Jan. 14, 2009
Norfolk, Va. - The Old Dominion University women's tennis team will begin its spring campaign on Saturday at the Folkes-Stevens Indoor Tennis Center with a doubleheader against Liberty at 3 p.m. and Norfolk State at 8 p.m.
The Lady Monarchs are coming off of a 14-10 season in which they posted a mark of 3-2 in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA). They return four letterwinners from last year's squad, led by senior Charleen Haarhoff and a pair of talented sophomores in Nadine Fahoum and Joanna Dobrowolska.
Haarhoff, ranked 88th nationally by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA), was a first team All-CAA selection in both singles and doubles last season, playing primarily at the No. 1 position. She posted an overall singles record of 18-15, including 14 straight set victories. This fall Haarhoff registered a mark of 7-4, opening with a three-set victory over preseason ranked No. 40 Gina Schofield of South Carolina.
Fahoum was the CAA Co-Rookie of the Year as a freshman, and a member of the All-CAA second team for her performance in singles play. Joining the team for the spring semester, she went on to post a singles mark of 20-2, playing primarily at the No. 2 position where she was 11-1. Fahoum opened with an 11-match winning streak last season and won in straight sets on 16 occasions.
Joanna Dobrowolska began playing at the No. 5 singles position for the Lady Monarchs a year ago, but quickly made her way towards the top of the lineup, eventually settling in at No. 3 for ODU. She won her first nine matches, posted 13 straight set victories and finished with a record of 18-5 in dual matches.
In doubles action, Haarhoff and Fahoum turned in an outstanding fall campaign going 14-4 with a 12-match winning streak, earning them their current No. 40 ranking by the ITA. The duo captured the ITA East Regional championship, defeating two of the top three seeds in the process, to advance to the National Indoor Championships in Charlottesville. Last season the Lady Monarch tandem posted a 15-5 mark at the No. 1 doubles position, earning both players first team All-CAA honors.