Tag: San Jose State

No. 1 seed Garbine Muguruza forced to withdraw from Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic

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Photo credit: @livetennis

By: Ana Kieu

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic No. 1 seed Garbiñe Muguruza has been forced to withdraw from the event due to a right arm injury. Muguruza will be replaced in the draw by lucky‐loser Anna Blinkova, who will play two‐time Grand Slam champion Victoria Azarenka tonight at 7 pm PDT.

“I’ve been feeling some pain in my right arm for a couple of days and realized I am not ready to play the match, so hopefully I can recover for the next tournaments,” said Muguruza.

“The facilities in San Jose are very nice, especially the courts. This is a tournament I always play at the start of the US Open Series so I hope to come  back and see all my fans next year.”

“We were really looking forward to seeing Garbiñe compete here at the tournament, but the players’ health must always be the number one priority,” said tournament director Vickie Gunnarsson. “She’s one of the WTA’s bright young stars and we hope she is able to recover quickly.”

Tickets for the Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic are available at www.MubadalaSVC.com.

Seven‐time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams takes the court against Heather Watson Thursday at 7 pm PDT, while defending champion and No. 2 seed Madison Keys will play Ajla Tomljanovic during Thursday’s day session.

Formerly known as the Bank of the West Classic in Palo Alto, the Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic is a week-long WTA Premier event bringing the worlds of tennis and technology together in a festival of sports and entertainment. The new venue at San José State University will provide a high‐end, family friendly atmosphere and will put fans close to the action as they watch their favorite stars compete.

Highlighting the best the region has to offer, the tournament will showcase a complete entertainment experience including locally sourced cuisine, fine wine and cheese selections, interactive fan exhibitions, premier hospitality options, daily autograph signings, and of course, incredible tennis action.

Featuring a 28‐player singles draw as well as a 16‐team doubles draw the tournament will bring the best female tennis players in the world to the Bay Area and serves as the opening women’s event of the US Open Series.

With several different ticket options available, the Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic has something for everyone. To purchase tickets go to www.MubadalaSVC.com or call 1 (866) 982‐8497.

Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic: Johanna Konta humbled Serena Williams in 6-1, 6-0 blowout

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Photo credit: @MubadalaSVC

By: Ana Kieu

SAN JOSE, Calif. — The 2018 Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic continued Tuesday at the Spartan Tennis Complex in San Jose, Calif. And, as you might’ve expected, tennis star Serena Williams stole the show. Well, at least the night match in this lovely city.

Ladies Singles — Round One
ROU’s Mihaela Buzarnescu defeated USA’s Sachia Vickery in a 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 victory. Buzarnescu’s next opponent will be either CHN’s Qiang Wang or USA’s Amanda Anisimova.

HUN’s Timea Babos defeated FRA’s Kristina Mladenovic in a 6-4, 6-2 victory. Babos’ next opponent for round two will be GRE’s Maria Sakkari.

GBR’s Heather Watson defeated USA’s Claire Liu in a 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 victory.

BLR’s Vera Lapko defeated CHN’s Shuai Zhang, a No. 7 seed, in a 7-6, 6-0 victory. Lapko will face USA’s Danielle Collins in round two.

GBR’s Johanna Konta crushed USA’s Serena Williams with a final score of 6-1, 6-0. Now, it’s 10 games in a row for Konta, who led 6-1, 4-0 at one point.

“I think she played well in the second set,” said Williams. “And I think…I wasn’t sure, but after the first set, she got all in and she thought she was going to make it.”

When asked about the change of environment, Williams told reporters that she liked playing at Stanford, but added that it was nice to see the tournament grow at San Jose State. Additionally, Williams stated that she had to get used to the current serve clock and then mentioned that she has been getting to know San Jose since it’s sort of different compared to Los Angeles.

Ladies Doubles — Round One
RUS’ Anna Blinkova and RUS’ Natela Dzalamidze defeated ARG’s Maria Irigoyen and USA’s Desirae Krawczyk in a 6-3, 6-3 victory.

ESP’s Georgina Garcia Perez and AUS’ Priscilla Hon defeated UKR’s Kateryna Bondarenko and RUS’ Valeria Savinykh in a 6-4, 6-4 victory.

USA’s Sofia Kenin and BLR’s Aryna Sabalenka defeated PAR’s Veronica Cepede Royg and USA’s Irina Falconi in a 6-4, 6-1 victory.

Notes
USA’s CeCi Bellis isn’t playing at the Mubadala SVC, but she signed autographs for the fans at the AdvoCare Sports booth at 12:45 pm PDT Tuesday afternoon.

The Spartan Tennis Complex opened up 100 seats for the 7 pm PDT match Tuesday night between USA’s Serena Williams and UK’s Johanna Konta.

The dog of USA’s Ashley Kratzer hung out in the shade to cool down as he waited for his so-called mother to finish her practice.

American teenager Claire Liu went from defense to offense in a big way, as she won the point of the day at the Mubadala SVC.

Up Next
Second round for both ladies’ doubles and singles are scheduled for Wednesday from 11 am to 5 pm and 7 pm to 9 pm. All times Pacific.

6-time LPGA winner Pat Hurst returns to alma mater as San Jose State’s assistant women’s golf coach

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Photo credit: sjsuspartans.com

By: Ana Kieu

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Pat Hurst, a six-time winner on the LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association) Tour and the only San Jose State alumna to win a NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Championship, returns to her alma mater as the women’s golf assistant coach. New San Jose State head coach Dana Dormann made the announcement Tuesday.

Hurst, a San Leandro, Calif. native, is entering college coaching for the first time and can rely on her past experiences as an assistant captain of the 2015 and 2017 United States-winning Solheim Cup teams.

“I am very pleased Pat Hurst is coming back to San Jose State as the assistant coach to the women’s golf team. Her success at every level of competition from junior, to SJSU, and to the LPGA Tour is unmatched in college coaching,” said Dormann, who’s a San Jose State alumna and a two-time LPGA Tour winner herself.

“Her work as the Solheim Cup assistant captain to fellow Spartan alumna Juli Inkster has given Pat knowledge of team building, course strategy and an understanding of the game that will be very valuable to our team. I look forward to working with my fellow Spartan as San Jose State Women’s golf builds our ‘Culture of Champions’ for life.”

Before enrolling at San Jose State, Hurst was the 1986 USGA Girls Junior champion. As a sophomore, Hurst was the 1989 NCAA Division I Women’s Golf medalist and led the Spartans to their second of three national team championships at the Stanford Golf Course in Stanford, Calif.

The two-time first-team All-American would capture the 1990 U.S. Women’s Amateur — Hurst’s second USGA championship in four years. Hurst earned her LPGA Tour Card in 1994 and was named the Tour’s “Rookie of the Year” in 1995. Hurst’s first LPGA Tour win was the 1997 Oldsmobile Classic in East Lansing, Mich.

Hurst has one major championship win to her credit–the 1998 Nabisco Dinah Shore Invitational–and 10 other top-10 finishes at LPGA Major Championship Tour events. She played on eight USA teams in international competition–four of them Solheim Cup winners. Hurst has a 10-7-3 Solheim Cup individual win-loss record.

“I am so excited to be joining the San Jose State University women’s golf team as the assistant coach. I look forward to using my knowledge and experiences to help the team and making an impact on their lives,” said Hurst, who was an inductee into multiple Halls of Fame, including the San Jose State Sports’ Hall of Fame.

Though Hurst has cut back on the number of tournaments she plays in recent years, her $7 million in career earnings still ranks her 33rd all-time among LPGA players.

“Congratulations to Pat Hurst on being named assistant coach for the San Jose State University women’s golf team. She has been my right hand person for the last two Solheim Cups (United States vs. Europe). She is organized, passionate and fun,” said Juli Inkster, a LPGA Hall of Fame golfer who served as the captain of the triumphant 2015 and 2017 U.S. teams after becoming an San Jose State alumna.

“Dana Dormann and Pat will make a amazing team. Their golf knowledge and loyalty to SJSU will be a home run. I wish I had some eligibility left.”

Monday was a day to remember for Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic fans

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Photo credit: @MubadalaSVC

By: Ana Kieu

SAN JOSE, Calif. — There was plenty of good things in the San Jose area when the Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic kicked off at the San Jose State University Tennis Complex Monday morning. First off, Mubadala SVC was delighted to present alongside their partners at Soft Bank at a Fast Company exclusive forum called Game On: Winning In Sports, Technology & Business. Second, San Jose State athletics director Marie Tuite–one of only a handful of female FBS athletics directors in the country–performed the ceremonial first serve Monday.

Results for Ladies’ Singles — Round One
In the first-ever main draw match at Stadium Court, GRE’s Maria Sakkari cruised past USA’s Christina McHale in a 6-2, 6-2 victory.

USA’s Sofia Kenin had no trouble getting past PAR’s Veronica Cepede Royg in a 6-4, 6-4 victory.

AUS’s Ajla Tomljanovic moved on to round two with a 6-4, 6-1 victory over ESP’s Georgina Garcia Perez.

USA’s Danielle Collins defeated USA’s Danielle Lao in a 7-6, 6-3 victory.

To top it all off, BLR’s Victoria Azarenka toughed it out through three sets to beat UKR’s Kateryna Bondarenko in a 6-3, 6-7, 7-5 victory.

Results for Ladies’ Doubles — Round One
GBR’s Johanna Konta and CHN’s Shuai Zhang defeated USA’s Jacqueline Cako and GER’s Nicola Geuer in a 6-3, 6-2 victory.

ROU’s Mihaela Buzarnescu and GBR’s Heather Watson defeated USA’s Tamara Culibrk and FRA’s Sybille Gauvain in a 6-3, 6-3 victory.

Notes
The well-known Williams sisters were practicing on nearby courts Monday. Serena is scheduled to play Tuesday night, while Venus is set to play Thursday night.

Respond to Mubadala SVC’s tweet for a chance to win two tickets.

Up Next
Order of play for Tuesday, July 30.

Is it August yet? San Jose State and others gather for Bay Area Football Media Day

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Photo credit: Ana Kieu, Sports Radio Service

By: Ana Kieu

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — College football is just around the corner, and we’re less than five weeks away from the San Jose State Spartans’ season opener versus UC Davis on August 30. But, like you should already know, San Jose State isn’t the only Bay Area college football team, as the Stanford Cardinal and Cal Golden Bears sort of dominate on the other side of the Bay. Also, the San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders are the main attractions, as they’re NFL teams that may be dawdling right now, but they’re chock-full of history. So, with that in mind, let’s take a look at all the football teams the Bay has to offer–whether they’re good, bad or just okay.

California Golden Bears
Last season, the Golden Bears, who compete in the Pac-12 Conference, were led by first-year head coach Justin Wilcox and played their home games at California Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, Calif. The Bears finished the 2017 campaign with a 5-7 record (2-7 Pac-12), which wasn’t that bad; but there could always be room for improvement.

Oakland Raiders
The Raiders recently confirmed that they’ll relocate to Las Vegas in the near future, and the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum in Oakland, Calif. will just be the home of one team, the Oakland A’s. Anyways, the Raiders’ fan base is very loyal, and I’m pretty sure their fans will travel to Vegas when they can. The Raiders, however, finished the 2017 campaign 6-10 and missed the playoffs, so it’s time for the team to click-clack boom, diversify their rushing attack and improve their defense under the guidance of returning head coach Jon Gruden, who previously coached the team from 1998-2001.

San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers have a lot to prove, and this year should be a difficult test for general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was arguably the biggest hero towards the end of the 2017 campaign as he helped the 49ers win five games for a 6-10 record. After that, Garoppolo signed a 5-year, $137.5 million contract extension, which made him the highest-paid player in NFL history at the time. Now, the 49ers have to stay healthy and amp up their offense.

San Jose State Spartans
Oh, where should I start when it comes to the San Jose Spartans? I know, I’m an alumna who was fortunate to cover my alma mater, but there’s a laundry list of items for this team to work on. The youth movement under first-year head coach Brent Brennan was certainly a positive, but the Spartans finished the 2017 campaign with a 2-11 record (1-7 MW) and need to rebuild its secondary, then find ways to stay consistent.

Stanford Cardinal
The Cardinal–coached by head coach David Shaw–is yet another team in the Pac-12 Conference and they play their home games at Stanford Stadium. The Cardinal finished the 2017 campaign with a 9-5 record (7-2 Pac-12). The Cardinal is a pretty good team, but in college football, the offseason antics appear to be almost endless.

Notes
Washington Redskins long snapper and Cal alum Nick Sundberg turned 29 on July 29.

San Jose State has 66 freshmen and sophomore on its roster. With 14 remaining starters and 40 overall letter winners, San Jose State was selected by a media poll to finish 6th in the MW’s West Division. In addition, webflyer.com confirmed that San Jose State will have less than 7,000 air miles of travel for its 5 road games with air travel and a 300-mile round trip to Fresno, Calif. this coming season.

Stanford center Jesse Burkett was named as the Cardinal’s National Scholar-Athlete nominee. Also, Stanford star Bryce Love was named to Walter Camp Football’s Player of Year preseason watch list. Love is a human biology major and an aspiring pediatrician.

Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic: Muguruza to play Wednesday night, Keys Thursday afternoon

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Photo credit: justrichest.com

By: Ana Kieu

SAN JOSE, Calif. — The Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic announced today that two‐time Grand Slam champion Garbiñe Muguruza will play Wednesday, August 1 at 7 pm, and defending champion Madison Keys  will begin her title defense during the day session on Thursday, August 2.

Tickets for the 2018 Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic, July 30 to August 5 at San José State University are on‐sale now at www.MubadalaSVC.com.

Muguruza will play the winner of Monday’s 7 p.m. match between Victoria Azarenka and Kateryna Bondarenko. Keys will face either Ajla Tomljanovic or a qualifier. Other matches already announced include Serena Williams versus Johanna Konta on Tuesday, July 31 at 7 pm, and Venus Williams versus either Heather Watson or Claire Liu on Thursday, August 2 at 7 pm.

Formerly known as the Bank of the West Classic in Palo Alto, the Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic is a week long WTA Premier event bringing the worlds of tennis and technology together in a festival of sports and entertainment. The new venue at San José State will provide a high‐end, family friendly atmosphere and will put fans close to the action as they watch their favorite stars compete.

Highlighting the best the region has to offer, the tournament will showcase a complete entertainment experience including locally sourced cuisine, fine wine and cheese selections, interactive fan exhibitions, premier hospitality options, daily autograph signings, and of course, incredible tennis action.

Featuring a 28‐player singles draw as well as a 16‐team doubles draw the tournament will bring the best female tennis players in the world to the Bay Area and serves as the opening women’s event of the US Open Series.

With several different ticket options available, the Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic has something for everyone. To purchase tickets go to www.MubadalaSVC.com or call 1 (866) 982‐8497.

Feature match schedule
Monday, July 30 at 7 pm – Victoria Azarenka vs. Kateryna Bondarenko
Tuesday, July 31 at 7 pm – Serena Williams vs. Johanna Konta
Wednesday, August 1 at 7 pm – No. 1 seed Garbine Muguruza vs. Azarenka or Bondarenko
Thursday, August 2 day session – No. 2 seed Madison Keys vs. Tomljanovic or Qualifier
Thursday, August 2 at 7 pm – No. 3 seed Venus Williams vs. Watson or Liu

San Jose State’s Bryce Crawford named to Wuerffel Trophy watch list

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Photo credit: sjsuspartans.com

By: Ana Kieu

San Jose State senior Bryce Crawford not only gets his kicks in as the Spartans’ record-setting placekicker, he’s also a Dean’s Scholar student who contributes to the good of the local community.

Crawford, a Frisco, Texas native, is one of 106 Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) players named to the 2018 Wuerffel Trophy watch list, which was named after former University of Florida and Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Danny Wuerffel. The award is presented annually to a football player that best exemplifies community service with athletics and academics.

The 6-foot-3 player has a wide range of community service activities in his three-plus years as a San Jose State student. He offers his time to youngsters through annual Easter egg hunts and after school reading programs, to senior citizens at local care facilities, to recording public service announcements, thanking U.S. service men and women on Veterans’ Day, and participating in the annual local Walk A Mile In Her Shoes initiative to raise awareness against domestic violence towards females.

Academically, Crawford is a three-time Mountain West Scholar-Athlete and a two-time Academic All-Mountain West honoree to go along with his Dean’s Scholar status at San Jose State.

Crawford heads into the 2018 season on the Lou Groza Collegiate Placekicking Award watch list. He shared the national lead last year for kicking five field goals of 50 or more yards and was 14-of-17 overall as a field goal kicker. In three seasons, he’s 31-of-37 as a field goal kicker, which equals a 83.8% conversion rate.

Semifinalists will be announced on November 1. Finalists will be revealed on November 19. The winner will be named on December 4 at the National Football Foundation’s New York City news conference and honored at an awards banquet scheduled for February 15, 2019.

San Jose State grad Sybille Gauvain loses in Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic singles

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Photo credit: @SJSUAthletics

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Recent San Jose State graduate Sybille Gauvain became one of the first four players to compete on the new Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic women’s tennis tournament stadium court.

Gauvain faced Anna Blinkova of Russia, who ranked #101 in the world, and led 3-2 in the second set before losing 6-0, 6-3, in a tournament singles qualifying round match at the San Jose State Tennis Complex.

“When I started, I was a little bit nervous. I was trying to put the ball in the court. The first set, I think I fought a lot. She (Blinkova) was playing pretty fast and returning (shots) very good. My serve was not that bad and my shots were fine,” said Gauvain, who was a four-time All-Mountain West singles player during the 2015 to 2018 seasons.

“I tried to step it up more in the second set and it worked. When I was up in the second set, I should have focused more on my games. She’s a very good player and it was a good experience.”

Gauvain believed she rallied well with Blinkova throughout the 56-minute match. By the way, the slight breeze was not a factor for either player.

“At 0-2, I won the first game, I needed to win one game to be a little more into the match. At 2-1, I was feeling better about my serve and that’s how I was able to win three games in a row.”

With Gauvain leading 3-2 in the second set and ahead, 30-0, in the sixth game, the match turned when the Spartan returned a shot wide. Blinkova won the next four points to even the set at 3-3 and closed out the match.

“I had a very nice crowd behind me. There were a lot of people cheering for me today. It was pretty nice. I wish I could have done better. I tried to do my best,” said Gauvain, who now has three professional tournaments on her resume since her graduation. She plans to continue sharpening her game in preparation for upcoming tournaments this summer.

The Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic continues through Sunday, August 5. Morning and evening matches begin on Monday, July 30.

San Jose State football announces three kickoff times for 2018 season

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Photo credit: sjsuspartans.com

By: Ana Kieu

SAN JOSE, Calif. — At last, the kickoff times for the 2018 San Jose State football season opener and two Mountain West road games have now been determined.

The Spartans the season hosting the UC Davis Aggies in a non-conference game at CEFCU Stadium on Thursday, August 30, with a 7:00 pm PDT kickoff.

When San Jose State travels to Laramie, Wyo., for a November 3, conference contest at Wyoming, the game time will be 12:00 pm MDT or 11:00 am PDT. After that, San Jose State visit Utah State on November 10, at 2:00 pm MDT or 1:00 pm PDT. The television broadcast partner for these games will be announced later on.

Tickets for all San Jose State home games are available at www.sjsuspartans.com/tickets or by calling (408) 924-SJTX.

Notes: 2018 San Jose State football schedule

Up Next: San Jose State begins its preseason football practice schedule on Wednesday, August 1, 9:30 am PDT, on its practice field, which is north of CEFCU Stadium. Weekend scrimmages are scheduled for August 11 at 5:00 pm PDT and August 18 at 4:30 pm PDT. These practices are open to the public.

San Jose State alumna Sybille Gauvain to play in the Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic

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By: Ana Kieu

San Jose State alumna Sybille Gauvain, the No. 1 singles player on the Spartans’ women’s tennis team the last four seasons, will be representing her alma mater in the Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic’s singles qualifying round tournament at the Spartan Tennis Complex on SJSU’s South Campus.

Gauvain is 1 of 16 players playing Saturday, July 28, and possibly, Sunday, July 29, for 1 of 4 berths in the singles’ main draw.

“It’s amazing,” Gauvain recently expressed upon learning of the opportunity to compete in a tournament that features 11 of the top-50 ranked players in the world headlined by No. 28 — Serena Williams, No. 14 — Venus Williams, and defending tournament champion No. 12 — Madison Keys. The qualifying tournament has Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) ranked players from 11 countries.

The Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic runs July 30 through August 5 and is the first stop in a 5-tournament tour leading up to the U.S. Open in New York in September.

Gauvain, a business administration major from France, was a model student-athlete. She graduated cum laude, was a key member in San Jose State’s Mountain West conference championship season in 2017, and finished her college career tied for third on the Spartans’ list for combined singles and doubles tennis victories with 132 in 3.5 seasons.

An Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) ranked singles player and 7-time All-Mountain West singles and doubles honoree during her career, Gauvain turned pro after graduation and will be playing in her third tournament as a pro.

“This is a great opportunity for Sybille (Gauvain) to be playing in the Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic singles qualification tournament. She was a stand-out player on our women’s tennis team and worked hard on the court to get to where she is,” said San Jose State women’s tennis head coach Chad Skorupka.

“Playing in the Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic is a high point in her early (professional) playing career and also highlights the great new facilities we have on the South Campus. For Sybille (Gauvain) to be playing in front of the San Jose State family will be amazing.”

Gauvain’s opponent and time of match on Saturday, July 28 will be announced on Friday, July 27. The eight winners on July 28 must win again the next day for a spot in the singles main draw that begins, Monday, July 30.

“I’m getting ready for this. I’m practicing harder. I’m thinking about it when I’m practicing,” said Gauvain. “It’s going to be like a ‘Grand Slam’ tournament with all the players who are going to be here.”

Notes: There will free parking in San Jose State’s Park & Ride Lot located at the corner of 7th and Humboldt Streets with less than a 0.25 mile walk to the Spartan Tennis Complex and free admission to watch the July 28 and July 29 Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic qualifying round singles matches.

The main tournament with a 32-player singles field and 16 doubles teams begins Monday, July 30, and concludes Sunday, August 5. The superb field includes Serena Williams, Venus Williams, and defending tournament champion Madison Keys.

Tickets for the singles and doubles matches of the Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic tournament beginning July 30 are available now at http://www.mubadalasvc.com/.