March 9, 2004
ATLANTA – The Georgia Tech women’s tennis team will face its toughest test of the 2004 season when it hosts instate rival Georgia Thursday at 2 p.m. at the Bill Moore Tennis Center. The Bulldogs enter the contest ranked second in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association Poll, while the Jackets stand at No. 38 in the rankings.
The Jackets are coming off back-to-back wins to open Atlantic Coast Conference play, as they knocked off the 29th-ranked Demon Deacons of Wake Forest, 6-1, Saturday and followed that up with a 4-3 victory over NC State Sunday afternoon. Kelly Anderson led the Jackets on the weekend, posting perfect 2-0 marks in both singles and doubles, while sophomore Lyndsay Shosho earned a straight-set victory over the 10th-ranked singles player in the country Saturday afternoon.
“We feel pretty good going into the match,” said Tech head coach Bryan Shelton. “We played some good teams this past weekend, and we’re feeling really good. We had a good practice today, and we’re looking to have another one tomorrow leading into the match Thursday.
Shosho moved into 62nd in the singles rankings according to the ITA, as she stands at 5-5 at the top of the Jackets’ lineup. Anderson leads Tech with an 8-2 record this spring, while Sekita Grant, Maria Nieto and Alison Silverio have all earned seven singles victories. Nieto and Shosho lead the Jackets with six doubles victories in 2004, while Silverio and Stauss have each earned five wins this dual-match season.
The Bulldogs boast a trio of ranked singles players, including a pair ranked in the top 10 according to the latest ITA Poll. Agata Cioroch is ranked fourth this week, after spending much of the past two years atop the singles rankings, while Shadisha Robinson stands at 10th in the rankings. Rounding out the poll is Evgenia Subbotina, ranked 70th among singles players around the nation. Georgia’s duo of Ciorach and Robinson also enter the match ranked in the top 10 in doubles play, as they stand fourth according to the ITA.
“They are one of the premier teams this year,” said Shelton. “Agata has been the top player in the country in the past two years, and she’s right up there again this season; she’s a very accomplished player. Shadisha is another player that is one of the best in the country, and it’s that way all the way down their lineup. We’re playing very well right now, and we’re going to be up for the match. We’re excited about playing a team of this caliber since we haven’t faced anyone ranked this high thus far this season.”
Following the match, the Jackets will return to action when they host Ohio State Sunday afternoon at the Bill Moore Tennis Center.
