W Tennis Opens in NCAA Tourney this Weekend

[Brad]

Courtesy USF

USF WOMEN’S TENNIS

Women’s Tennis Opens NCAA Tournament Play This Weekend

TAMPA, Fla. (May 9, 2007) – The No. 32 University of South Florida women’s tennis team will participate in its seventh overall NCAA Tournament this weekend as it travels to Gainesville to face No. 27 Florida International in regional action on Sat., May 12 at 1 p.m.

The Bulls earned an automatic bid to the tournament when they won the team’s first-ever BIG EAST Championship, a thrilling 4-3 victory over No. 2 Notre Dame, two weeks ago in Tampa.  The title is the first for USF in the BIG EAST in any sport.

Opposing the Bulls in the opening round, FIU seized its NCAA bid by winning a third-straight Sun Belt Conference title.  The Golden Panthers have amassed a 19-4 record on the year, including the last 13 in a row.  USF and FIU squared off in both teams’ season finales this year, with FIU coming out on top, 4-2 on April 15 in Miami.

USF possesses a 15-7 overall record, including wins in seven of its last eight events.  The team has perfect records in matches played at neutral sites (4-0) and in Saturday matches (5-0) this season.  

The team boasts two nationally-ranked singles players, No. 28 Shadisha Robinson and No. 61 Courtney Vernon.  Both athletes were named to the BIG EAST All-Tournament team for singles play, and also as a doubles team, following the conference championships.  Robinson also picked up distinction as the women’s Most Outstanding Player in the conference.

This year marks the second consecutive that the Bulls have participated in the NCAA Tournament.  The team drew an at-large bid last year as runner-up in the BIG EAST and upset No. 35 Maryland 4-0 in its first match before falling to No. 2 UF in the second round.

Should the Bulls advance this Saturday, they will face the winner of No. 4 Florida and No. 71 Jacksonville.  That regional final match will be played on Sun., May 13 at 1 p.m., also at the Ring Tennis Complex in Gainesville.  

From there, the winner will then advance to Athens, Ga., to compete as one of the final 16 teams in the country to vie for the national title.  Round of 16 play begins Fri., May 18.