2013-14 LPRT Season Review & Statistical Abstract

Before the 2014-15 Ladies Pro Racquetball Tour (LPRT) season starts, let's review the 2013-14 LPRT season. You likely haven't forgotten that Paola Longoria was undefeated last season, and that was her third consecutive undefeated season. This begs the question: will she lose this season?

Longoria was forced to a tie-breaker in the finals of the last two LPRT events last season (once by Rhonda Rajsich and once by Maria Jose Vargas) while she was winning finals in three straight games early in the season. Also, last year saw several good young players, such as Vargas, play regularly on tour - helped in part by the LPRT Scholarship program - and that raised the level of competitiveness of the tour and should continue to do so this season.

However, we don't recommend betting against the favourite. Ever, really.

Greatest ever?

In the men's game, people often talk about Kane Waselenchuk, the current #1 player, in the context of the greatest players ever, but that hasn't happened much in the women's game, which is kind of strange. Perhaps the reason is that the players Waselenchuk is compared to - Cliff Swain and Sudsy Monchik - were active relatively recently (the late 90s and early 2000s), while the players we'd want to compare Longoria to - Lynn Adams, Heather McKay and Michelle Gould - played longer ago.

Some of the other elite women players who have been active since 2000 should also be in the "Best Ever" discussion. Players like Jackie Paraiso, Cheryl Gudinas, Christie Van Hees and Rajsich. Longoria's competed against all of them and undoubtedly has a winning record against them.

However, Longoria has come along at a time when the elite players were aging. Consider the top 5 players in each of the five women's pro seasons prior to last season. Of the twenty five slots, players under 30 years old and not name Longoria occupied only five of those slots (20%). Those five slots were shared by three players: Samantha Salas (2), Adrienne Haynes (2) and Kristen Bellows, yet in their careers those three players have only been to a few finals. Salas and Bellow have played in five pro finals and each has one once. Fisher has only been in one final in her career. In comparison, Rajsich has been a finalist 70 times and Gudinas 78.

It's always difficult to answer the "All Time Best" question, but it's perhaps even more difficult to put Longoria's accomplishments in an overall context than usual.

One thing is certain: Longoria's beating everyone she faces.

Statistical Abstract

There were 296 LPRT matches last season, which was up from 249 in 2012-13 and 171 in 2011-12. We've got a run down of some stats from those matches below.

The first thing to note is that last season was more competitive than past seasons, as 22 players made the quarter finals or better last season compared with 19 the year before and 13 in 2011-12.

From the curiosity department: Frédérique Lambert was on the winning and losing side in matches with the smallest difference in total points between match winner & loser. She defeated Sharon Jackson despite having ten fewer points, 3-11, 11-8, 11-7, 0-11, 11-9 to win in Stockton, but also lost in Miami against Jordan Cooperrider, 2-11, 11-5, 2-11, 11-9, 11-9, although she scored eight more points.

2013-14 LPRT Season Summary by Player
LPRT Rank - Player - Wins - 2nds - Semi-finals - Quarterfinals

1) Paola Longoria - 12 wins, 0 seconds, 0 semi-finals, 0 quarterfinals
2) Rhonda Rajsich - 6 seconds, 3 semi-finals, 2 quarterfinals
3) Maria Jose Vargas - 3 seconds, 8 semi-finals
4) Samantha Salas - 8 semi-finals, 1 quarterfinal
5) Cristina Amaya - 1 second, 1 semi-final, 6 quarterfinals

6) Frédérique Lambert - 1 second, 2 semi-finals, 3 quarterfinals
7) Aubrey Kirch - 8 quarterfinals
8) Susana Acosta - 1 semi-final, 3 quarterfinals
9) Veronica Sotomayor - 1 second, 4 quarterfinals
10) Da'monique Davis - 4 quarterfinals

11) Cheryl Gudinas - 5 quarterfinals
12) Sofia Rascon - 1 semi-final
13) Adrienne Haynes - 1 quarterfinal
14) Maria Paz Muñoz - 2 quarterfinals
15) Michelle Key - 1 quarterfinal

16) Sharon Jackson - 1 quarterfinal
17) Jennifer Saunders - 2 quarterfinals
20) T.J. Baumbaugh - 1 quarterfinal
22) Linda Tyler - 1 quarterfinal
25) Janel Tisinger - 1 quarterfinal

27) Jackie Paraiso - 1 quarterfinal
37) Lucia Gonzalez - 1 quarterfinal

2013-14 LPRT Season Summary by Tournament
Tournament - Final - Semi Finalists

Stockton - Paola Longoria d. Veronica Sotomayor, 11-1, 11-9, 11-3 - Sofia Rascon & Maria Jose Vargas
Toluca, Mexico - Paola Longoria d. Cristina Amaya, 11-1, 11-3, 11-7 - Maria Jose Vargas & Frédérique Lambert
US Open - Paola Longoria d. Rhonda Rajsich, 11-4, 11-1, 11-7 - Samantha Salas & Susana Acosta
Arlington, VA - Paola Longoria d. Rhonda Rajsich, 11-2, 11-5, 11-5 - Maria Jose Vargas & Cristina Amaya
Monterrey, Mexico - Paola Longoria d. Rhonda Rajsich, 11-9, 13-11, 11-4 - Samantha Salas & Maria Jose Vargas
Cincinnati - Paola Longoria d. Rhonda Rajsich, 5-11, 11-2, 11-1, 11-4 - Maria Jose Vargas & Frédérique Lambert
Overland Park, Kansas - Paola Longoria d. Maria Jose Vargas, 8-11, 11-5, 11-4, 11-4 - Samantha Salas & Rhonda Rajsich
Warren, N.J. - Paola Longoria d. Frédérique Lambert, 11-6, 11-4, 11-5 - Samantha Salas & Maria Jose Vargas
Miami - Paola Longoria d. Maria Jose Vargas, 11-2, 11-1, 11-3 - Samantha Salas & Rhonda Rajsich
Reseda, Calif. - Paola Longoria d. Rhonda Rajsich, 5-11, 11-8, 11-5, 11-9 - Samantha Salas & Maria Jose Vargas
San Antonio - Paola Longoria d. Rhonda Rajsich, 6-11, 6-11, 11-3, 11-5, 11-7 - Samantha Salas & Maria Jose Vargas
Herndon, Virginia - Paola Longoria d. Maria Jose Vargas, 11-2, 3-11, 8-11, 11-3, 11-3 - Samantha Salas & Rhonda Rajsich

Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT)
2013-14 Statistical Abstract

Matches going 3 games: 173 (58.4%)
Matches going 4 games: 74 (25%)
Matches going 5 games: 45 (15.2%)
Total matches: 296 (3 results forfeit, 1 absent score)

Most Points in a match: 102 by Susana Acosta & Janel Tisinger at US Open, where Acosta won 11-13, 8-11, 12-10, 11-4, 12-10
2nd Most Points in a match: 98 by Cristina Amaya & Cheryl Gudinas at Christmas Classic, where Amaya won 12-14, 9-11, 11-4, 11-8, 11-7

Fewest points in a match: 36 on four occasions: (i) Cheryl Gudinas d. Jocelyn Loredo, 11-1, 11-1, 11-1, at Cincinnati, (ii) Alexandra Herrera d. Cecilia Orozco, 11-0, 11-1, 11-2, at San Antonio, (iii) Maria Jose Vargas d. Carlina Luque, 11-2, 11-1, 11-0, at San Antonio, (iv) Sofia Rascon d. Erin Rivera, 11-1, 11-1, 11-1, at Toluca, Mexico

Most Points in a win: 54 (i) Susana Acosta against Janel Tisinger at US Open & (ii) Cristina Amaya against Cheryl Gudinas at Christmas Classic
2nd Most Points in a win: 53 - Aubrey Kirch against Janel Tisinger at Reseda, Calif.

Most Points in a loss: 50 by Michelle Key versus Aubrey Kirch at New Jersey Open
2nd Most Points in a loss: 48 by (i) Janel Tisinger versus Susana Acosta at US Open, (ii) Jennifer Saunders versus Aubrey Kirch at US Open

Smallest difference in total points between match winner & loser: -10 in Frédérique Lambert's win against Sharon Jackson, 3-11, 11-8, 11-7, 0-11, 11-9
2nd smallest difference in total points: -8 in Jordan Cooperrider's win against Frédérique Lambert, 2-11, 11-5, 2-11, 11-9, 11-9

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