DePaul University

ATHENS, Ga. - DePaul's Anna Redecsi and Selma Salkovic's magical 2009-10 season came to end today when the Blue Demon pair fell to the No. 1 tandem in the country, Natalie Pluskota and Caitlin Whoriskey from Tennessee, 6-3, 6-1 on Friday at Georgia's Dan Magill Tennis Complex.

Exiting the NCAA Doubles Championship in the Round of 16, Redecsi and Salkovic can hold their heads high as the pair, who has been ranked in the top 20 of the Campbell's/ITA doubles rankings all season, is DePaul's only tandem to receive an at-large bid the NCAA Championship.  The pair also racked up an outstanding 30-8 record this season. 

Of the pair's eight losses, two have come at the hands of Pluskota and Whoriskey while they were ranked No. 1.  Three other losses came against Notre Dame's Kristy Frilling and Cali Krisik, who were ranked in the top-five for most of the season.

In a rematch of the ITA Indoor Championship quarterfinals, Pluskota and Whoriskey played their aggressive and powerful style throughout the match and handled everything that Redecsi and Salkovic threw at them.

"When you play a team like Tennessee, the margin for error is so small," head coach Mark Ardizzone said following the loss. 

"You really have to be good and take advantage of the few chances that Pluskota and Whoriskey give you.  We got tight and always felt like we had to make a better shot than we had too."

Redecsi and Salkovic kept pace with the Tennessee pair in the early goings of the first set. Tied a two, Pluskota and Whoriskey were able to break Salkovic serve and then held serve to go up 4-2.

Redecsi was able to hold serve which pulled the Blue Demon pair within one, but Pluskota and Whoriskey won the next two games to take the first set, 6-3.

The Tennessee pair continued to string together points and took a 3-0 lead in the second set, before DePaul won the fourth game.  Pluskota and Whoriskey went on to win the second and deciding set, 6-1.

In the last two seasons, Redecsi and Salkovic have racked up an impressive 51-12 record and have become one of DePaul's most decorated doubles tandems.  The pair won the 2009 ITA Midwest Regional, advanced to the quarterfinals of the ITA Indoor Championship and both earned all BIG EAST Conference honors.

"I don't know if we will ever see a pair like Selma and Anna here at DePaul again," Ardizzone added.  "Selma is very fiery and Anna is very calm so that leads to a very unique and successful doubles team. "

Redecsi, who will graduate in June with degrees in marketing and economics, finishes her career with 58-23 doubles record in two seasons at DePaul.  The two-time all-conference honoree also racked up a remarkable 47-25 singles record. 

"This is a celebration of Anna," Ardizzone said of his senior transfer.  "In her two years at DePaul she accomplished everything that she could. 

"For 10 years I will talk about Anna and everyone will know about what she did on and off the court."

With her doubles partner graduating, Salkovic will bring a 70-34 singles record into her senior season while her DePaul record 95 doubles victories will definitely impress her next partner.

"Selma is going to go home and start talking about playing at Stanford (the site of the 2011 NCAA Championship) next season," Ardizzone said confidently. 

"Selma will demand the best in her partner and we will start taking auditions in September.  Her next partner will have to want to play at this national level and Selma is the best partner on the team.

"As a coach, it is so great to see us out battling next to Stanford and Georgia.  We were playing amongst the elite -- and Anna and Selma got us here."