Women's Tennis Preps for NCAA Match-up with #7 Duke :: Owls to face Blue Devils tomorrow at 10 a.m.

May 8, 2008

DURHAM, N.C.- Participating in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2003, the Temple woman's tennis team will have a challenge on their hands when they travel to Durham, N.C. to take on seventh-ranked Duke at the University's Ambler Tennis Stadium tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. The young Owls ,champions of the Atlantic 10, will play an experienced Blue Devils' (18-4) squad that is appearing in its 19th straight tournament after finishing second in the ACC.

"Playing a team the caliber of Duke is a great challenge for our program," states first-year head coach Jill Breslin. "We are excited to have won the Atlantic 10 Championship and qualify for the NCAAs, but now we want to prove that we belong."

At no earlier than 1:00 p.m., William & Mary (17-8) will square off against N.C. State (13-10). The winners of the first round matches will meet at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 10 with the winner of that contest advancing to the NCAA Championship finals, held May 15-26 at the Michael D. Case Tennis Center in Tulsa, Okla.

The Owls are one of the youngest teams in the field, sporting no seniors and just two juniors - Felicia Frazier (9-2, #6 singles) and Dina Senkina (13-5, #1-2 singles)- on their roster. Sophomore Elyse Steiner (10-4, #1-2 singles) teams with Senkina at doubles and the two have combined on 11 straight wins at the second slot.

Sophomore Anastasiia Rukavyshnykova has posted the most singles wins (17) while playing the fourth (6-4) and fifth (8-1) positions. Freshman Lucie Pazderova has 14 wins, including an 11-2 mark at third singles. Sophomore Christine Clermont (8-5) finished the season at fourth singles where she owns a 5-1 record.

The Blue Devils, the #7 team in the nation, will pose a tough challenge for the Owls. The ACC runner-up Blue Devils are led in singles by freshmen Ellah Nze and Reka Zsilinszka and in doubles by the duo of sophomore Amanda Granson and junior Melissa Mang.

Nze and Zsilinszka are ranked #21 and # 24 in the nation respectively heading into the match-up. Nze was named ACC Freshman of the Year for 2008 and joined Zsilinszka and Granson on the All-ACC team. The doubles pair of Granson and Mang are also ranked #8 in the nation.

Tickets for the first and second rounds are available for purchase at Duke University's Ambler Tennis Stadium on the day of the matches for $5, with seniors and student tickets on sale for $3.