Spring 2008 Season Review
May 09 | Women's Tennis
The 2008 season was one of success and accomplishment for the Rutgers women's tennis team. The squad achieved a 14-10 overall record for the second time in three years, posted a 7-4 mark in BIG EAST play and put forth an impressive showing at the league championships.
Rutgers' success was spearheaded by senior No. 1 singles player Katrina Elder-Bush, who went 15-8 at the top spot for RU. Elder-Bush was an All-BIG EAST Tournament selection, the first ever under coach Ben Bucca. Her 31 total wins were second on the team and she earned Team MVP honors. Elder-Bush and partner Christine Tran were a successful doubles team, going 16-7 on the year.
Freshman Amy Zhang had a stellar debut season for the Scarlet Knights, achieving an astounding 21-3 singles record, as well as a 16-8 doubles mark. The first-year player's emergence has given the Scarlet Knights a foundation for a bright future in coming years. Other outstanding marks included junior Polina Zaretser (8-2 in singles, 14-9 in doubles), sophomore Katherine Arlak (12-10 in singles, 13-10 in doubles), and sophomore Caitlin Baker (15-8 in doubles).
As a team, the Scarlet Knights kicked off the season with an impressive six-match win streak, including two BIG EAST wins over Cincinnati and Villanova, both by a score of 7-0. After a 1-4 skid, Rutgers again picked up the pace, winning three of its next five, including back-to-back triumphs over Georgetown and Pittsburgh. The Scarlet Knights took home three straight conference victories to conclude their regular season, beating Connecticut, Seton Hall and West Virginia.
In the BIG EAST Tournament, the Scarlet Knights started hot, beating Pittsburgh once again to advance past the first round. In the second round, Rutgers fell to the BIG EAST's top squad, Notre Dame. Rutgers bounced back and played one of its best matches against No. 4 Marquette in the consolation round. However, the Scarlet Knights were edged by the Golden Eagles, 4-3, and finished seventh in the tournament.
Rutgers achieved success in the classroom as well, as the tennis squad was honored by the NCAA by being in the upper-tenth percentile for Academic Progress Rate scores. They also earned ITA All-Academic honors for the third year in a row.
