ZAPLETAL NAMED WAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Fresno State’s Marko Zapletal has been named the Verizon Wireless Western Athletic Conference Tennis Player of the Week for March 8-14. This is his first honor of the season and third of his career.
A senior from Trebin, Czech Republic, Zapletal clinched the match for the Bulldogs, with a 6-4, 6-4 triumph over New Mexico’s Ben Dunbar at the No. 1 spot to give the Bulldogs three-straight wins against Mountain West Conference opponents. He also picked up a doubles victory in the No. 2 position with Taylor Leiby by defeating the Lobos’ Carl Ho and Joe Wood, 8-5.
Other nominees included: Boise State’s Filipp Pogostkin went 2-0 in singles and 1-1 in doubles on the week.
WAC IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
In the March 16 ITA team rankings, the WAC has five teams ranked in the top 75. Fresno State leads the way at No. 26, followed by Hawai`i at No. 57, Idaho at No. 61, Boise State at No. 71 and New Mexico State at No. 72.
Individually, the WAC has three singles players ranked in the March 16 ITA individual rankings. Leading the way at No. 41 is Boise State’s James Meredith, followed by Dennis Lajola of Hawai’i at No. 105 and Tejesvi Veerepalli of Fresno State at No. 123.
In doubles, Fresno State’s Rikus de Villiers and Remi Boutillier are the only ranked team in the WAC, coming in a No. 22.
WAC TOURNAMENT TO BE HELD IN FRESNO
The 2010 WAC Tennis Tournament will be held April 29-May 2 in Fresno, Calif., where Hawai‘i will look for its third-straight crown. Last year, the Rainbow Warriors knocked off top-seeded Boise State, 4-2.