Icing on cake for W. Tennis

The Penn women's tennis team learned this season that having several freshmen in the starting lineup does not mean that it's a rebuilding year.

For the Quakers, it meant, on the contrary, a perfect 7-0 record in Ivy League matches and the first Ivy League title in the history of the program.

And with such accomplishments came distinctions from the league's eight coaches.

Five players from the Quakers' roster were selected to the 2000-2001 All-Ivy women's tennis team.

"We won the Ivy League and... it's great to see that we get that recognition," Penn coach Michael Dowd said. "We've never had this many players getting all these awards at the same time."

At the forefront is freshman sensation Sanela Kunovac, who swept the Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year awards. The native of Bradenton, Fla., was also a unanimous first team All-Ivy singles selection and a second team All-Ivy doubles selection.

"Sanela, being our top player, dominated at No. 1 singles with the best record," Dowd said. "I knew she was good, but if you would've told me [at the beginning of the season that] she would be Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, first team All-Ivy singles and second team All-Ivy doubles, I probably thought that would've been shooting a little high."

Kunovac modestly credited her parents with the success she's achieved thus far in tennis, and more generally, in life.

"If I am successful right now, that's because my parents taught me and raised me well," Kunovac said. "The work ethic and wisdom they taught me is something that makes me work hard, keep my focus and see things from different perspectives, which at the end helps me accomplish things."

Also garnering first team accolades were junior Rochelle Raiss and freshman Rachel Shweky for their doubles play.

The Quakers' duo at No. 1 doubles posted a 5-2 record in Ivy League competition this season.

Making the second team for their singles efforts were senior Shubba Srinivasan and freshman Niki Ptak.

Ptak also teamed up with Kunovac to earn a second team All-Ivy distinction for her play at No. 2 doubles for Penn.

So the Quakers will return next season -- decorated with distinctions -- as the defending Ivy League Champions for the first time in school history.

And after posting a 17-7 overall record during the 2000-2001 season and upsetting No. 19 Pepperdine in its first ever trip to Nationals, Penn will also return with higher expectations and hopes.

"We are going to work hard to defend our Ivy title, put ourselves in the position to defeat some top nationally-ranked teams and try to establish an even better national ranking," Kunovac said. "We are currently No. 42 in the nation -- the best ever for Penn -- but we are going to shoot even higher."

Dowd echoed the sentiments of his best player.

"Our goal is always to win the Ivy League Championship," Dowd said. "Last year our goal of winning the Ivy League Championship was coupled with making NCAAs. But now [that we've won a round], our goal is to do something at NCAAs.

"[Next year] I would say our goal is to make the Sweet 16."

And despite another year with a young roster, the Quakers will be quick to point out that those goals aren't unrealistic at all.

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