May 21, 2008
ATLANTA – Yellow Jacket women’s tennis standouts Amanda McDowell and Kristi Miller have advanced to the second round of the 2008 NCAA Singles Championships after opening the individual tournament with first round victories Wednesday afternoon at the Michael D. Case Tennis Center on the campus of the University of Tulsa.
McDowell, seeded seventh in the 2008 NCAA Singles Championships, recovered after dropping her first set to Vanderbilt’s Amanda Taylor to pull out a 1-6, 7-6, 6-1 victory to advance to a second-round match against South Carolina’s Gira Schofield, scheduled for Thursday afternoon.
Miller, also one of the top-16 seeds in the tournament, made easy work of Arizona’s Danielle Steinberg with a 6-3, 6-3 win in the first round, and will square off against California’s Claire Ilcinkas in the round of 32 Thursday.
Three other Yellow Jackets also earned bids to the 2008 NCAA Singles Championships, but only McDowell and Miller were able to advance.
Kirsten Flower dropped a 6-3, 6-0 match to Fresno State’s Melanie Gloria, Michigan’s Chisako Sugiyama downed Maya Johansson, 6-3, 6-4, and Kellie Schmitt of Marshall knocked out Tech’s Whitney McCray in three sets, 3-6, 6-2, 7-5.
Tech’s top doubles tandem of Miller and McCray, who earned All-America honors in doubles last season, will begin the 2008 NCAA Doubles Championships Thursday against TCU’s Macall Harkins and Anna Sydorska.
Live stats for all matches will be available at tulsahurricane.com.
Georgia Tech Singles Round of 64No. 7 Amanda McDowell (GT) d. Amanda Taylor (Vanderbilt), 1-6, 7-6, 6-1No. 9-16 Kristi Miller (GT) d. Danielle Steinberg (Arizona), 6-3, 6-3No. 9-16 Melanie Gloria (Fresno State) d. Kirsten Flower (GT), 6-3, 6-0Chisako Sugiyama (Michigan) d. Maya Johansson (GT), 6-3, 6-4Kellie Schmitt (Marshall) d. Whitney McCray (GT), 3-6, 6-2, 7-5
