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Blalock, Matzenauer Garner Multiple Big West First-Team Honors

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IRVINE, Calif. – Juniors Brittany Blalock and Suzie Matzenauer were both named All-Big West First Team in both singles and doubles as the All-Conference teams were announced Tuesday by the Big West. Junior Steffi Wong joined Blalock for the duo’s second-consecutive first team doubles selection while Matzenauer and sophomore Amy Markhoff parlayed their 18-3 dual record into an all-conference nod. Cal Poly was the only Big West school to place two athletes on the singles first-team ...

Published Apr 21st, by Andrew Tomsky

IRVINE, Calif. – Juniors Brittany Blalock and Suzie Matzenauer were both named All-Big West First Team in both singles and doubles as the All-Conference teams were announced Tuesday by the Big West. Junior Steffi Wong joined Blalock for the duo’s second-consecutive first team doubles selection while Matzenauer and sophomore Amy Markhoff parlayed their 18-3 dual record into an all-conference nod.

Cal Poly was the only Big West school to place two athletes on the singles first-team and the only team to have two pairings on the doubles first-team. Long Beach State senior Hannah Grady was named Big West Player of the Year, UC Irvine’s Stephanie Hammell was named Freshman of the Year while Long Beach State’s Jenny Hilt-Costello earned Coach of the Year honors. The 49ers went undefeated in conference play and won the league title for the sixth-consecutive year.

Blalock, who was named Big West Freshman of the Year in 2007, has now received All-Big West First Team singles accolades following all three of her seasons with Cal Poly. The junior from Palm Desert went 23-10 overall this season and 14-6 in duals, ranking as high as No. 72 nationally in singles. Her victory over then-No. 8 Maria Sanchez of USC was the first win in program history over a top-10 opponent. She was named Big West Athlete of the Week twice this season, becoming the first Mustangs to receive the award multiple times in one year.

Playing with Wong after the duo advanced to the NCAA Tournament last season, the pair opened the 2008 fall season ranked No. 31 and finished the season with a team-high 22 victories and 13 dual wins at No. 1 and 2.

After transferring from Northwestern last season, Matzenauer made an immediate impact with the Mustangs, finishing the season with a team best 24-9 singles record and equaling Blalock at 14-6 in duals. Matzenauer also received the Big West Athlete of the Week award twice this season and ended the year on a five-match winning streak.

Perhaps the most impressive pairing in the Big West this season, Matzenauer and Markhoff finished 20-4 overall and 18-3 in dual play. Reunited after playing together at Bellarmine Prep in Tacoma, Wash., the pair won 11 straight matches to end the regular season. Including victories over the No. 51 and 59 doubles teams in the country during the season, the duo received a No. 77 national ranking prior to the Big West Championship.

The Mustangs ended the year at 12-9 and finished third in the Big West at 6-2. Blalock, currently the highest-ranked singles player in the Big West, will be hoping for a bid to the NCAA Singles Championship while Matzenauer and Markhoff will look for their names to be called for the doubles championship when both fields are announced an April 29.