June 5, 2008

Complete Release in PDF Format

SKILLMAN, N.J. - The Marshall University women's tennis team ended the 2008 season as the nation's 45th-ranked and No. 4 East Regional squad, as announced by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. The Thundering Herd also earned a spot to compete in the 2009 ITA National Team Indoor Championships.

"It was a successful year with first-time victories over traditional programs such as Virginia and Louisville," Marshall's Head Coach John Mercer said.

The final 2008 team rankings became the highest in program history. In April 2004, Marshall reached 46th while earning the No. 6 East Regional mark in both 2005 and 2007.

The Thundering Herd finished the 2008 season 17-9 with a Conference USA runner-up finish behind 34th-ranked Tulsa.

Marshall's Kellie Schmitt (Pittsburgh, Pa.) concluded her 2008 singles season 23-4 at the number one position with her second consecutive C-USA Player of the Year and All-Conference First Team honors and as the ITA's East Regional Player-to-Watch. The junior ended the year as the highest C-USA singles player at No. 55 and also the number three East Regional singles player.

Schmitt garnered three C-USA Player of the Week awards this spring and earned the 2007 October Player of the Month.

In May, Schmitt was the first in Marshall Women's tennis history to advance to the 2008 NCAA Singles Second Round, but fell to then 12th-ranked Megan Moulton-Levy from William and Mary.

The Herd's Karolina Soor (Lindesberg, Sweden) finished the spring season 12-11, playing the number two and three mark and stands as the No. 21 East Regional singles player.

The junior was recognized as the final 2008 C-USA Player of the Week (4/16), which was the first of her career. Soor was selected to the C-USA All-Conference Second Team for the second year. In academics, Soor made the 2007-08 C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll.

"I am proud of Kellie and Karolina for their accomplishments this year and will be great to have them back for one more year," Coach Mercer continued.

The junior pair of Schmitt and Soor completed the 2008 spring season 19-4 and as the highest C-USA doubles team at 29th. The duo also took the No. 2 East Regional rank behind William and Mary's Moulton-Levy and Katarina Zoricic (8th).

The Herd's doubles team were selected as one of three C-USA All-Conference Doubles Teams and honored as the Outstanding Doubles Team of the C-USA Championship.

Schmitt and Soor was the only C-USA doubles team representative competing in the 2008 NCAA Doubles Competition. The pair fell to top seeded and 7th-ranked duo of Amanda Granson and Melissa Mang from Duke University, in the NCAA Doubles First Round.

This year was the first time in women's tennis program history both a singles player and doubles team competed for Marshall at a NCAA tournament.

"We have great players returning and coming in," Coach Mercer added. "We look forward to the upcoming season."