April 23, 2005
Santa Clara University Head coach Damon Coupe
On what he told his team after yesterday's 4-3 loss to St. Mary's College:
I just told them that it was obviously a tough loss to swallow, since we had our opportunities, but we have two more matches and we've had a great year so far. Let's go out there and win the two matches and end it on a winning note. Let's not overlook anyone we've faced and be prepared today." It took awhile throughout the day, but by the end of the day, we checked in with each other and we were ready to go. We felt confident today.
On how well the team responds to adversity:
I think that's been the one great thing about the team all year. There hasn't been one and it has always been a team effort because we've had to overcome so many obstacles. With all the injuries, we've only had six players healthy the entire year. So they just look at each other and say, "It's just another time where we have to come together and get the job done."
Jessie Strunk
On her role as team captain this year:
I think it has been a rough year because we've had so many injuries, but we've all come together as a team and proved what we could do out here. With a new coach, I think my role has been extremely important, kind of like the mediator. They come to me, I go to him and I've been working with him on leadership stuff, things for the team. I think we've grown as a team this season and I know we've all improved. It's been a good year.
On how she was able to bounce back from yesterday's loss, after being the deciding match:
Yesterday was a rough day and I've been put in that situation a lot this year at the No. 6 spot. I just couldn't do it yesterday, but when that happens, you have two options. You can get back on the horse and do it again, or you can mope about it. I think we all came together as a team and had the attitude of "Let's dot it" and we got it done today and hopefully we'll get it done tomorrow.
On whether her experience helped her bounce back from yesterday:
I think the more you do it, the easier it gets, but it's never easy. I still get nervous. You still got to really focus and no matter how many matches you play, it helps. The more you are out there, the easier it gets.
Gonzaga University
Head coach D.J. Gurule
On the performance of his team:
I think we had a couple of good matches out there, where the girls fought really hard on and it went to the wire. I think some of the scores were indicative of how well we played. I think we are coming along as a program and we are getting there. It was a tough match for us today.
On which players impressed him today:
I thought Angie [Fry], who played No. 1 played really well in the first set and then just kind of lost some focus in the last two. I thought Amanda Becker at No. 2 played really well and she's a freshman playing the second position. She really stepped up.
University of San Francisco
Head coach Hilary Somers
On her team's performance today:
I thought our whole squad stepped it up without our one and two players playing. The last time we played them, we barely won at the end and we did have our one and two players. So without them, everyone played up two spots and really stepped it up and it took the entire team to come together to do that... I was especially impressed with my No. 3 player [Joana Macedo] who stepped it up and played No. 1.
On whether or not playing singles first affected the play of her players:
No, I don't. I think it was exciting to see it come down to doubles like that because we never get to see that type of intensity on the court anymore. I thought it was exciting to see that today.
Michelle Duncan
On the team's performance today:
The overall match, the reason why we pulled it out was because we fought so hard, so hard this match. We went into the match with only five girls playing singles... We already had lost one, so we knew we had to fight for every single ball and every single point. We did, so we pulled it out.
On how she pulled out the match after losing her singles match, tying the match at 3-3:
First of all, I was so inspired. I was telling my team after my match, I lost it. I almost started crying, not because I lost, but because I was so inspired by the rest of my team and the fans, who were screaming and yelling. They were just there for us. I was ready and pumped to go back into doubles.
University of Portland
Head coach Susie Campbell Gross
On her team's performance today:
It was nothing but a great effort all the way through. Sometimes you win, sometimes you don't. I think we left it all out there and we didn't quite pull it off. We fought til the end and that's what we are here to do.
On whether or not the default was a negative on the team:
No, not at all. I just thought the match-ups were little bit different this time and they just weren't in our favor. Sometimes it's like that. It was a tough match-up day and we fought to get through it, but it just didn't happen for us today. I'm proud of the effort.
On losing two tough matches in a row:
I don't even care about the result. All I wanted was to be out there battling. That's what I wanted them to do is to get out and battle. Hopefully after two tough losses, we can still keep our confidence and our head high. All I can expect is for them to come out and give it.
Saint Mary's College
Head coach Lisa Alipaz
On the play of her team:
I give a lot of credit to Pepperdine. They are an outstanding team, very experienced, and they've been in that position many more times than we have. I felt like my girls came out and played strongly in doubles and in singles, they hung in there and fought as hard as they could. We'll go from there.
On whether or not her team overachieved based on their seeding:
I think my team has underachieved all year and we earned that spot to play Pepperdine yesterday. I don't think it was an overachievement at all. My girls came in knowing they could win and it was going to be a tough contest because Santa Clara is tough and a really competitive team, but we knew we had what it took to win.
Pepperdine University
Head coach Gualberto Escudero
On the doubles play of his team:
I told my team to be ready, especially in doubles, because I saw [Saint Mary's] play yesterday and they were feisty and moved well, at the No. 1 doubles especially. Even though we were ready for them, they still came out on top of us. They were ahead of us, 4-1, 4-2 [at No. 1] before we came back and tied it at 5-5. In the meantime, our No. 2 and No. 3 doubles did great. One of our No. 3 doubles players, Vanessa Dunlap, she hasn't gotten to play a lot this season and I'm so happy for her that she got to play with Merve Asimgil.
On the singles play of his team:
I think they came out fighting really well, as evidence to their 6-0 first set wins at No. 3 and No. 4 and 6-1 at No. 1 and No. 2. They came out ready to fight.
Eva Dickes
On her team's play today:
I think we did a really good job, especially in doubles. We started out getting the doubles point and then in singles, everyone was up in the first set and it gave everyone confidence. We just kept going in the second set and we all won our matches, so it was good.
On her team's attitude heading into tomorrow's final:
I think we are just going to start off as well as we can, get the first couple of points, get the doubles point more-or-less. In singles, nothing in particular, we just have to play our game and play the game our opponent doesn't like.
Loyola Marymount University
Head coach Jamie Sanchez
On his team's performance today:
We thought we could beat San Diego. We played them earlier in the year with a different line-up, but as you get towards the end of the year, the team that you put together after all those matches isn't the one that you put together. Even in the singles, we thought that if we lost the doubles, we could win the four points. As you could see, we were competitive all the way through. We didn't get the fourth point and San Diego did, which really puts an emphasis on the doubles point. We were really close and it made a big difference in the match because that match [No. 3] could have gone either way.... They did everything they were asked of and they did everything possible to be competitive.
University of San Diego
Assistant coach Chris Atzet
On what he thought of the team's performance:
Heart, which is what it boils down to. People are a little banged up and we just came out and fought for every point. They did a great job. Lauren Perl stepped it up two days in a row with the clinching match, but she wasn't the only one. Emma stepped up, Lauren Kazarian played very well. It was a good effort from everyone - cheering, the intensity. It started with the doubles. It got us started and it was the first step in the right direction.
On San Diego's strategy against Pepperdine heading into tomorrow's final:
I think there is a little strategy. On each court, we have the opportunity to push them around a little bit and the thing is, we have nothing to lose when we go out. We'll just go out and play our tennis.
Lauren Perl
On having to clinch the match two days in a row:
It was actually a blessing that I was put in the same position yesterday because I basically got all my nerves out yesterday and I just realized that I had to play and keep hitting the same shots that I always go for.... I just stayed positive and I wasn't nearly as nervous as yesterday because I learned from the experience.
On the doubles play of the team:
Sometimes the doubles point doesn't seem like it is that important because you have so many points to play in singles, but the doubles point is always important. It seems like it always comes down to it - they win three singles matches, we win three singles matches. Our doubles lately has gotten a lot stronger in all three teams.
