Julie Smekodub Named C-USA Athlete of the Month
Nov 5, 2003 | Women's Tennis
Nov. 5, 2003
NEW ORLEANS, La. - Conference USA named Tulane University sophomore Julie Smekodub (Brooklyn, N.Y.) as its Women's Tennis Athlete of the Month for October, the league announced on Wednesday.
Smekodub, ranked No. 23 in the nation in singles, also won the honor for the month of September.
The sophomore had an outstanding month in October, challenging for singles and doubles titles at the ITA All-American and ITA Southwest Regional.
At the ITA All-American in California, one of three national championship tournaments held during the year, Smekodub advanced to the quarterfinals with wins over the No. 9 and No. 21 ranked players in the nation. However she fell to Stanford's No. 11 Erin Burdette in the quarterfinals, 6-3, 3-6, 4-6.
At the ITA Southwest Regional, Smekodub battled to the championship match before retiring due to injury in the loss. The Green Wave sophomore stopped six opponents in the event, including teammate Maria Ivanov in the semifinals.
In doubles action at the ITA All-American, Smekodub and classmate Jenny Kuhn posted a 4-3 record, with wins over the No. 4 and No. 8 tandems in the nation, as well as a victory over the No. 44 team. The losses were all to nationally-ranked teams, including the No. 1 and No. 5 pairs in the country.
At the Southwest Regionals, Smekodub was joined by freshman Darya Ivanov in doubles play and the duo advanced to the semifinals of the tournament, winning four straight matches before falling in the semis by a tight 9-8 score.
Smekodub opens play at the ITA Indoor National Championships on Thursday afternoon. She and teammate Jenny Kuhn will also play in doubles at the event.
