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NewsvineAfter rebounding from a streak-breaking loss, the top-ranked Stanford women’s tennis team has won its last four straight. With a pair of wins at No. 3 singles in matches against No. 22 Arizona State and No. 46 Arizona last week, sophomore Jessica Nguyen has been tabbed the Pacific-10 Conference Player of the Week.
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Ranked fourth in the nation, Nguyen has a team-best record of 17-4 this season and has not yet lost in dual-meet action.
In a 4-3 conference match against the Sun Devils in which every win counted, Nguyen won her match 6-2, 6-3 to help clinch the team victory. She followed that performance with a near-shutout against the Wildcats. Kasia Jakowlew managed to take only one game off the Cardinal ace in the 6-0, 6-1 match.
Playing at No. 2 doubles with junior Lejla Hodzic, Nguyen notched a third win on the weekend with an 8-6 decision at Arizona. Nguyen and Hodzic had lost to the Sun Devils in a dual match that saw ASU sweep the doubles.
Nguyen is the second Stanford player to be honored by the Pac-10 this season. Senior Theresa Logar won the first weekly award of the season earlier this month.
Penna named Pitcher of the Week
With four wins and three shutouts in tournament play this weekend, sophomore Missy Penna has been named the Pac-10 Softball Pitcher of the Week. Playing in front of a hometown crowd, the Florida native helped the No. 8 Cardinal sweep through the FIU/Adidas Invitational, and extend its winning streak to 12.
Penna fanned 14 and gave up only two hits in the tournament opener against the home team, hurling the full seven innings. The next day, she struck out three in the first three innings of Stanford’s 10-0 win over Texas State, notching another win and another shutout. At the plate, Penna hit 1-for-2 with a run scored and a pair of RBI.
Penna’s one-hitter complete game against Purdue helped the Cardinal to victory once again, with one run (scored by Penna) deciding the winner. She got a chance to rest as junior Becky McCullough was in the circle in a 9-2 win over Syracuse, but was back in action in the final game of the weekend against Marist.
Penna threw a second one-hitter, striking out 13, as Stanford claimed the tournament championship and the sophomore was rewarded with MVP honors.
In 23.1 innings in the circle, Penna gave up only six hits and three walks while notching 38 strikeouts. In the batters box, she hit 2-for-10 with two runs, two hits and two RBI.
Already this season, she has amassed a 10-1 record and a 0.86 ERA, holding opposing batters to .123 hitting.
Penna and the Cardinal will be back in action this weekend at the Worth Classic in Fullerton, Calif.