May 1, 2008
NORTHRIDGE, Calif. -
2008 Women's Tennis Photo Gallery
With four selections to the All-Big West Team and an appearance in the Big West Championship semifinals, the Cal State Northridge women's tennis team enjoyed a successful 2008 campaign marked by torrent doubles play and flourishing debuts from several newcomers. Overall, the Matadors finished the season 14-8 and 7-3 against Big West opponents under head coach Gary Victor.
As a team, Northridge picked up impressive victories over Yale, the Ivy League champions, Fresno Pacific, the GSAC champions, and Georgia State in the non-conference portion of their schedule. In Big West competition, the Matadors picked up impressive road wins at Pacific, UC Davis and UC Santa Barbara in addition to defeating Cal Poly and UC Riverside at the Matador Tennis Complex.
Two Matador seniors made lasting impressions in the final season with the team, as both Kanykey Koichumanova and Canna Furuta were named to the All-Big West Team. For Koichumanova, the award marked the third-straight season that she received the honor from the Big West coaches. She finished the season 11-9 overall in singles play and 4-4 against Big West opponents, earning All-Big West Singles Second Team honors in the process.
For her career, Koichumanova finished 56-26 in her four years competing for the Matadors and was named to the All-Big West Singles First Team and had a 13-match winning streak in 2007. In that same year, she and teammate Silvia Gutierrez took All-Big West Doubles First Team honors and were ranked as high as 15th in the regional rankings. In 2006, Koichumanova earned All-Big West Honorable Mention in singles and earned Honorable Mention as a doubles team with Furuta.
With the All-Big West honors, Furuta earned recognition from the conference coaches in all four years she was a Matador. In 2008, Furuta was 8-12 overall and 4-4 against Big West opponents and 46-35 for her career in singles matches. She and junior
Victoria Brymer finished the season 7-8 in doubles play, all at the No. 1 position, earning All-Big West Doubles Second Team honors.
Following her freshman season, Furuta was named to the 2005 All-Big West Second Team after debuting with a 14-7 record, including a 3-1 record at the No. 1 position. In 2006, she earned All-Big West Honorable Mention in singles after finishing the season 11-11 and she and Koichumanova received All-Big West Honorable Mention in doubles. Finally, in 2007, Furuta earned another Honorable Mention in singles and an Honorable Mention for doubles with Koichumanova after the tandem went 7-2.
Teaming with Koichumanova and Furuta in 2008 were a host of newcomers who made an immediate impact for the Matadors. Juniors Victoria Brymer and Sandra Kukla and freshmen Brooke Doane and Nina Jaworowski all made outstanding debuts in their first season with Northridge.
Brymer, a transfer from the University of Washington, finished the season 4-16 overall and 2-8 against Big West opponents, with 19 of 20 matches coming against the opponent's top singles player. For her work, Brymer received All-Big West Singles Second Team honors in addition to her All-Big West Doubles Second Team accolades with Furuta.
Another transfer, Sandra Kukla, finished the season second on the team with 13 victories in singles play and an overall record of 13-5. Against Big West opponents, she was 6-2 and also had a five-match winning streak during the season. In doubles, Kukla teamed primarily with Jaworowski and the two German transplants finished 8-4 overall and 3-1 against Big West opponents.
Victor, and assistant James Ciuffo, also witnessed impressive debuts from freshmen Doane and Jaworowski. In her first season with the Matadors, Doane led the team in victories in singles play, posting a 14-5 overall record and a 5-2 mark in matches against Big West opponents. She concluded the regular season on a six-match winning streak and she and Koichumanova teamed up to finish 17-2 in doubles play, including a 12-0 run to start the season. For their efforts, the duo became the second Matador tandem to be named to the All-Big West Doubles Second Team.
Jaworowski also had a remarkable rookie season for the Matadors, finishing the season 12-5 overall and 3-4 against Big West opponents. She strung together the longest winning streak on the team in 2008, winning seven-straight matches from Mar. 1 to Mar. 19. Four of those victories came in a decisive third set. In doubles, she joined with Kukla early on and also played with Furuta later in the season, amassing a 4-0 record in doubles play.
Other Matadors who contributed to the team's success in 2008 were sophomore Kristy Fournell, who finished 5-6 overall in singles play, and freshman Whitney Paluch, who recorded the first win of her Northridge career with a 6-0, 6-0 victory over Leslie Begley in the Matadors' 7-0 win over Cal State Bakersfield.
Even with the departures of perennial standouts Koichumanova and Furuta, the future looks bright for Victor and the Matadors. The success the team experienced in 2008 serves notice to the rest of the Big West Conference that Northridge tennis is one team that can never be overlooked.
