Women's Tennis

Women´s Tennis Shines at Doc Skogman Invitational

File Photo (Antonio Morano Photography)

SEGUIN, Texas — The St. Mary’s women’s tennis team recently had an opportunity to work out its revamped roster at the Third Annual Doc Skogman Invitational, where the Rattlers were one of 16 schools competing.

The Rattlers’ 10 rackets this season house six new ones with three freshmen, two sophomores and one junior all new to St. Mary’s this season. The two-day tournament held at Texas Lutheran University saw five Rattlers competing, including returning players Valentine Lambrechts (Jr., Andenne, Belgium), Elisha Bryant (Sr., Plano, Texas), Anita Qureshi (Jr., San Antonio) and new players Joanie Bryant (Fr., San Antonio) and Jessa Boertje (Fr., New Braunfels, Texas).

Lambrechts held down the top seed for St. Mary’s, competing in the Women’s A Singles. Lambrechts fell across conferences to Lone Star conference competitor Mariaxi Hererra of Texas A&M University-Kingsville in the quarterfinals, bumping her to the consolation bracket. There, Lambrechts bowed to Temple College 6-3, 6-3 in the semis.

Newbie Joanie Bryant was next in the bracket order for the Rattlers in Women’s B Singles. Bryant shut down the University of the Southwest in the quarterfinals 6-0, 6-1 before the University of Texas-Permian Basin just escaped Bryant, advancing to the finals with a 7-6, 7-5 victory.

Elisha Bryant also fell in the semifinals as her counterpart J. Bryant in the Women’s D Singles. Bryant won out against Heartland Conference rival Katherine Sullivan of St. Edward’s University with a 6-3, 7-6 victory in the quarterfinals before falling in the semis 6-3, 6-3 to Midwestern State’s Kynzee Watson, who would go on to win the championship.

Rattler Qureshi also saw the semifinals in the Women’s E Singles bracket. It was all Heartland Conference for Qureshi, as she beat out provisional conference member McMurry University in the quarterfinals 6-3, 7-6 before rival St. Edward’s topped her in the semis 6-1, 6-3.

In the Women’s F Singles, Boertje nearly won the consolation championship for the Rattlers. LaTourneau University took Boertje 6-2, 6-0 in the quarterfinals before she bounced back to defeat Temple College 6-4, 6-2. In the consolation finals, Boertje saw another glance at rival St. Edward’s, as Hesseltine claimed the championship.

Lambrechts and J. Bryant saw another round of action, competing together in the Women’s A Doubles. North Central Texas College upheld the Rattlers in the quarterfinals, moving the freshman/junior duo to the consolation semifinals. There, Lambrechts and Bryant saw the conference’s University of Texas-Permian Basin take the round 8-5 over the Rattlers.

In St. Mary’s final competition for the tournament, Qureshi and E. Bryant also saw the consolation bracket, just missing the championship. After falling to Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Quershi and Bryant trumped the University of the Southwest in the semis 8-2, advancing to the finals. Our Lady of the University snatched the championship over the Rattlers by a walkover.

The Rattlers’ time at the Third Annual Doc Skogman tournament gives focus to their season ahead as well as a look at what some of their new and returning members can do.

St. Mary’s University, as a Catholic Marianist University, fosters the formation of people in faith and educates leaders for the common good through community service, integrated liberal arts and professional education, and academic excellence. The University has six athletic national titles: men’s basketball (1989–NAIA), baseball (2001–NCAA Div. II), softball (1986–NAIA and 2002–NCAA Div. II) and an individual national champion in men’s golf (2006–NCAA Div. II) and a national academic championship in men’s golf (2009–NCAA Div. II). St. Mary’s also had more than 40 percent of its athletes named to conference, regional and/or national honor rolls this past year. St. Mary’s student–athletes graduation rate is 65 percent, higher than the NCAA Division II average of 55 percent. To learn more about St. Mary's, visit www.stmarytx.edu/athletics.

    

Coaching Staff

Head Coach Lisa Dausin

Lisa Dausin took over the St. Mary's tennis program last season after spending the past 31 years moving up the ranks in the Northside Independent School District. And she wasted little time making her impact felt on the Rattlers.

As the head coach for both the St. Mary's men's and women's tennis teams, Dausin found success through each. She made quick work of the talent on the women's squad in her first season, improving their record from 5-16 in the 2010 season to 10-16 last season. Dausin had the Rattlers face both nationally and regionally ranked teams to strengthen her players and to prep them for Heartland Conference play, a technique that advanced the Rattlers all the way to the conference semifinals.

The women's team held a bulk of the conference's Player of the Week awards, winning four out of the six awards given out during conference play. Dausin saw two Rattlers earn All-Conference honors, including returning player Valentine Lambrechts, who also won two Player of the Week awards, and senior Angelique DeOliveira.

Entering her second season as the women's head coach after doubling their wins last season, Dausin lost four seniors but revamped the roster with a five-deep signing class that includes a Division I transfer. With her expertise, a successful second season looks within reach.

Before taking over as head coach for St. Mary's, Dausin served for 12 years as the Assistant Athletics Director for Northside ISD before returning to teaching this past school year, when she taught at Warren High School in San Antonio and coached middle-school tennis.

The first female hired in the school district's athletics office, Dausin served as an extension of the athletics director, overseeing the hiring of coaches and doing legal work pertaining to athletics personnel, among other duties.

At St. Mary's, she will look to build upon the foundation laid last season, when the men went 5-14 and the women 5-16.

Before moving into the athletics office at Northside ISD, she worked at Marshall High School, coaching tennis and assisting other sports from 1980-1994. In 1995, she became the school's Girls Coordinator.

A St. Mary's graduate, Dausin has always had tennis in her blood. She played tennis, basketball and softball at St. Mary's. She graduated in 1979 with an education degree with a teacher's certification, and went on to get her master's degree in education at Southwest Texas State in 1983. She later completed her coursework for another master's degree in counseling at Texas-San Antonio in 1998.

Born in Del Rio, she spent much of her childhood in San Antonio, graduating from McCollum High School. Dausin is married to Bryan, a football coach at Warren High School. They have two sons, Ross and Rex.

Assistant Coach Stephan Poole

Stephan Poole stepped in as St. Mary's assistant tennis coach last season, becoming head coach Lisa Dausin's right-hand man.

Poole joined the St. Mary's coaching staff with experience, playing tennis throughout and after high school. An alum of John Marshall High School in San Antonio, Poole made his way around the court, placing fourth in regionals for singles his junior year as well as qualifying for individual regionals for singles that same year. As a senior, Poole placed fourth in doubles.

With the love of tennis not of out his system by the time he graduated, Poole continued to swing his racket competitively. He played for the San Antonio 5.5 Men's League and the 4.5 Men's League, making sectionals twice.

Poole found his way to St. Mary's by way of his talent during high school, where he was coached by St. Mary's own head tennis coach, Lisa Dausin.

"She's given me the opportunity to further my career in tennis," says Poole, who will be completing his degree in exercise and sport science and soon become a St. Mary's alum like his former coach.

Having already developed an effective line of communication - plus a successful, established tennis relationship - Poole and Dausin advanced the St. Mary's tennis squads last season with improved records for both the men's and women's teams.

"I think this is the most experienced tennis coaching staff St. Mary's has had," says Poole, referring to both his and Dausin's personal experience in competitive tennis.

With tennis experience under his belt and the program taking a step in the right direction as soon as he signed on, Poole is a valuable asset to the coaching staff, bringing excitement and "making (players) remember why they started this sport."

Poole is married to Tara and they have one daughter, Madison.

2011-2012 St. Mary's Women's Tennis Roster