DePaul University Athletics
Four Blue Demons Named to All-ConferenceTeam
4/23/2009 12:00:00 AM | WOMEN'S TENNIS
CHICAGO - Dunja Antunovic, Anna Redecsi, Selma Salkovic, and Katarina Milinkovc of the No. 48 DePaul women's tennis team were named to the 2009 BIG EAST Conference All-Tournament team. All four Blue Demons are among 14 players recognized for outstanding play at last weekend's BIG EAST Championship in Tampa, Fla. In addition, head coach Mark Ardizzone was named Women's Tennis Coach of the Year after leading the squad to a program-high second place finish in the league.
The No. 2 seed DePaul breezed quickly through the tournament, defeating Syracuse and Louisville 4-0 on their way to the championship match against No. 4 Notre Dame. Antunovic, a three-time all-conference selection, picked up two straight-set wins in the quarterfinals and semifinals before suffering a three-set loss to the eventual BIG EAST Women's Tennis Player of the Year, Kelcy Tefft. Antunovic ends her season with a 26-12 singles record and her impressive career as a Blue Demon with 97 victories.
Junior Redecsi went undefeated in singles action, notably picking up her second win of the season against No. 37-ranked Kristy Frilling of Notre Dame. She and doubles partner Salkovic went 1-1 in tournament play and conclude the 2008-09 season with a team-high 21-4 record. In addition, Redecsi was named the conference's Player of the Week twice and ends the season ranked No. 94 on the ITA singles polls.
Salkovic was well on her way to singles wins against Syracuse and Louisville when DePaul clinched the team-win and play was suspended. In addition, she was named BIG EAST Player of the Week on March 11 after posting a 6-0 weekend record in both singles and doubles play. Her 32 doubles wins tallied with five different partners is a team-high.
Milinkovic ended her stellar sophomore season with an 18-singles match winning streak, including an 8-0 record against conference opponents during the dual season. She has been a dominant force for the Blue Demons all year long, having allowed an average of just 3.67 games per match en route to her 22-1 dual season record (29-7 overall).
With no finishes higher than fourth in its three years of BIG EAST Championship competition, Ardizzone has led the DePaul women's squad further than ever before. The Blue Demons captured a runner-up finish in this year's tournament after falling 5-2 against the No. 4 Notre Dame.
"I am honored to receive the Coach of the Year award, especially since it is chosen by my peers," stated Coach Ardizzone. "Although I received the award I truly believe it is a student-athlete's award and is just reflective on how well the girls performed this year. They are the ones responsible for our great season of many firsts for DePaul Tennis."
The 2009 DePaul squad re-wrote the record books, having set several new standards for Blue Demon tennis. While it has become expected that the team be a mainstay on the ITA National rankings, they went one step further to achieve a program-best No. 26 earlier this season. The Blue Demons currently sit at No. 48.
Notre Dame's Kelcy Tefft took home the women's Player of the Year honor, while teammate and doubles partner Kristy Frilling was given Freshman of the Year Accolades.
BIG EAST Women's Tennis Player of the Year
Kelcy Tefft, Notre Dame, Sr.
BIG EAST Women's Tennis Freshman of the Year
Kristy Frilling, Notre Dame, Fr.
BIG EAST Women's Tennis Coach of the Year
Mark Ardizzone, DePaul
^All-BIG EAST Women's Tennis Team
Dunja Antunovic, DePaul, Sr.
Anna Redecsi, DePaul, Jr.
Selma Salkovic, DePaul, So.
Cosmina Ciobanu, Notre Dame, Jr.
*Kristy Frilling, Notre Dame, Fr.
Shannon Mathews, Notre Dame, Fr.
*Kelcy Tefft, Notre Dame, Sr.
Amy Zhang, Rutgers, So.
Irene Rehberger, USF, So.
Bianca Gorbea, Louisville, Sr.
Katarina Milinkovic, DePaul, So.
Emily Harman, Syracuse, Fr.
Kali Krisik, Notre Dame, Jr.
Elizabeth Adams, Pittsburgh, So.
* - Unanimous Selection
^ - All-BIG EAST Women's Tennis Team contains two extra players due to a tie in voting.
