10

Hoping to build on last year’s improvement, the 2008 Mississip-pi State women’s tennis squad looks to return the program back to the successes which were evident in 2005 when the Lady Bulldogs captured the Southeastern Conference Western Division title. Set to begin her 12th season at MSU, veteran head coach Tracy Lane looks to uphold and bring team chemis-try through competition this spring.

State returns all seven letterwinners from the 2007 campaign and welcomes one transfer and one freshman. With those nine players, Lane looks to have her team at full force for 2008.

“We have a lot of experience on our team,” said Lane. “With one senior, four juniors and three sophomores on the team, we have a lot more experience going into this spring than in years past. The key for us this semester is to have ev-erybody healthy. If we are healthy, we will have really good depth and a lot of fl exibility. The key for us is to continue working hard, staying healthy and to compete with confi dence and passion.”

Leadership for the Lady Bulldogs is expected to come from three-time letterwinner Renée Joseph, who primarily played singles at the No. 4 position last season. The Rock Hill, S.C., native will enter the season providing a solid base to her teammates both on and off the court.

“Renée is defi nitely a team leader,” Lane noted. “She is playing the best tennis of her career. She is positive with her teammates, really encourages them and helps them in decision-making. She is a player that we are expect-ing to help lead the program.”

Joseph goes into the spring season with an already out-

standing career resumé. The lone senior on the team is currently 10th all-time in career doubles wins with 40. Joseph needs just 15 more doubles wins to claim third all-time at Mississippi State behind 1989 national doubles champions Claire Pollard and Jackie Holden. She is also 11th on the all-time combined doubles and singles wins with 87.

Expected to start high in the lineup will be junior Martina Banikova, who is a seasoned veteran after a solid two years at MSU. The Kosice, Slovakia, native returns to the courts as a determined player ready to return to playing after suf-fering an injury in the fall. During the fall, she posted a 3-4

record in singles and a 4-3 record in doubles before fall-ing to the injury.

“Martina fi ghts on the court,” said Lane. “She is playing at a really competitive level with the best players in the country. Playing No. 1 or No. 2 makes players look to you for leadership.”

Also returning to the courts for the Ma-roon and White are three other Lady Bulldogs who enter the spring as seasoned juniors. All three look to come out and improve on last year’s successes.

“Last year we struggled as a team with inexperience,” said Lane. “They are all

playing with so much more confi dence and that really is the key in winning matches. As a play-

er, you need to play to your strengths. Last season, I felt like we allowed our weaknesses to show.”

Elna de Villiers looks to continue her success and improve on her fall records of 4-5 in singles and 6-7 in doubles. The Grunau, Namibia, native is coming off a very productive fall campaign highlighted by a claiming

2008 MISSISSIPPI STATE LADY BULLDOGSHead Coach Tracy Lane, Elna de Villiers, Daniela Juskova, Renée Joseph, DeAndra Saddler, Radka Ferancova, Elizabeth Hall, Martina Ban-

ikova, Valeriya Makarycheva, Tatiana Feit, Assistant Coach Max Fomine

2008 OUTLOOK

SeniorRenée Joseph

11

2008 Lady Bulldog Squad BreakdownLetterwinners Returning (7)Name (Cl. - Exp.) ‘07 Pos. (S/D) W-L (S) Dual W-L (D) DualMartina Banikova (Jr. - 2L) #1/#1 17-15 9-7 10-18 4-10Elna de Villiers (Jr. - 2L) #2/#2 17-19 8-10 10-17 3-12Tatiana Feit (Jr. - 2L) #6/ - 12-11 5-3 1-8 -Renée Joseph (Sr. - 3L) #4/#3 8-23 5-12 18-15 9-7Daniela Juskova (Jr. - 2L) #3/#3 3-20 1-16 10-7 9-5Valeriya Makarycheva (So. - 1L) #6/#1 10-16 5-7 11-20 4-11DeAndra Saddler (So. - 1L) #5/#2 5-13 3-9 4-15 3-11

Newcomers (2)Name (Exp.) HometownRadka Ferancova Lucenec, SlovakiaElizabeth Hall Eupora, Mississippi

third place in the Bronze Draw at the Roberta Alison Fall Classic in Tuscaloosa. de Villiers played much of the 2007 season at the No. 2 singles position.

“Elna is a real positive for us,” said Lane. “She is working really hard. I can’t tell you how many times I have shown up to practice and she is out there serving. That’s what most players don’t re-alize. a few minutes extra here and there that are self-initiated goes a long way. When players take their games into their own hands, become more accountable for their wins and losses, then that is when they really improve.”

Rounding out the remaining juniors are Daniela Juskova and Tatiana Feit. Juskova joined the State squad with fellow Slovakian and high school teammate Banikova. Juskova is looking to improve from last season’s doubles where she went 10-7, mostly with Joseph. A native of Neuilly Sur Seine, France, Feit looks to build on her fall play where she won her season-opening match.

The 2007 squad also returns two sophomores looking to make an impact after their rookie season, Valeriya Makarycheva and DeAn-

dra Saddler. Makarycheva came out of the fall tied for the team lead with eight singles wins (8-4) and led the team with seven

doubles wins (7-6). Saddler is recovering from off-season sur-gery and hopes to see more playing time this spring.

In addition, Lane welcomed two newcomers - Radka Ferancova and Elizabeth Hall. Ferancova, a trans-

fer from Atlantic-10 powerhouse Temple University, enters her rookie season with State after an 8-16 combined fall record. Hailing from Eupora, Miss., Hall looks to make an early impact on the team.

“Tennis in many ways is such an individual sport,” said Lane. “Each player has specifi c goals they want to achieve to make improvements in their games. We want to be winning matches and being more competi-tive within the SEC. Ultimately we want to be playing postseason year-in and year-out.”

2008 Lady BulldogsName Cl. Exp. HometownMartina Banikova Jr. 2L Kosice, SlovakiaElna de Villiers Jr. 2L Grunau, NamibiaTatiana Feit Jr. 2L Neuilly Sur Seine, FranceRadka Ferancova So. TR Lucenec, SlovakiaElizabeth Hall Fr. HS Eupora, MississippiRenée Joseph Sr. 3L Rock Hill, South CarolinaDaniela Juskova Jr. 2L Kosice, SlovakiaValeriya Makarycheva So. 1L Moscow, RussiaDeAndra Saddler So. 1L Alpharetta, Georgia

Head Coach: Tracy Lane (Auburn-Montgomery, 1992)Assistant Coach: Max Fomine (Mississippi State, 2004)

Pronunciation GuideMartina Banikova mar-tee-nuh ban-ih-koh-vuhElna de Villiers el-nuh dee-vil-yersTatiana Feit tah-tee-on-uh fay-itRadka Ferancova rod-ka fer-ran-koh-vuhDaniela Juskova dan-yell-uh jus-koh-vuhValeriya Makarycheva vuh-lair-ee-yuh mac-uh-ray-chay-vuhDeAndra Saddler dee-and-ruhMax Fomine foh-mean

By Class Senior (1): Renée Joseph Juniors (4): Martina Banikova Elna de Villiers Tatiana Feit Daniela Juskova Sophomores (3): Radka Ferancova Valeriya Makarycheva DeAndra Saddler Freshman (1): Elizabeth Hall

By Country France (1): Tatiana Feit Namibia (1): Elna de Villiers Russia (1): Valeriya Makarycheva Slovakia (3): Martina Banikova Radka Ferancova Daniela Juskova United States (3): Elizabeth Hall Renée Joseph DeAndra Saddler

2008 Lady Bulldog Roster Breakdown

2008 OUTLOOK

JuniorMartina Banikova

12

Coach Lane on Renée“She had some really good

wins over the fall. Her game has gone to another level since she has placed more focused of keeping her emotions in check and

lowering her unforced error percentages.”

MORE ON JOSEPHFavorite food: any kind of fruit

Teammates would say I am: energetic

Favorite thing for roadtrips: my music

Must see TV: How I met your Mother

Actress who would play me: Halle Berry

Hobbies: talking on the phone

Favorite class at MSU: French class

Biggest infl uence on career: my father

Biggest pet peeve: liars

One country like to visit: Slovakia

Favorite non-tennis athlete: Dwyane Wade

Favorite thing about State: being a part of this team

Goals for team: To go to postseason

RENEE JOSEPH

SENIOR • 3L • ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINASole senior for the 2008 squad, which includes four juniors and three sophomores and one freshman ... Four-year starter for the Lady Bull-dogs ... Member of the 2005 SEC Western Division Championship squad ... Biological sci-ences major who is a three-time ITA Scholar-Athlete and two-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll ... Member of the 2006 SEC Community team and 2005-06 and 2006-07 Newsom Award recipient for the women’s tennis squad ... Mem-ber of MSU’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and has attended NCAA seminars as the school’s representa-tive.

Fall 2007Tied for fi rst on the team with Valeriya Makarycheva with eight singles wins (8-5) ... Defeated two ranked players this fall, including the 17th-ranked Megan Alex-ander at the ITA Southern Regional Championships and the 51st-ranked Yvette Hyndman at the SEC Fall Coaches Classic ... Tied for fourth on the team with four doubles wins (4-7) ... Paired with Daniela Jus-kova for all four of her wins ... Claimed the Gold Draw at the Roberta Alison Fall Classic with Juskova with three consecu- tive wins... Moved into 10th place all-time in career doubles wins (40) ... Moved into 11th all time in career combined singles and doubles wins. (87)

2006-07 (Junior)First on the team in doubles wins with 18 (18-15) … Also went 8-23 in singles play … Opened the fall by claiming the White Draw consolation singles title at the Roberta Alison Fall Classic, knocking off Shelley Godwin of host Alabama in the fi nals … Played most of the season at the

No. 4 position ... Posted back-to-back wins twice in the spring, once against Sydney Lartigue and Caroline Jounian, and again later against Laura Martelli and Magdelena Czernik … Teamed with Daniela Juskova to claim her fi rst nationals

doubles ranking of 55th ... Paired with Jus-kova to post a 10-5 doubles mark ... Jo-

seph and Juskova defeated the 55th-ranked tandem of Christine Johnston and Whitney Spencer of Kentucky … Also posted a 5-3 doubles record with fellow Lady Bulldog Elna de Villiers ... Also saw doubles action with teammate Tatiana Feit.

2005-06 (Sophomore)Ranked third on the team with 12 singles wins (12-24 record) and fourth with 10 doubles victo-

ries (10-20 mark) during her sophomore season ... Finished the spring campaign as the Lady Bulldogs’ No. 1 singles player ... Posted back-

toback SEC road wins at No. 3 singles against Au-burn and Alabama in March

... Prevailed in her fi rst six matches (and nine of fi rst 10 matches) of the fall season ... Opened the fall by claiming the Ole

Miss Fall Classic White Draw singles title ... Fol-lowed that season-opening effort by advancing to the singles fi nals of the 3.0 Draw and the C Draw doubles fi nals (with Tatiana Feit) at the Robert Alison Fall Classic ... Made the singles semifi nal in Flight B of the ITA South Regional ... Primarily teamed with Daniela Juskova at No. 3 doubles during the spring season before being paired with Feit at No. 2 doubles during the fi nal three SEC dual matches ... Helped the Lady Bulldogs with their 10th-consecutive ITA Academic Team Award, by posting the team-best 3.7 GPA in biological sciences

PLAYERS

13

JOSEPH’S CAREER STATISTICSSINGLES

Season #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 Dual SEC Overall Pct.Fall 2007 - - - - - - - - 8-5 .6152006-07 - - 0-2 5-10 - - 5-12 1-9 8-23 .2582005-06 0-4 1-8 2-4 - - - 3-16 2-9 12-24 .3332004-05 - - - 2-6 2-1 4-2 8-9 4-6 19-17 .528Career 0-4 1-8 2-6 7-16 2-1 4-2 16-37 7-24 47-69 .405

DOUBLES Season #1 #2 #3 Dual SEC Overall Pct. Fall 2007 - - - - - 4-7 .364 2006-07 - 1-3 8-4 9-7 5-6 18-15 .545 2005-06 - 0-4 3-9 3-13 1-10 10-19 .333 2004-05 - - 1-0 1-0 - 8-7 .533 Career - 1-7 12-13 13-20 6-16 40-48 .455

2004-05 (Freshman)Tied for fourth on the MSU team with 19 singles victories (19-17 record) as a fresh-man … Went 8-9 in dual match play dur-ing the spring, including a 4-6 SEC mark … Posted a 5-2 home record in dual match competition … Claimed three straight SEC wins at the No. 6 singles position in March, but completed her rookie campaign competing at the No. 4 slot … Captured consolation singles titles at the Roberta Alison Fall Classic (Flight D) and Residence Inn North Wolfpack Invitational (Draw B1) during her initial fall season with the Lady Bull-dogs… Registered eight consecutive singles wins during the fall, including a perfect 4-0 mark to claim the Draw B title of the Wilson/ITA South Regional Championships … Conclud-ed fall singles play with a 10-6 record … Notched a 6-3 mark in three-set singles matches during the season … Owned a composite 8-7 doubles record during her freshman campaign … Teamed with Anastasia Kug kolova in fall doubles competition to win the Flight B consolation bracket of the Robert Ali-son Fall Classic… The duo also advanced to the Draw B doubles fi nals at the Wilson/ITA South Regional Champi-onships … Earned status on the 2004-05 SEC Freshman Academic Honor Roll.

Pre-MSUFour-time state singles champion for in-dependent schools at Charlotte Country Day School in Charlotte, N.C. … Earned All-CISAA (Charlotte Independent Schools Athletic Association) tennis honors each of

her four years competing for coach Calvin Davis’ Lady Bucs … Also helped lead CCDS to four consecu-tive state independent team championships as a three-time all-state selec-

tion by the North Carolina Independent Schools Ath-

letic Association … Held South Carolina’s No. 1 state singles ranking in the Girls’ 18’s division of the United States Tennis

Association, while also rating among the South Region’s top 10 and the nation’s top 100 rankings … Also a member of South Carolina’s Fed Cup team ... Also competed in basketball, track and vol-leyball for the Lady Bucs … Member of CCDS’s National Honor Society and was a two-time se-lection to the Head of School’s List.

PersonalRenée Joseph was born January 8, 1986 in Rock Hill, South Carolina ... Daughter of Samuel and Phebe Joseph ... Has two brothers, Lesley (25) and Jerry (26) ... Les-ley played college tennis at Georgia and is now competing in the professional ranks and Jerry played college tennis at Florida A&M ... Majoring in biological sciences (pre-medicine).

THE JOSEPH FILE

History- Grabbed her fi rst singles national ranking of her career this spring, coming in at 67th.

- Tied for fourth on the team with 19 wins on the 2004-05 MSU squad that claimed a share of the SEC Western Division Title. (19-17)

Career RankingsRank Date67th 1-8-08

Big WinsDate Player Rank10-20-07 Megan Alexander (UF) 17th11-03-07 Yvette Hyndman (UGA) 51st

Career Doubles Wins Player Record1. Claire Pollard 111-342. Jackie Holden 106-343. Laura Strickland 55-584. Anastasia Kugakolova 54-515. Mariella Jimenez 50-496. Sue Thomson 48-497. Debbie Dotson 45-338. Amelie Detriviere 44-469. Linda Mattsson 42-4310. Leigh Adcock 40-64 Renée Joseph * 40-4811. Sarah Mitten 39-27

Career Combined Wins Player Record1. Jackie Holden 178-89 Clarie Pollard 178-923. Mariella Jimenez 119-874. Anastasia Kugakolova 117-1025. Linda Mattsson 111-886. Laura Strickland 109-1207. Amelie Detriviere 106-1068. Sabine Guibal 105-699. Sue Thomson 99-10210. Debbie Dotson 91-7011. Renée Joseph * 87-11712. Boo Hildebrand 83-135

* - as of December 2007

PLAYERS

14

Coach Lane on Martina“Martina has made a total

change around. She is play-ing with more confi dence and believes that she can

compete with the best play-ers in the country.”

MARTINA BANIKOVA

JUNIOR • 2L • KOSICE, SLOVAKIA

Comes into the 2007-08 season looking to help lead with senior Renée Joseph ... An ITA Scholar-Athlete and member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll as a Sophomore ... High school teammates with fellow Lady Bulldog and Slovakian Daniela Juskova ... One of two lefties on the squad.

Fall 2007Finished up an injury-plagued fall with a 3-4 singles record and a 4-3 doubles record ... Ranked 29th in the preseason national poll ... Defeated the 72nd-ranked player in the nation, Melissa Mang, of Duke at the Riv-iera All-American Tournament in California ... Banikova and teammate Radka Ferancova won three straight matches at the Ole Miss Fall Classic and claimed the Blue Draw Consolation round.

2006-07Finished the season as the 43rd ranked player in the nation ... Received 2nd team All-SEC hon-ors ... Made it to the second round of the 2007 NCAA Singles Cham-pionship ... Tied for fi rst on the club in singles wins with 17 (17-15) … Defeated four top-40 ranked players during the season, includ-ing No. 7 … Recorded team-high wins in dual and SEC matches with nine and four, respectively … Teamed with Valeriya Makarycheva to advance to the Flight 1 doubles fi nals at the Hoosier Classic … Played the entire season at the No. 1 position with Makarycheva ... The tandem won more tie-break doubles matches than any other pair on the team ... Defeated the 20th-ranked team of Alex Haney and Melissa Koning of Auburn with fellow Bulldog Makarycheva in the home dual match versus Auburn.

2005-06 (Freshman)Posted records of 5-16 in singles and 8-18 in doubles during her freshman slate with the Lady Bulldogs … Competed primarily at the No. 2 singles position in SEC dual match play … Claimed singles wins in six of her fi rst seven non-SEC dual matches (5-0 at home) in the spring … Finished the spring season with a

6-3 singles mark against non-conference op-ponents playing mostly at the No. 3 spot … Paired with fellow freshman Elna de Villiers

to register an 8-4 doubles victory over the 23rd-ranked Erin Hunter and Katja Kovacic duo of Texas Tech to help pace

MSU to a 4-2 home dual match win … Also teamed with de Villiers to post SEC wins at

No. 1 doubles over tandems from LSU and Tennessee … Earned status on the

2005-06 SEC Freshman Academic Honor Roll.

Pre-MSUTeamed with fellow State sopho-more Daniela Juskova for coach

Milan Sokol at Sport High School in Kosice, also coached by father Daniel Banik ... In 2002, she won the doubles championship of Slovakia (under 18) and was also a member of Slovak fed-eration where she represented her home country in the Championship of Europe and the World in teams where her team fi nished in fourth place ... A year later, she posted a 35-9 record and took fourth-place honors in Slovakia ... Played in a variety of International Tennis Federation-sponsored tourna-

ments ... Reached the semifi nal round of the Slovakia Championship ... Was ranked as high as No. 20 in women’s tennis in Slovakia.

PersonalMartina Banikova was born August 14, 1987 in Kosice, Slovakia … Daughter of Daniel Banik and Kvetoslava Banikova ... Seeking a degree in manage-ment from MSU.

BANIKOVA’S CAREER STATISTICSSINGLES

Season #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 Dual SEC Overall Pct.Fall 2007 - - - - - - - - 3-4 .4292006-07 9-7 - - - - - 9-7 4-6 17-15 .5312005-06 - 0-9 4-4 1-0 - - 5-13 0-11 5-16 .238Career 9-7 0-9 4-4 1-0 - - 14-20 4-17 25-35 .417

DOUBLES Season 1 #2 #3 Dual SEC Overall Pct. Fall 2007 - - - - - 4-3 .571 2006-07 4-10 - - 4-10 2-8 10-18 .357 2005-06 2-3 4-9 - 6-12 3-8 8-19 .296 Career 6-13 4-9 - 10-22 5-16 22-40 .355

MORE ON BANIKOVAFavorite food: seafood

Favorite author: Danielle Steele

Favorite quote: “Winners never stop trying”

In 10 years: I will be a successful business woman

Special talent I have: to make people laugh

Superstitions: black cat

Must see TV: Desperate Housewives

Hobbies: shopping

Supernatural ability to have: to be able to fl y

Favorite class at MSU: dance class

Biggest pet peeve: when people are late

Biggest infl uence on career: my father

Favorite pro team: Yankees

Goal for team: make it to postseason

PLAYERS

15

Coach Lane on Elna:“Elna is a grinder. She is

your player that will be the fi rst one up and last one

standing. Sets such a great precedence for hard work

and integrity.”

ELNA DE VILLIERS

JUNIOR • 2L • GRUNAU, NAMIBIA

Enters the spring fresh from a solid fall campaign for the Lady Bulldogs ... Posted records of 4-5 in singles and 6-7 in doubles this past fall ... An ITA Scholar-Ath-lete and a member of the SEC Freshman Academic Honor Roll ... Currently holds career records of 31-43 in singles and 32-41 in doubles.

Fall 2007Fourth on the team with four singles wins (4-5) ... Posted six doubles wins, which tied for second on the team ... Claimed two singles victories at the Roberta Alison Fall Classic ... With teammate Valeriya Makarycheva, the two posted two wins in the Ole Miss Fall Classic, making it to the semifi nals of the Red Draw ... The tandem also made it to the fi nals of the White Draw at the Roberta Alison Fall Classic ... Won two of her fi rst three doubles matches with fellow Lady Bulldog Radka Ferancova.

2006-07Finished the season tied for fi rst on the team with 17 singles wins (17-20)… Notched four singles wins to advance to the B Draw semifi nals at the ITA South Regional Champi-onships … Earned a pair of singles victories during the SEC Coaches Fall Classic … Finished her sophomore campaign by winning two of her last three singles matches… Tied for third on the team with 10 doubles victories (10-17) ... Paired with Martina Banikova to claim the consolation doubles title of the Crimson Draw at the Roberta Alison Fall Classic … Teamed with Renée Jo-seph to put together a 4-1 doubles mark, winning the Flight C consolation title at the Hoosier Classic and advancing to the consolation semifi nals of the B Draw during the SEC Coaches Fall Classic.

2005-06 (Freshman)Ranked second on the State squad with 26 combined victories (singles and doubles) during her rookie season, including a team-most 16 doubles wins ... Notched a 10-19 singles record as a freshman, play-ing mostly at the No. 5 and 6 positions ... Competed at No. 4 singles in three of her last four dual matches of the spring ... Began the fall campaign winning eight of her fi rst nine singles matches, including a six-match win string to begin her collegiate career ... Advanced to the singles fi nals of the 3.5 Draw, along with claiming the Open Draw in doubles

(with Anastasia Kugakolova), at the Roberta Alison Fall Classic ... Helped the Lady Bulldogs earn

their 11th-consecutive ITA Team Aca-demic honors as well as receiving in-

dividual honors for her 3.5 GPA ... Also selected to the 2006 SEC Freshmen Academic Honor Roll.

Pre-MSUCredentials include play-ing for the Namibian Fed Cup Team when she was a

junior in high school ... A member of the Namib-ian International team ... Participant on Head

Coach Gustav Fichardt’s Oranje Meisieskool High School tennis squad, where the team won the Saint Mary’s tournament for high schools for fi ve consecu-

tive years ... Played netball, equestrian and ran track ... The provincial long jump champion.

PersonalElna de Villiers was born June 11, 1986 in Keetman-shoop, Namibia … Daughter of Heleen and Jannie de Villiers ... Has three siblings, Elrien (19), Jana (15), and Daniel (9) … Majoring in international business.

DE VILLIERS’ CAREER STATISTICSSINGLES

Season #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 Dual SEC Overall Pct.Fall 2007 - - - - - - - - 4-5 .4442006-07 - 5-9 3-1 - - - 8-10 3-8 17-19 .4722005-06 - - - 0-2 1-5 1-4 2-11 1-7 10-19 .345Career - 5-9 3-1 0-2 1-5 1-4 10-21 4-15 31-43 .419

DOUBLES Season #1 #2 #3 Dual SEC Overall Pct. Fall 2007 - - - - - 6-7 .462 2006-07 0-2 3-10 - 3-12 1-9 10-17 .370 2005-06 2-3 4-9 - 6-12 3-8 16-17 .485 Career 2-5 7-19 - 9-24 4-17 32-41 .438

MORE ON DE VILLIERSFavorite book: The Word of Truth

Favorite food: sushi, steak

Favorite movie: Facing the Giants

One possession to keep if I lose everything: my bible

Teammates would say I am: crazy

Favorite things for roadtrips: my pillow, camera, and Tracy

Favorite CD: Hillsongs

Cover of what magazine: Sharing the victory

Must see TV: 24

Biggest infl uence on career: my dad

Secret Ambition: reach out to the world

One country like to visit: Australia

Goal for team: To come together and give it our best

PLAYERS

16

Coach Lane on Tatiana “Tatiana is a counter-

puncher who can work long points and make players have to hit a lot of balls.”

TATIANA FEIT

JUNIOR • 2L • NEUILLY SUR SEINE, FRANCE

Third-year player who continues to show improve-ment in her footwork on the courts ... Ranked third on the State squad with a .500 doubles percentage this past fall ... A member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll last season ... Currently second in singles success among active Lady Bulldogs with a career record of 27-31 (.466).

Fall 2007Won the fi rst singles match of her junior season in straight sets 6-2, 6-0 over Memphis’ Lind-sey Wiseman ...Also posted a victory on the fi nal day of competition at the Roberta Ali-son Fall Tournament in Tuscaloosa, Ala. ... Saw limited doubles action during the fall, compiling a break-even 1-1 mark ... Claimed victory in her fi rst doubles match of the season with teammate Valeriya Makarycheva.

2006-07 (Sophomore)Stood third on the team in singles wins during her sophomore cam-paign with a 12-11 record … She was also second on the team with a .522 win-ning percentage ... Posted a team-best .625 home dual match winning percentage ... Began the fall by claiming the Orange Draw singles title at the Roberta Alison Fall Classic … Won three singles matches while advancing to the B Draw consola-tion semifi nal in the ITA South Regional Cham-pionships ... Claimed a singles victory over Clemence Remy in Mississippi State’s home victory over Louisiana-Lafayette ...Began dual match play by winning her fi rst fi ve sin-gles matches … Saw limited doubles action during the 06-07 season, compiling a 1-8 mark with team-mates Renée Joseph, Daniela Juskova and Valeriya Makarycheva.

2005-06 (Freshman)Posted a team-best singles winning percentage (.542; 13-11 record) during her freshman season, ranking second on the club with 13 singles victories ... Run-

ner-up on the Lady Bulldog squad with six dual match wins, including a 3-4 SEC mark playing primarily at the No. 5 and 6 singles positions ... Singles triumphs in conference play came over Auburn’s Erin Gray, Sara Lett of Georgia and Mississip-pi’s Virginia Tomatis ... Opened her initial fall campaign by advancing to the Ole Miss Fall Classic Silver Draw champion-

ship match before dropping a three-set decision to teammate Elna de Villiers in the fi nals ... Capped the fall season by claiming the D Divi-

sion title of the SEC Fall Coaches Clas-sic ... Compiled a 3-9 doubles mark on the year, highlighted by a runner-up fall fi nish (with Renée

Joseph) in the C Draw at the Roberta Alison Fall Classic ... Earned status on the 2005-06 SEC

Freshman Academic Honor Roll.

Pre-MSUPrior to MSU, played seven years compet-itively in tennis ... Played high school ten-nis under Head Coach Emmanuel Planke

at Jean de la Fontaine + CNED ... Pre-col-legiate tennis accolades include qualifying for the Champions of France at the famed Roland Garros tennis facility ... Has won over 40 tournaments during her high school ten-ure ... Regional champion of table tennis as

a freshman ... Also played basketball, golf, and swimming.

PersonalTatiana Feit was born February 7, 1986 in Neuilly Sur Seine, France ... Daughter of Alexius Feit, and Sylvie and Jacques Ferrari ... Has four siblings: twin brother Christopher (21), Alysson (30), Cesare Ferrari (16) and Ornella Ferrari (12) ... Majoring in communication with emphasis in broadcasting.

FEIT’S CAREER STATISTICSSINGLES

Season #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 Dual SEC Overall Pct.Fall 2007 - - - - - - - - 2-9 .1822006-07 - - - - 0-1 5-2 5-3 0-3 12-11 .5222005-06 - - - 0-1 2-0 4-5 6-6 3-4 13-11 .542Career - - - 0-1 2-1 9-7 11-9 3-7 27-31 .466

DOUBLES Season #1 #2 #3 Dual SEC Overall Pct. Fall 2007 - - - - - 1-1 .500 2006-07 - 0-1 0-1 0-2 0-1 1-8 .111 2005-06 - 0-3 - 0-3 0-3 3-9 .250 Career - 0-4 0-1 0-5 0-4 5-18 .217

MORE ON FEITFavorite movie: Pearl Harbor

Hobbies: basketball, golf, surfi ng

Biggest fear: huge spiders

Pre-match ritual: listen to music

In 10 years: be married with kids

Must see TV: 24

One thing I wishI was better at: cooking

What inspires me: life in general

Favorite class at MSU: broadcast performance

Biggest infl uence on career: parents and step father

Country love to visit: Russia

Favorite pro tennis player: Andre Agassi

Favorite non-tennis athlete: Alvaro Moreno de Carlos

Goals for the team: To fi nish in the top fi ve of the conference

PLAYERS

17

Talented third-year athlete looking to make her mark on the 2007-08 Mississippi State squad... One of three Slovakians on the squad ... Teammate of Martina Banikova since high school ... Finished her sophomore season at the No. 3 spot in singles ... A member of the 2007 ITA All-Ac-ademic Scholar Athlete team and the 2007 SEC Academic Honor Roll.

Fall 2007Ranked second on the team in singles wins with six (6-6) ... Third on the team in singles winning percent-age with .500 (6-6) ... Won her fi rst fi ve single matches and claimed the White Draw at the Ole Miss Fall Classic ... Paired with fel-low Lady Bulldog Renée Joseph, the tandem won four of their fi rst six matches ... Posted three straight doubles wins with Joseph and took home the gold draw title at the Roberta Alison Fall Tournament in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

2006-07 (Sophomore)Ranked third on the team with 10 doubles wins (10-7) ... Posted a team-high .588 dou-bles winning percentage (10-7) ... Played the majority of her sophomore campaign from the No. 3 singles spot ... Notched back-to-back solo singles victories at the Indiana-hosted Hoosier Classic as well as the Alabama-hosted ITA South Regional Championships … Began the spring by claiming eight straight doubles matches with teammate Joseph ... Defeated the 55th-ranked tandem of Christine Johnston and Whitney Spencer from Kentucky with teammate Joseph ... Juskova and Joseph, who have continued their success into the 2007-08 season, fi nished the season with a .667 doubles winning percentage (10-5) ... A member of the ITA All-Academic Scholar Athlete team and the SEC Academic Honor Roll.

2005-06 (Freshman)Ranked fourth on the club with 11 singles victories (11-20 record) as a collegiate rookie for State … Also registered a 9-17 composite doubles mark as a fresh-man … Ended the spring season playing at No. 3 singles … Had a three-match winning streak at No. 4 singles in February, claiming all three wins in three

sets … Compiled a teambest 7-1 singles record in three-set matches on the season … Ad-

vanced to the round of 16 in Flight B singles at the ITA South Regional during the fall … Capped the fall campaign by winning a pair

of singles matches at the SEC Fall Coach-es Classic, while also teaming with fel-low freshman Tatiana Feit to claim a doubles win at the fall-ending league event … Paired with Lady Bulldog rookie Martina Banikova to advance to the doubles semifi nal of the Blue Draw at the Ole Miss Fall Classic in her collegiate debut … Competed mostly with sophomore Renee Joseph at No. 3 doubles during the early portion of the spring season.

Pre-MSUA teammate of Martina Banikova at Sports High School in Kosice ... Competed together under head coach Milan Sokol ... Played in the Top 20 in Slovakian ranking in 2002 and 2003 ... In 2002, she won

the East Slovakian championship and her team place second in the

national championship ... Played in ITF tournaments, including the Presov Qualifying Draw in 2004.

PersonalDaniela Juskova was born October 1, 1986 in Kosice, Slovakia … Daughter of Juraj Jusko and Jozefa Jus-kova … Has one brother Jaroslav (24) ... Enjoys par-ticipating in karate … Enrolled in the management program at MSU.

Coach Lane on Daniela “Daniela had the best fall of her career here so I am looking to her to have a

good season.”

DANIELA JUSKOVA

JUNIOR • 2L • KOSICE, SLOVAKIA

JUSKOVA’S CAREER STATISTICSSINGLES

Season #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 Dual SEC Overall Pct.Fall 2007 - - - - - - - - 6-6 .5002006-07 0-1 1-3 0-12 - - - 1-16 0-10 3-20 .1302005-06 - - 0-5 3-2 1-5 - 4-12 1-9 11-20 .355Career 0-1 1-3 0-17 3-2 1-5 - 5-28 1-19 20-46 .303

DOUBLES Season #1 #2 #3 Dual SEC Overall Pct. Fall 2007 - - - - - 4-7 .364 2006-07 - 1-1 8-4 9-5 5-5 10-7 .588 2005-06 - - 4-9 4-9 1-6 9-17 .346 Career - 1-1 12-13 13-14 6-11 23-31 .426

MORE ON JUSKOVAFavorite Book: Angels and Demons

Teammates would say I am: funny

One thing I wishI was better at: English

Favorite thing for road trips: my mp3 player

Hobbies: music, sports, and sleeping

Favorite class at MSU: Human Resources Management

Biggest infl uence on career: my dad

Must see TV: Friends

Sequel to what movie: The Bodygaurd

Favorite non-tennis athlete: Michael Ballack

Favorite pro team: Manchester United

Country like to visit: Australia

Biggest pet peeve: insincere people

Goals for team: to make postseason

PLAYERS

18

Second-year European standout hailing from the Russian capital city of Moscow ... One of six Europeans on the squad ... Posted the team’s biggest improvement from last year ... Former-ly ranked among the top 30 Russian players in the under-18 division.

Fall 2007Tied for fi rst on the team with eight singles wins (8-4) ... Had the highest singles win-ning percentage on the team (.667) ... Also led the team in doubles victories with seven (7-6) ... After consecutive wins, made it to the quarterfi nals of the silver draw at the Ole Miss Fall Classic ... Also posted two separate, three-game winning streaks in singles play ... Paired up with fellow Lady Bulldog Elna de Villiers for four wins and a spot in the fi nals of the White Draw at the Roberta Alison Fall Tournament in Tuscaloosa, Ala. ... Also posted doubles wins with teammates Tatiana Feit and DeAndra Sad-dler

2006-07 (Freshman)Second on the team in doubles wins with 11 (11-20) ... Also placed fourth on the team with 10 singles wins (10-16) ... Undefeated in tiebreaker action … Began the fall season by notching a pair of singles triumphs in the Green Draw of the Roberta Alison Fall Classic … Also claimed a consolation singles win during the Hoosier

Classic … Played singles mostly at the No. 5 and 6 positions ... Paired with Martina Ban-ikova to win three straight doubles matches in advancing to the Flight 1 fi nals at the Hoosier Classic … Also with Banikova, the pair defeated the 20th-ranked tandem of Haney/Koning of

Auburn ... Played the entire doubles season at the No. 1 position with Banikova.

Pre-MSUDuring her junior tournament experi-ence, she garnered fi ve championship

titles ... Her fi rst title came in 2002 at the National Rus-sian Tournament (U16) where she placed fi rst in

both singles and doubles ... One of three represen-

tatives from Russia selected to compete in team tournament in Moscow where the team earned silver honors ... Ranked in the top 30 of Russia (under 18) during all tournament play ... Played at High School 150 in Moscow, Russia, for head

coach Sergey Pashkov ... Also competed in dance.

PersonalValeriya Vasil’evna Makarycheva was born Jan-uary 4, 1989 in Moscow, Russia ... Daughter of Marina Makarycheva and step father Sergey Natroshvilli ... Majoring in general business ad-ministration.

Coach Lane on Valeriya “She is without a doubt the

most improved player on the team. I have seen a lot

of growth and development both on and off the court.”

VALERIYA MAKARYCHEVA

SOPHOMORE • 1L • MOSCOW, RUSSIA

MAKARYCHEVA’S CAREER STATISTICSSINGLES

Season #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 Dual SEC Overall Pct.Fall 2007 - - - - - - - - 8-4 .6672006-07 - - - - 4-2 1-5 5-7 1-5 10-16 .385Career - - - - 4-2 1-5 5-7 1-5 18-20 .474

DOUBLES Season #1 #2 #3 Dual SEC Overall Pct. Fall 2007 - - - - - 7-6 .538 2006-07 4-10 - 0-1 4-11 2-8 11-20 .355 Career 4-10 - 0-1 4-11 2-8 18-26 .409

MORE ON MAKARYCHEVAFavorite food: Russian and Chinese food

Favorite thing for roadtrips: mp3 player

Superstitions: put same clothes on

Cover of what magazine: Forbes

Biggest fear: to lose loved ones

One possesion to keep if I lose everything: credit card

Favorite sport other than tennis: soccer

Favorite class at MSU: Public Speaking

Who inspires me: family and friends

Words to describe my play: aggressive, fast

Favorite pro tennis player: Marat Safi n

Country like to visit: China

Favorite thing about playing for State: I love this place and the people around me

PLAYERS

19

Coach Lane on DeAndra “DeAndra is someone who likes to come forward so we look forward to her making

an impact this season.”

Talented sophomore netter from the Georgia high school ranks ... Started the fall campaign late due hip surgery recovery ... One of two lefties on the squad ... Formerly ranked among the top 30 recruits in the Southeast region.

Fall 2007Went 2-3 in doubles during a recov-ery fall season to begin her sopho-more season ... Due to Injury, did not play in singles competition but competed well in doubles by winning two of her fi rst three matches with teammate Valeriya Makary-cheva ... Finished sixth on the team in doubles win-ning percentage with a .400 (2-3) record.

2006-07 (Freshman)Went 5-13 in singles and 4-15 in doubles during an injury-plagued season to be-gin her MSU career … Played most of the season at the No. 5 singles posi-tion ... Notched a three-set victory over Samford’s Katie McMiller in consolation singles play at the Roberta Alison Fall Classic … Teamed with Valeriya Makarycheva to earn a victory in her collegiate doubles debut in the Black Draw of the fall-opening Roberta Alison Fall Classic ... Posted a road win at UAB from the No. 2 doubles po-sition with teammate Elna de Villiers .. Played most of the spring season at the No. 2 doubles position with fellow Lady Bulldog de Villiers ... Finished the season with a break-even 3-3 re-cord at home.

Pre-MSUFour-year letterwinner for coaches Megan Koch (2006) and Chrissie Bolt (2003-05) at Chatta-hoochee High School in Alpharetta, Ga … Lost only seven matches during her four years of prep tennis competition, helping lead the Cou-

gars to Georgia’s Class 5A state champi-onship as a freshman (2003) and a state runner-up fi nish as a junior (2005) …

Ranked among the top 70 re-cruits nationally, top 30 in the Southeast region and top 10 within the state of Georgia by the United States Tennis Associa-tion … Collected hon-orable mention all-area accolades by the Atlanta Journal- Constitution

newspaper as a senior … Named team MVP and was the recipient of the 2005-06 Cougar

Award as selected by her team-mates … Chosen as a senior leader for Chattahoochee’s Student Council … Member of the DECA business club and Fellowship of Christian Athletes at CHS, while also

volunteering her services to the local Special Olympics.

PersonalDeAndra Janelle Saddler was born June 30, 1988 in Hackensack, New Jersey ... Daughter of Hawthrone and Dorothea Saddler ... Has two siblings Kamilah (29) and Jared (18) ... Majoring in communication.

DEANDRA SADDLER

SOPHOMORE • 1L • ALPHARETTA, GEORGIA

SADDLER’S CAREER STATISTICSSINGLES

Season #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 Dual SEC Overall Pct.Fall 2007 - - - - - - - - - -2006-07 - - - 0-2 2-7 1-0 3-9 2-8 5-13 .278Career - - - 0-2 2-7 1-0 3-9 2-8 5-13 .278

DOUBLES Season #1 #2 #3 Dual SEC Overall Pct. Fall 2007 - - - - - 2-3 .400 2006-07 0-2 3-9 - 3-11 1-9 4-15 .211 Career 0-2 3-9 - 3-11 1-9 6-18 .250

MORE ON SADDLERFavorite book: A Bend in the Road

Favorite author: Nicholas Sparks

Favorite food: Chicken Fingers

Pre-match rituals: ipod and hang out with Renée

Favorite CD: Kanye West

Must see TV: How I Met Your Mother

One thing I wish I was better at: Art

Secret Ambition: to be an artist

Favorite quote: “Take too many pictures, laugh too much.”

Teammates would say I am: outgoing

Superstitions: Black Cat

Country like to visit: Namibia

Team you would like to see added to the Schedule: Southern California

Tennis role model: Martina Hingis

PLAYERS

20

Coach Lane on Radka “Radka is a solid baseliner who is going to add to the depth of the program. She is going to help us in both

the singles and doubles line-ups.”

RADKA FERANCOVA SOPHOMORE • TRLUCENEC, SLOVAKIA

First-year transfer from Temple University ... One of six European players on the squad ... Earned her fi rst eight victories for the Ma-roon and White this fall... Third last season in the Atlantic 10 with 24 singles wins and 24 doubles wins

Fall 2007Tied for second on the team with six doubles wins (6-8 record) dur-ing the fall ... Compiled a 3-8 singles mark ... Won four straight doubles matches with teammate Martina Banikova ... Posted two doubles wins with teammate Elna de Villiers.

Pre-MSUBegan collegiate career with Tem-ple University in the Atlantic 10 Conference ... Finished her fresh-man year at Temple with a 24-5 record in singles and a 24-8 record in doubles ... Semifi nalist in Slovak Junior Championship under 16 in singles and fi nalist in doubles.

PersonalRadka Ferancova was born April 25, 1987, in Lucenec, Slovakia ... The daughter of Ivica Ferancova and Jaroslav Feranec ... Has one sibling Petra (15) ... Majoring in sommunication with an emphasis in broadcasting.

Coach Lane on Elizabeth “We are really excited

about Elizabeth joining our program. I believe that by Elizabeth being with the program on a daily basis

and training with her peers will give her the opportunity

for great improvement.”

FERANCOVA’S CAREER STATISTICSSINGLES

Season #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 Dual Conf. Overall Pct.Fall 2007 - - - - - - - - 2-8 .2002006-07* - 4-1 12-2 - - - 16-3 7-1 24-5 .828Career - 4-1 12-2 - - - 16-3 7-1 26-13 .667

DOUBLES Season #1 #2 #3 Dual Conf. Overall Pct. Fall 2007 - - - - - 6-8 .429 2006-07* 2-1 14-3 - 16-4 6-3 24-8 .750 Career 2-1 14-3 - 16-4 6-3 30-16 .652

* - 2006-07 from Temple and the Atlantic 10 conference

ELIZABETH HALL FRESHMAN • HSEUPORA, MISSISSIPPI

Talented freshman netter from Eupora, Miss. ... Graduated from New Summit Online School a se-mester early to join the MSU Lady Bulldogs ... Youngest member on the State squad ... Formerly ranked among the top fi ve players in Mississippi.

Pre-MSUHas been under the guidance of former Mississippi State assistant coach Michael Metz for the past several years ... Part of the 2007 Southern Junior Cup Girl’s 18

Team ... Ranked as the fi fth-best player in the state of Mississippi by TennisRecruiting.net ... Par-ticipated in the USTA Zone Team Championships Southeast in Win-ston-Salem, N.C., as a sophomore in high school.

PersonalElizabeth Jane Hall was born April 27, 1990, in Starkville, Miss. ... The daughter of Dan and Amy Hall ... Currently enrolled in pre-major studies at MSU.

MORE ON FERANCOVAFavorite author: Raymond A. Moody

Favorite food: My Grandmother’s cakes

In 10 years, I will: Have my own family

Supernatural ability to have: Ability to treat diseases

Actress to play me in a movie about my life: Meg Ryan

Biggest fear: to be lonely

Team you would like to see added to the schedule: Temple University

Biggest infl uence on athletic career: my parents

Tennis role model: Kim Clijsters

Favorite pro team: Slovak National Hockey Team

MORE ON HALLMust see TV: Grey’s Anatomy

Biggest fear: the unknown

Favorite book: Pride and Prejudice

Hobbies: Snow and Water Skiing

Country I would love to visit: France

Favorite person ever: PD

PLAYERS

21

2007 Fall SinglesName Tourn. All Pct. Stk.Martina Banikova 3-4 3-4 .429 L1Elna de Villiers 4-5 4-5 .444 W1Radka Ferancova 2-8 2-8 .200 L6Tatiana Feit 2-9 2-9 .182 L2Renée Joseph 8-5 8-5 .615 L1Daniela Juskova 6-6 6-6 .500 L4Valeriya Makarycheva 8-4 8-4 .667 W3DeAndra Saddler - - - -Team Totals 33-41 33-41 .446 -

THREE SETTERS/TIEBREAKERS THREE TIEPLAYER SETS BREAKSMartina Banikova - -Elna de Villiers 3-1 1-0Tatiana Feit 0-3 0-2Radka Ferancova 0-3 -Renée Joseph 3-1 3-4Daniela Juskova - 0-1Valeriya Makarycheva 2-0 1-1DeAndra Saddler - -TEAM TOTALS 8-8 5-8

Mississippi State welcomed one newcomer (Rad-ka Ferancova) to the 2007-2008 squad.

The Lady Bulldogs were led by sophomore Valeriya Makarycheva in both singles and dou-bles competition. She recorded eight singles victories throughout four fall tournaments.

Makarycheva fi nished the fall campaign with a team-best .667 singles percentage (8-4) and second on the team with a .538 doubles percentage (7-6).

Makarycheva closed out the fall season by winning her last three matches at the SEC Fall Coaches Classic in Auburn, Ala.

Renée Joseph started her senior season by winning her fi rst fi ve matches and claiming the White Draw at the Ole Miss Fall Classic in Oxford, Miss.

•

•

•

•

•

• Joseph also posted singles victories against the 17th-rated (Megan Alexander, Fla.) and 51st-rated (Yvette Hyndman, Ga.) players in the nation.

• In doubles action, Makarycheva led the team in wins (7), while Martina Banikova led the team in percent age (.571).

• The duo of Elna de Villiers and Makarycheva notched a 4-2 record during competition in only two events,

highlighted by a trip to the fi nals of the White Draw at the Roberta Alison Fall Classic in Tus-caloosa, Ala.

• The tandem of Daniela Juskova and Joseph went 3-0 and claimed the Gold Draw at the Ro-berta Alison Fall Classic in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

• Head Coach Tracy Lane began her 12th season at the helm of the Lady Bulldogs tennis team during the 2007 fall campaign.

2007 Fall Recap

2007 Fall DoublesName Tourn. All Pct. Stk.Banikova/Ferancova 4-3 4-3 .571 L2de Villiers/Ferancova 2-4 2-4 .333 L3de Villiers/Makarycheva 4-2 4-2 .667 L1de Villiers/Juskova 0-1 0-1 .000 L1Feit/Makarycheva 1-1 1-1 .500 L1Ferancova/Joseph 0-1 0-1 .000 L1Joseph/Juskova 4-6 4-6 .400 L4Makarycheva/Saddler 2-3 2-3 .400 L2Team Totals 17-21 17-21 .447 -

INDIVIDUAL DOUBLES RECORDSPLAYER RECORD PCT.Martina Banikova 4-3 .571Elna de Villiers 6-7 .462Tatiana Feit 1-1 .500Radka Ferancova 6-8 .429Renée Joseph 4-7 .364Daniela Juskova 4-7 .364Valeriya Makarycheva 7-6 .538DeAndra Saddler 2-3 .400TOTALS 34-42 .447

SophomoreValeriya Makarycheva

2007 FALL REVIEW