DENVER Fresno States Jelena Pandzic was named the Western Athletic Conferences womens tennis Player of the Week.
Pandzic, a freshman from Split, Croatia (Upravna Skola), had an upset win over one of the nation's top players to lead No. 21 Fresno State to a milestone victory over fourth-ranked California on Feb. 21 at the Channing Courts in Berkeley, Calif. Just a freshman playing in her fourth collegiate match, Pandzic stamped herself as a player to watch on the national scene by defeating second-ranked Raquel Kops-Jones, a Fresno native, 6-3, 6-2. Pandzic, now 4-0 on the year, was one of five Bulldogs to win the first set of their match.
The win was the first ever for a Fresno State team over California (7-2). The Bulldogs entered 0-12 all-time against the Golden Bears, which returned six starters from a team that reached the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament a year ago. It also marked the highest ranked team Fresno State has ever defeated. Not even during the 2000-01 season, when the Bulldogs reached a program-high No. 8 in the national polls, did the team defeat any opponent ranked as high as third.
OTHERS NOMINATED Traci Chong, Rice; Halley Rambally, SMU and Daniela Muscolino, Tulsa.