Salge 65 84 T T T - T - T - T 85 T 81 58 59 54 Federica Van Adrichem 96 53 T T T 82 T 82 T 124 T - T - - - - 28 Balda/Salge 32 - T T T - T - T - T - T - - - - Mijacika/Salge - - T T T - T 12 T 20 T 8 T 10 4 4 5 Mijacika/Van Adrichem 2 19 T T T 12 T 13 T 17 T 25 T 28 30 31 37