Griffin and Bittles Prepare for NCAAs
6/21/1999 8:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
May 17, 1999
COLLEGE PARK, Md. --Just two days after learning that it had been selected to replace Alabama State in the NCAA Tournament, the No. 41 University of Maryland women's tennis team was defeated in the first round by fourth seeded and No. 5 ranked University of Mississippi, 5-0, on Saturday at the Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center. In the top spot, Agnes Muzamel won in straight sets over senior Meg Griffin (Topeka, Kan.), 6-2, 6-1, and Ivona Mihailova gained a 6-1, 6-0 win over junior Lorraine Bittles (Nashville, Tenn.) at No. 2 singles. The Lady Rebels also won at both the No. 5 and 6 slots to gain a quick 4-0 start. At No. 4, Mississippi's Courtenay Chapman came back to win each of her first two sets to seal the victory. The Alabama State Hornets dropped out on Thursday because they do not have enough players available to compete.
GRIFFIN & BITTLES LOOK TO MAKE STATEMENT FOR MARYLAND, ACC IN TOURNEY
Meg Griffin was selected for the NCAA singles tournament and will join Lorraine Bittles for their second consecutive doubles appearance. Individually, Griffin, who is 20-5, becomes the third Maryland women's tennis player to qualify for singles. Jeri Ingram, in 1989, and Claudia Borgiani, in 1985, reached postseason play after both were ACC No. 1 singles champs. Griffin and Bittles, currently No. 20, have been ranked for the last two years and have a 19-11 record so far this season.
GRIFFIN EARNS SECOND ALL-ACC SELECTION
Meg Griffin has been named to the All-Atlantic Coast Conference women's tennis team for the second straight season. Playing in both the No. 1 singles and doubles spots for the Terps, she is currently ranked third in the East Region individually and first for doubles. Dukeis Vanessa Webb was named conference player of the year for the second consecutive season and Wake Forestis Janet Bergman earned rookie of the year accolades.
MARYLAND COACH JIM LAITTA
In his ninth season, Jim Laitta (Eastern Kentucky '89) has taken what once was an underfunded program onto the national tennis scene. He has led the Terps to the schoolis first two NCAA appearances as well as finishes in the top half of the conference for the past few years. In 1996, he was named both ACC and NCAA Region I Coach of the Year by his peers. Before Maryland, he was the head women's coach at Mississippi State University. While there, the program finished in the national Top 20 and captured an NCAA doubles championship. Laitta played collegiately at Eastern Kentucky University where he was team captain and played No. 1 singles and doubles.
Maryland in the Postseason
1978: AIAW First Round
Miami (Fla.) 7, Maryland 2
1996: NCAA First Round
Cornell 5, Maryland 2
1998: NCAA First Round
Kentucky 5, Maryland 3
1998-99 MARYLAND RECORDS
ALL MATCHES ACC MATCHES
Name Fall Spr. No. 1 No. 2 No. 3 No. 4 No. 5 No. 6 No. 1 No. 2 No. 3 No. 4 No. 5 No. 6 Overall
M. Griffin 8-7 12-9 3-6 20-16
L. Bittles 7-8 10-7 1-2 0-1 4-4 0-1 18-18
S. Walkowitz 8-6 3-3 10-4 0-1 4-3 21-13
C. Terrill 7-6 0-1 11-8 2-6 18-15
T. Ivanisevic 0-1 0-1 0-1 0-1
A. Pavelko 4-7 5-14 0-2 1-7 0-1 9-23
C. Perkins 4-4 0-2 13-6 0-1 4-3 17-12
Name Fall Spring No. 1 No. 2 No. 3 No. 1 No. 2 No. 3 Overall
M. Griffin/L. Bittles 7-6 12-5 3-5 19-11
S. Walkowitz/C. Terrill 4-5 13-3 5-2 17-8
A. Pavelko/C. Perkins 0-0 10-8 3-5 9-7
M. Griffin/C. Terrill 0-0 0-1 0-1
