THIS WEEK -- The University of Portland women’s tennis team (6-9 overall in 2000) will look to build off of a solid victory against Sacramento State this weekend when the Pilots compete in 12-team UC Irvine Invitational beginning on Saturday (March 25) and running through Tuesday (March 28).

Other teams competing in this week’s tournament: Louisiana-Monroe, Cal State Fullerton, New Mexico State, Northern Arizona, Idaho, San Jose State, Air Force, Westmont College, Santa Clara, Cal Poly, and host UC Irvine. The Anteaters are the only ranked team in the field, standing at No. 56 at of the March 22 ITA rankings.

PERKINS POWERS INTO NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT -- Sophomore Courtney Perkins became the first nationally-ranked women’s teannis player in Pilot history last week, tying Arizona State’s Karin Palme for No. 70 on the list in the March 15 ITA women’s singles rankings.

She posted a 3-1 record during the Pilots’ recent trip to Hawai’i, with her lone loss coming against Petra Gaspar of BYU-Hawai’i, 6-3, 6-3. Gaspar is ranked No. 1 in the nation in Division II women’s tennis and the Seasiders are the top-ranked team in Division II.

Perkins rebounded to post wins over Hawaii’s Nina Wenger (4-6, 6-4, 7-5), Oklahoma’s Viviana Mracnova (6-7, 6-3, 6-3), and Sacramento State’s Marta Gronowicz (6-1, 6-2). She improved to 12-3 overall this season and 9-1 against regional opponents. Perkins has won her last three matches and 10 of her last 11.

Two of her victories this year came against ranked-opponents to help propel her into the top 100. She defeated Oregon’s Alina Wygonowska (#61 at the time), 7-6, 2-6, 6-4, and Pacific’s Susanne Bertel (#82 at the time), 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.

HAWAI’I NOT HOSPITABLE FOR PILOTS -- Sun, sand, surf, and tennis were on the slate last week during Portland’s spring break trip to Hawai’i, but the opposition carried just a little too much firepower as the Pilots posted a 1-3 record during their trip to the islands.

Portland’s lone victory came against Sacramento State, a 5-4 win on the last day of competition in Honolulu. The Pilots and Hornets split the six singles matches to open play, but Portland proved to be too much in doubles play as the Pilots won two of three to clinch the match.

Courtney Perkins, Samantha Kluger, and Yenny Njoo posted singles victories while the team of Perkins and Jana Jusapovic along with the duo of Kluger and Njoo clinched doubles wins for Portland.

Portland opened the trip with a shutout loss to Division II BYU-Hawaii, 9-0. It was the Pilots’ first shutout in 34 matches, dating back to the 1998 West Coast Conference Championships when Pepperdine sank Portland, 9-0, in the second round.

Things didn’t get much easier for the Pilots, falling to host Hawaii, 7-2, on the second day of play in Hononlulu. Perkins defeated the Rainbows’ Nina Wenger in three sets for one of Portland’s points, while Perkins and Jusapovic won at No. 1 doubles by default when Wenger could not play because of an injury to her back.

It was a little bit of a homecoming on day three as Pilot head coach Susie Campbell-Gross faced her alma mater in Oklahoma. However, it was not as friendly as Campbell-Gross might have expected as the Sooners ran off with a, 7-1, victory.

KLUGER KLUBBING THE OPPOSITION -- Junior Samantha Kluger, who is on the verge of breaking into the Pilot record books for career victories, is experiencing a resurgance in the second half of the season. She began the season winning just once in 10 matches, but has gone on to win eight of her last 11 matches. She is 9-13 overall this season and 8-7 in dual matches, which is good for the second-best record on the team. She has split time between No. 3 and No. 6 singles, posting a 4-6 record at No. 3 and a 3-1 record at No. 6.

Kluger now has 42 career singles victories, which puts her just six wins away from the No. 10 spot on the all-time list. She also has 33 dual match victories, which puts her tied for No. 8 on the all-time dual match wins list, just four victories behind Joelle Etue (1990-92) for No. 6.

MISSING IT BY THIS MUCH -- Of the Pilots’ nine losses this season, three of those have come by just one point in 5-4 losses. Portland has needed just one victory in matches against Long Beach State, Boise State, and Saint Mary’s. The Pilots have also teetered on the edge of defeat in three victories this season, defeating Idaho, Santa Clara, and Sacramento State by scores of, 5-4.

ALSO MOVING UP THE LADDER ... -- Sophomore Jana Jusapovic is also moving up the Pilot all-time lists in only her second year at The Bluff. To date, Jusapovic has 21 dual match wins (10 wins out of tenth place) and 29 career wins to her name, which puts her 19 wins out of tenth on the career wins list.

DOUBLING THEIR PLEASURE -- Thanks to various injuries to the Portland squad, sophomore’s Courtney Perkins and Jana Jusapovic have come together to become a force in doubles play for the Pilots in the second half of the season.

The duo is 5-2 overall this season and 4-1 against regional opponents in 2000. They have won two straight matches and have posted a team-best three match winning streak this season.