FULLERTON, Calif. – A momentous season is in the books as the Cal State Fullerton women's tennis team produced its best campaign in the history of the program.
The Titans (17-6, 6-2 BWC) set program records for most wins in a single season (17), most Big West Conference victories (6), and best conference finish (3rd) in Titan history.
Without a senior on the roster, third-year head coach Dianne Matias relied on juniors Camille De Leon and Alexis Valenzuela, sophomore Danielle Pham and a quartet of rookies, Caroleen Fararji, Masako Makiba, Sarah Nuno and Karla Portalatin.
Matias was named the 2016 Women's Tennis Big West Conference Coach of the Year – just the second time a Titan coach has earned the honor as her youthful roster produced a remarkable year.
Cal State Fullerton recorded its first winning season since 2004, and its first ever winning record in conference play, while the team's overall winning percentage (.739) and league winning percentage (.750) were also program bests.
Fullerton ended the season with an 89-45 (.664) record in singles play and a 37-16 (.698) mark in doubles action, both program records.
NEW STREAKS
The Titans snapped a 20-match losing streak to UC Irvine which dated back to 2000, and also ended 29-match losing streak to San Diego State which dated back to 1981.
In addition, Fullerton compiled an eight-match win streak from Feb. 3 – March 7, the longest for the program on record dating back to 1981.
RANKINGS
The doubles team of Camille De Leon and Alexis Valenzuela finished the year ranked 56th in the Oracle/ITA Collegiate Tennis Women's Rankings for doubles. Furthermore, the duo ended the year rated ninth in the Southwest Region.
As a team, the Titans were ranked at No. 67 for one week (March 8) in the Oracle/ITA Collegiate Tennis Women's Rankings, believed to be the first ranking in program history.
INDIVIDUAL MARKS
Alexis Valenzuela's 17 dual singles wins were the most for the program since prior to 2001. In addition, her six Big West singles victories are the most for the program since prior to 2001.
Camille De Leon and Valenzuela were the first No. 1 Titan doubles team to reach 14 dual victories and six Big West Conference victories since prior to 2001.
Karla Portalatin's 16 victories in the spring were the most for a Titan freshman since prior to 2001.
(Individual stats for Titan tennis players prior to 2001 are not available)
AWARD SEASON
For the third consecutive year, Alexis Valenzuela was voted to the Big West Conference Singles First Team. Prior to her freshman season in 2014, not one Titan had ever earned singles first team honors.
The Titan doubles team of Camille De Leon and Valenzuela (14-2, 6-1 BWC) was just the second Titan team in program history to receive Big West Conference First Team accolades following Roseanne Alva and Kelli Moore in 1991.
In addition, freshman Sarah Nuno was named Big West honorable mention in singles play following a rookie dual record of 14-9 overall and a 4-4 mark in the Big West Conference playing at No. 1 (2-0), No. 2 (8-9) and No. 3 (4-0) in the lineup.
The Titans also won four Big West Conference Women's Tennis Athlete of the Week Awards during the season, setting a new program record.