May 5, 2005
ATLANTA – Georgia Tech freshman Kristi Miller received a bid to the NCAA Singles Championships, while the doubles team of Miller and sophomore Alison Silverio were awarded a bid to the NCAA Doubles Championships, the NCAA announced Thursday afternoon. The NCAA Individual Championships will be contested at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex on the campus of the University of Georgia May 23-28.
Miller, ranked 12th nationally, is among the 64 players selected to challenge for the NCAA singles title while the 17th-ranked duo of Miller and Silverio will be a part of the 32-team doubles field. The first round of singles will begin Monday, May 23 in Athens, which is also the site of this year’s NCAA Team Championships, while doubles play is slated to begin Tuesday, May 24. Both the singles and doubles championship finals will be contested Saturday, May 28.
“I’m really happy for Kristi,” said Georgia Tech head coach Bryan Shelton. “She has come out and just had a great season as one of the top collegiate players in the country. She has been consistent from day one, with her first tournament title at Baylor, until now. She’s just a great competitor and I think that she is well-deserving. To see her make it in both singles and doubles in her first year is also just an awesome achievement.”
It marks the first bid for both players, and just the first Yellow Jacket doubles team to ever make the Individual Championships. This marks the fourth consecutive year that an individual has represented Georgia Tech, as Jaime Wong participated in 2002 and 2003, and Lyndsay Shosho competed a year ago.
“I think that Alison is being rewarded for all of the hard work that she has put in since she’s been here,” added Shelton. “I’m excited for her to get a taste of the postseason with Kristi, as they have combined to be a very good team for us this year. I feel like we will be well-represented in that part of the championships with Kristi and Alison there.”
This season, Miller’s highest ranking came this past week, when she reached No. 12 in the singles poll. She currently has a 38-9 singles record, with her 38 victories setting a new single-season high for Georgia Tech. Miller and Silverio have reached as high as 11th in the nation in doubles play in 2005, and currently stand 17th with a doubles record of 23-12. They have each recorded 26 doubles wins this season, which breaks the old single-season doubles victories record of 23.
“It’s such an honor to represent my school in these championships,” said Silverio. “The whole team has worked hard this season, and we’re so excited about beginning the team competition so it’s just an incredible feeling to also be included in the individual championships as well.”
The team portion of the NCAA Championships get underway May 13-15 with first and second round competition held at 16 various campus sites around the country. The second round winners advance to the University of Georgia to compete in the round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals and national championship beginning May 19.
Georgia Tech is one of the 16 campus sites for first and second round action. Play will begin Friday, May 13 and the winners from Friday’s matches will meet Saturday, May 14 for the right to advance to the “Sweet 16” in Athens. Tickets are $5.00 for the general public and $3.00 for students, children and senior citizens.
