Women's tennis returns to action
<p>After two weeks off, the No. 25 Arizona State women's tennis will host Saint Mary's this Saturday before heading out to Berkeley for a rescheduled match against California. The match against California will not count in conference standings. The Sun Devils are 3-1 after splitting at the ITA Kick Off Weekend.</p><separator></separator><p><strong>Scouting the competition</strong><br /> The Gaels of Saint Mary's are currently ranked 57th. They did not have any individuals or doubles teams ranked in the preseason rankings. California is currently the No. 2 team in the country. They boast the No. 2 player in the NCAA as well with Jana Juricova. Marina Cossou is also in the top 10 in the most recent rankings. Mari Andersson is also in the top 100 at 83rd.</p><separator></separator><p><strong>Senioritis</strong><br /> Two seniors lead the Sun Devil squad this season. Three-time Pac-10 All-Conference player, <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-tennis/mtt/abdala_nadia00.html">N… Abdala</a>, is 6-4 this season with a 3-1 dual meet record. <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-tennis/mtt/martin_amanda00.html">… Martin</a> earned her first dual start this season and has gone 1-3.</p><separator></separator><p><strong>All-American girls</strong><br /> The Sun Devils return to All-Americans to the squad. <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-tennis/mtt/mckenna_kelcy00.html">… McKenna</a> earned honors in both singles and doubles while Hein was named an All-American in doubles. McKenna is currently 3-1 in dual singles while Hein is 1-1.</p><separator></separator><p><strong>Hailing from across the pond</strong><br /> <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-tennis/mtt/james_hannah00.html">H… James</a> has fit into the Sun Devils lineup very nicely. A native of Birmingham, England, James has a flawless dual record playing in the No. 4 slot. In addition, she has won three of those in straight sets.</p><separator></separator><p><strong>What a coach</strong><br /> A role model on and off the courts, <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-tennis/mtt/mcinerney_sheila00.htm… McInerney</a> was recently honored by the YWCA in their Tribute to Women campaign. The 26th year coach has been selected as the Sports Leader honoree. As the head coach of the Sun Devils, McInerney boasts a 375-238 record and has taken ASU to 16 NCAA Sweet Sixteen appearances. In addition, her teams are frequently recognized for their excellence in the classroom.</p><separator></separator><p><strong>Next up</strong><br /> The Sun Devils have a tough two meet stand ahead hosting No. 46 Fresno State on Feb. 26 and No. 26 Texas on Feb. 28.</p>