WOMEN'S TENNIS AWARD WINNERS FOR 2005-06 SEASON NAMED

Sophomore Leila Salek Honored As Team Most Valuable Player Award Recipient

Sophomore Leila Salek (Croydon Surrey, United Kingdom/Riddlesdown) claimed team Most Valuable Player Award accolades while junior Jenna O'Dell (Escanaba) was chosen as the Most Improved Player Award recipient for the second-straight season.

Sophomore Leila Salek was recognized as FSU's team Most Valuable Player for the 2005-06 campaign

Salek won 15 of her 18 singles matches this campaign and was 8-1 in league singles competition during her second collegiate season. She also emerged victorious in 17 of 22 doubles encounters. The 5-6 Salek won seven of her final eight completed singles matches this campaign to improve her overall career records to 34-4 (singles) and 39-10 (doubles), respectively.

Salek teamed up with junior Marissa Muchow (Green Bay, Wis./Ashwaubenon) to win the doubles division at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Great Lakes Regional Championships (Sept. 16-18) last fall in Midland, Mich. The duo then advanced to the ITA National Small College Championships (Oct. 13-14) where they placed fifth overall in the Division II field at Fort Myers, Fla. She also reached the regional semifinals at the ITA's event.

This season, Salek picked up All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) First Team honors after previously being recognized as a second-team selection in 2004-05. She also was named to the GLIAC All-Academic Team while posting a 12-2 singles mark in dual match competition, including an 11-1 ledger at the number two singles flight. Salek was ranked eighth regionally in singles play according to the latest (April 10) Fila Division II Great Lakes Regional listing.

O'Dell recently was named the recipient of the ITA's Great Lakes Region Arthur Ashe Leadership and Sportsmanship Award, which was announced in conjunction with the NCAA-II Men's and Women's Tennis Championships last week (May 10-13) in Kansas City, Mo.

O'Dell, who was named the GLIAC Women's Tennis Player of the Week once (Oct. 5) this season, compiled a 13-6 overall singles mark along with a 13-9 doubles ledger during the 2005-06 campaign. The 2004-05 FSU Most Improved Player Award recipient compiled a 7-1 record in league singles action and was 10-3 overall in individual dual action this year. Her three-year career record presently stands at 43-21 in singles action and 30-20 in doubles play.

O'Dell teamed with freshman Jennifer Prisner (Lansing/St. John's) to register an 8-2 record at the number three doubles flight this season. The duo, which was 7-1 in league doubles play, was listed 10th in the latest (April 10) Fila Division II Great Lakes Regional Doubles Rankings. O'Dell was also recognized as a 2005-06 GLIAC All-Academic Team honoree.

The Bulldog women's tennis team made its 11th consecutive and 16th overall NCAA Tournament appearance in 2005-06 in their first season under Sun. Ferris posted a 10-6 overall record this campaign, including a second-place 8-1 mark in the GLIAC. FSU also finished as the GLIAC Tournament and NCAA-II Great Lakes Regional runner-up this year.