April 22, 2009
Complete Release in PDF Format 
The University of Northern Iowa women's tennis team (14-8, 3-5) heads to Omaha, Neb., to compete in the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Team Championships this weekend. The Panthers face Indiana State (8-11, 6-2) on Friday at 12:30 p.m. UNI comes into the tournament as a No. 7 seed while the Sycamores are the No. 2 seed. The tournament, hosted by Creighton University, will be held at the Koch Family Tennis Center in Omaha.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
• Although Indiana State (8-11, 6-2) has the second worst overall record in the Valley, its conference record is second best. The Sycamores have faced quality competition all season. Six out of their 11 losses have come to ranked opponents including No. 67 Michigan State (6-1), No. 65 Western Michigan (5-2) and No. 32 Tulsa (6-1). ISU's only MVC losses came to No. 71 Wichita State (6-1) and Southern Illinois (5-2).
• Three Sycamores boast 7-1 records in conference singles play. Sophomore Sarah Meghoufel, competing mostly at the No. 1 spot, is 12-7 in dual matches. Meghoufel was named MVC Women's Tennis Athlete of the Week on April 8. Anna Morgina was named this week's MVC Women's Tennis Athlete of the Week. The freshman is 16-3 overall in dual match play, competing most of her matches at the No. 2 position. Junior Sofya Lifanova is 10-9 for the spring season with most of matches played at the No. 3 spot.
• The Sycamores have experienced all of their success in conference play this season with only four athletes competing in singles and two pairs competing in doubles.
• Indiana State comes into the tournament as defending MVC champions. Last season, the Sycamores swept MVC regular and postseason play, defeating Wichita State to claim the championship, 4-3.
MATCH NOTES
• The Panthers fell to the Sycamores earlier this season, 5-2. ISU won every match in which it competed.
• Indiana State holds a 24-2 all-time series lead over UNI.
• The Sycamores eliminated UNI from the MVC Championships last season, winning by a score of 4-0.
• The Panthers are 3-5 in MVC Tournament play over the last five seasons, while the Sycamores are 9-4.
PANTHERS END REGULAR SEASON WITH 7-0 WIN
• UNI ended its regular season on a high note Sunday, defeating conference foe Creighton, 7-0. The Panthers only dropped one set the entire match.
TWO PANTHERS NAMED MVC SCHOLAR-ATHLETES
• Junior Sampada Kanade and sophomore Diana Mendez were named to the MVC Scholar-Athlete Team. Both received honorable mention status. Kanade (Mumbai, India), an ITA academic award winner in 2008, holds a 3.33 GPA while majoring in psychology. Mendez (Bogota, Columbia) has earned a 3.87 GPA while majoring in management.
KIRTANE BREAKS COACHING WINS RECORD
• Head coach Sachin Kirtane became the all-time coaching wins leader in UNI women's tennis history on March 18. Kirtane surpassed Pete Mazula as he racked up his 84th career coaching win as the Panthers topped Southern (La.), 6-1. Now in his seventh season with the Panthers, Kirtane has secured 88 wins with a winning percentage of .608. Mazula compiled 83 wins as he coached the Panthers from 1981-85.
MORAES MOVES UP ON ALL-TIME LISTS
• Senior Taynara Moraes (Santos, Brazil) moved up on both the all-time singles and doubles wins lists recently. Moraes surpassed Meredith Esbeck (2003-07) for sixth all-time in the singles category with 70 wins after defeating Creighton's Mary Pat McMullan, 6-0, 6-2, on Sunday. With Moraes' most recent doubles victory, she also moved up on the all-time doubles wins list. The senior is currently tied with Carolina Hannes (2004-08) at seventh with 68 doubles victories.
SOLID CORE
• The center of the Panther lineup this season has been the hottest. Junior Sampada Kanade and freshman Jessica Kunzelmann, competing mostly at the No. 3 and No. 4 positions, have boasted the team's best singles
