Women's Tennis

2010 Women's Tennis Team

 

2010 Athlete Profiles
 

	Betyel Tesfa
	Hometown: Stockholm, Sweden   Year of Eligibility: Senior Height: 5-4 High School:  Samgymnasiet  Right-Handed VU Women's Tennis:  2010 Team Captain Awards:  All-GSAC, NAIA All-American

The athlete: Betyel returns for her fourth season as a Lion…terrific talent who has earned a reputation as one of the top players in the country…has played primarily in the number-two position for the Lions the past two seasons…was recognized as a first-team NAIA All-American for her play in 2009, her second time named to the first-team (2008)…garnered NAIA All-American second-team honors as a freshman in 2007…also garnered All-GSAC as a sophomore and junior…has played tennis for 17 years…graduated from Samgymnasiet in Stockholm, Sweden in 2004…tennis coach was Bosse Eriusson…good tennis skills…right-handed…solid all-around player…good doubles player as well…experienced player who will finish her career on a high note for the Lions. The person: Betyel was born on October 29, 1985 in Stockholm, Sweden…parents are Berhane and Yordannos…has two younger sisters who both play tennis…nickname is "Betty"…majoring in Business Administration at VUSC…sports hero is Andre Agassi…likes the color blue…favorite number is three…loves the movie "The Notebook"…watches "Gossip Girl" on television…enjoys shopping…favorite actor is Denzel Washington…most respects her dad…learned in life that everything is not easy…tennis has taught her to always fight…career goal is to start her own business. Her thoughts: My favorite things about Vanguard are the location and the Christian school. Coach Johansson’s Comments: Betty has mostly playing on the number-two spot her three previous season and I would consider her being one of the best #2 players in the nation. She rarely loses a match, especially when the team really needs it. She is the strongest-willed player on the court that I have coached. I am sure she will have one more outstanding season to finish of one of the best individual records in the history of Vanguard Tennis. Betty is also this year’s team captain.

	Brittnie Furuvald
	Hometown: Long Beach, Calif. Year of Eligibility: Junior Height: 5-4 Last School: Orange Coast College  Right-Handed

The athlete: Brittnie is back in the Blue and Gold after a solid sophomore campaign, her first go-round with the Lions…primarily played at the sixth position for VU in 2009, after recovering from knee surgery…transferred to VUSC from Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, California where she played for Head Coach Janice Maran…was part of a state doubles championship team…graduated in 2007 from Vineyard Christian High School in Anaheim, California…has played tennis since she was nine…solid fundamentals and a desire to improve…should improve after adjusting to the talent level last season…one of the spiritual leaders on the team...should have a good junior season in 2010. The person: Brittnie was born in Huntington Beach, California on April 25, 1990 to parents Hilmar and Sandra…majoring in Communications…enjoys eating at "In-N-Out"…favorite movie is "Ocean’s 11" and TV show is "Monk"…likes the color pink and the number four…favorite Bible verse is John 3:16…roots for the Denver Broncos…sports hero is Andre Agassi…enjoys going to the beach and hanging with friends…most respects her dad because he’s always there for her…learned in life to let God have control and not think you know everything…tennis has taught her to be patient…career goal is to be a sports agent and travel all over the world. Her thoughts: My favorite things about Vanguard are the community and the faith-centered lifestyle. Coach Johansson’s Comments: Brittnie played number six last season and will have to try to defend her spot this year. She had a great first season at Vanguard after playing her freshman year at OCC. She is valuable both in singles and doubles. She now knows what to expect from the very best NAIA players which will help to raise her game to a level necessary to win over the top teams. Britt is one of the team’s spiritual leaders.

	Ekaterina Gabashvili
	Hometown: Moscow, Russia  Year of Eligibility:  Junior  Height: 5-7 Last School: Seward County CC Right-Handed

The athlete: Ekaterina joins the Vanguard tennis program for her junior season…transferred to VUSC from Seaward Community College…late addition to the squad…should provide a boost to the Vanguard lineup with her talent and work ethic…tennis bloodlines run in the family as her brother competes on the ATP tour…has played tennis since she was six years old…holds a fantastic GPA of 3.9…has great potential…should have a terrific debut campaign for VU in 2010.　 The person: Ekaterina was born on January 30, 1991, in Tbilisi, Georgia...father is Besik Gabashvili...nickname is "Eka"…pursuing a major in international business at Vanguard…likes to eat at "The Olive Garden"…loves all of Pedro Almodovar’s movies…roots for Real Madrid…favorite number is seven…thinks that honesty is the best character trait to have…most respects her mother, for being an extremely strong person…has learned that everything is possible in life…tennis has taught her to always look ahead…career goal is to get better.　 Her thoughts: What I like most about Vanguard is the team, school, and location. Coach Johansson’s comment: "Eka" was a late addition to the team and I am pleased we could get her to Vanguard. She has nice strokes and light feet, that will help make her an outstanding college player. Her older brother is currently a top 150 player in the world and competes on the ATP-tour, so she knows what it takes to be really good.

	Natalie Kelley
	Hometown: Los Angeles, Calif. Year of Eligibility: Junior Height: 5-8 Last School: Santa Monica College  Right-Handed

The athlete: Natalie returns the VUSC tennis program for her junior season…played for Vanguard as freshman in 2006, and then transferred to Santa Monica College…played for Coach Richard Goldenson at SMC…was named All-Conference and the team’s MVP…graduated from Aliso Niguel High School in Aliso Viejo, California in 2005…played for Head Coach Todd Naylor at ANHS…named the team’s MVP three times, and was all-conference as well…also ran track, where she was the top runner for Aliso…also played softball in high school…returns to the Lions as a better player with more experience…has played tennis for ten years…will certainly improve the VU team…expected to make a big impact on the squad with her leadership and experience playing at the college level. The person: Natalie Rose was born in Orange, California, to parents Kevin Kelley and Mary Rolaff…birthday is January 16, 1986…majoring in Psychology at VUSC…loves to eat cereal…likes to watch "General Hospital" on TV…favorite color is purple and number is 20…roots for the Lakers and Kobe Bryant…hobbies include the outdoors, working out, and going to the beach…thinks that love is essential…has learned to live life for now, because we are not guaranteed tomorrow…tennis has taught her to work hard…career goal is to develop underprivileged youth programs through non-profit and politics.　 Her thoughts: I chose to come to Vanguard because it is a place where the Christian worldview is taught.　 Coach Johansson’s comment: Natalie played her freshman year at Vanguard before leaving for Santa Monica College. She is now back in the Vanguard Uniform and will have a huge impact on this year’s team. Natalie improved a lot during her freshman year and I am sure she will begin her junior season at an even higher level. She is another great addition to the team.

	Kateryna Malakhova
	Hometown: Nova Kakhovka, Ukraine   Year of Eligibility: Junior Height: 5-5 Last School: Virginia Commonwealth Un.  Right-Handed

The athlete: Kateryna is back for her second campaign for VUSC, her junior season of collegiate action…primarily played the number-three position for the Lions in 2009…suffered a leg injury that limited her to only part of the season…transferred from Virginia Commonwealth University where she mainly played #3 for an NCAA Division DI team that was ranked inside the top 30…graduated from school #8 in the Ukraine in 2005…has been playing tennis since she was 11 years old…terrific potential as a tennis player…very well-liked by her teammates…will compete for a spot in the top half of the Vanguard lineup…if she stays healthy, will have a great 2010 season for the Lions. The person: Kateryna was born in the Ukraine to parents Dmytryi and Olga on January 26, 1988…Accounting major…"Katya" likes eating sushi…favorite color is blue and number is eight…favorite movie is "Life is Beautiful"…sports hero is Steffi Graff…favorite actress is Charlize Theron…says kindness is the most important characteristic for a person to have…most respects her mother for her great strong character and incredible will…learned to live life to the fullest…tennis has taught her that talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships…career goal is to become a successful business woman. Her thoughts: I love the professionalism of my coach! Coach Johansson’s Comments: Kateryna played # 3 last season for us. She suffered a leg injury that kept her limited for about two months, but has tremendous potential and I think she is ready to shine this year. Katya will definitely challenge for a spot in the upper half of the line up and wherever she ends up playing, it will be a very difficult task for her opponents to get a win over her.

	Anna Valingsten
	Hometown:  Gothenburg, Sweden  Year of Eligibility: Junior Height: 5-10 Last School: Katrinelunds Gymnasiet Right-Handed

The athlete: Anna is back for her third season as a member of the Blue and Gold tennis program…primarily played the number-four spot for the Lions as a sophomore in 2009…easily the most improved player from 2008…has helped VU reach two straight NAIA National Tournaments……came to Vanguard from Gothenburg, Sweden as a freshman…graduated from Katrinelundsgymnasiet in Gothenburg, Sweden where she played for Head Coach Theodor Strom…injuries slowed down a promising career in Sweden…right-handed…has played for 13 years…expected to continue to improve…should be an impact player for VUSC in the spring of 2010. The person: Anna Helena Valingsten was born in Gothenburg, Germany on May 20, 1988 to parents Po and Christina…has one older sister…major is Business Adminisration …loves to eat Italian food and chicken…favorite color is black and number is 1…favorite movie is "The Notebook" and TV show is "Sex in the City"…sports hero is Zlatan…enjoys hanging out with friends, listening to music, and shopping…says honesty is the most important characteristic for a person to have…most respects her mom, because of the person she is…learned in life to never give up and take one step at a time…tennis has taught her responsibility, respect, organization, and independence...career goal is to graduate with a B.A in Business and get a job in finance. Her thoughts: I came to Vanguard because I heard it was a good school and located well. Coach Johansson’s comment: Anna is back for her third season at VU. She played fantastic tennis at #4 for us last season, and improved the most from the previous year of anyone on our team. She has great returns and hits the ball harder than anyone on the team. If Anna continues to improve, there is no limit to who she can beat and where she will play in the lineup.

	Gabriela Bergmanova
	Hometown: Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic Year of Eligibility: Sophomore Height: 5-10 Last School:  Un. of Auburn-Montgomery  (AL) Right-Handed

The athlete: Gabriella arrives at VUSC as a sophomore transfer from Auburn University-Montgomery, where she had a stellar freshman season…played mostly at the number-two and number-three spot for the NAIA National Champions and Head Coach Scott Kidd…graduated from Obchodni Akademie Hradec Kralove in the Czech Republic, in 2006…terrific addition to the Vanguard tennis program…has the talent to compete with anyone in the country…right-handed, and has played tennis for 15 years…should provide the top of the VU lineup with stability in 2010.　 The person: Gabriela was born on May 9, 1987, in Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic…mom is Vladena Bergmanova…plans on pursuing a major in International Business at VU…loves to eat at Italian Restaurants…favorite film is "One Chance"…likes the color blue and the number seven…sports hero is Roman Sebrle…would like to drive a Range Rover…plays basketball in her spare time…thinks that honesty and responsibility are the top character traits one can possess…most respects people who have gone through hard situations in their lives…has learned that life is not fair…tennis has taught her discipline…career goal is to be successful in a business company and like her job. Her thoughts: I came to Vanguard because it has a great reputation. Coach Johansson’s comment: Gabriella transferred from AUM and played mostly at the #2 and #3 spots for them last season. She is a great addition and a quality #1 player that a team needs in order to compete with the best. Gabriella has a great personality and I am happy to have her on my team for the next three years. She currently has a 3.9 GPA.

	Lynn Walker
	Hometown: Cherry Hill, New Jersey Year of Eligibility: Sophomore Height: 5-10 Last School:  Santiago Canyon College  Right-Handed