April 22, 2009
NORMAL, Ill. -
Redbird senior Tanja Hrovatic was named to the 2009 Missouri Valley Conference Women's Tennis Scholar-Athlete First Team, as announced Wednesday by the league office, to honor her scholastic success. This is Hrovatic's first time receiving this honor which was voted on by MVC Sports Information Directors.
"It is a great honor to be selected for the first team," said head coach Chris Hoover. "Tanja is well-deserving and she has worked hard since she arrived at Illinois State. She has been a part of our record-setting team grade-point average (at Illinois State), but she deserves to be honored individually."
MVC tennis scholar-athlete nominees must all show exemplary work in the classroom, which includes a 3.0 cumulative GPA, be a sophomore in academic and athletic standing and be projected to participate in the 2009 State Farm MVC Women's Tennis Championship this weekend (April 24-26) or have competed in 75 percent of the regular-season matches.
The Slovenia native has maintained a 3.39 GPA, while majoring in management, and she was an AFNI Honor Roll member in Fall 2007, Spring 2008 and Fall 2008.
In addition to her success in the classroom, Hrovatic has also succeeded on the courts. Hrovatic has been one of the team leaders, helping the Redbirds to end regular-season play with a 13-9 overall record and a 5-3 mark in the Valley.
Hrovatic went 20-10 overall in singles play with a 15-7 dual season record. She has a 5-3 Valley record, and she has won seven out of her last 10 singles matches. In doubles play, Hrovatic finished the regular season with a 16-15 overall record, and she has won three-straight conference doubles matches, along with partner Natalia Lech, for a 6-2 Valley record mainly at the No. 2 spot.
In the 2008 individual season, Hrovatic was runner-up at No. 3 singles at the UNLV Invitational and runner-up at No. 4 singles at the State Farm MVC Individual Championships.
Along with partner Carolyne Parent, Hrovatic won the No. 3 doubles title at the 2007 State Farm MVC Individual Championships, while also winning the No. 6 singles title.
Hrovatic returns to the courts on Friday at 10 a.m., where she will lead the Redbirds against Drake in the first round of the State Farm MVC Championship, in Omaha, Neb.
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