Jan. 24, 2008
ATLANTA – The top-ranked Georgia Tech women’s tennis team will play their first home match since capturing the 2007 NCAA Title this weekend when it hosts the University of South Florida at the Bill Moore Tennis Center Saturday at 1 p.m.
Admission is free. Fans unable to attend the match can follow live stats by visiting Ramblinwreck.com.
“The entire team is excited about getting back to play in front of our fans at Georgia Tech after the high of winning the national title last season,” head coach Bryan Shelton said. “We hope to keep the momentum going as long as we can. We have a great team, and I think it will be exciting for fans to see one of the best teams in the nation play in Atlanta this weekend.”
The Yellow Jackets are coming off a 7-0 season-opening win against No. 27 Auburn Wednesday and will face a talented Bulls team that is ranked 29th in the nation in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association poll. USF swept its first four matches of the season against Florida Gulf Coast, Florida Atlantic, North Florida and Bethune Cookman, and will face both Stetson and Winthrop prior to their match against the Yellow Jackets this weekend.
USF leads the series with a 4-1 record against the Yellow Jackets, but Tech earned a 5-2 win against the Bulls a year ago in Tampa. USF’s last victory against the Jackets came on Feb. 8, 1997 in Florida, while its last win in Atlanta occurred during the 1991 season.
“USF is a tough opponent that we have a lot of respect for,” Shelton added. “They are coming in with several matches already under their belt this season and they have a very strong team. Our home court schedule isn’t going to get any easier as we continue to play the top programs in the nation, pushing ourselves in every match.”
Georgia Tech picked up singles wins from No. 3 Amanda McDowell, No. 7 Kristi Miller, No. 22 Whitney McCray, No. 38 Christy Striplin, No. 56 Noelle Hickey and Kirsten Flower Wednesday afternoon after breezing through doubles with wins at all three lines. Tech has won a total of 96 singles matches already this season in addition to posting 30 doubles victories.
The Yellow Jackets look to extend their dual-match winning streak to 23, dating back to the 2007. Tech’s last loss came on March 3, 2007, in a 4-3 defeat at the hands of 13th-ranked Clemson on the road.
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