TCU Set For NCAA First Round With Gamecocks
5/13/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
May 13, 2010
LIVE SCORING | NCAA INTERACTIVE BRACKET
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The TCU women's tennis team will take on No. 18 South Carolina to open the 2010 NCAA Team Championship Friday at the Scott Speicher Tennis Center on the campus of Florida State University. The Horned Frogs are set to make their seventh-straight NCAA appearance and 13th overall showing.
TCU comes into the weekend after defeating San Diego State in the Mountain West Conference Tournament Championship on May 1. Senior Nina Munch-Soegaard, junior Katariina Tuohimaa and sophomore Kayla Duncan garnered All-MWC singles honors, while Duncan and Tuohimaa teamed up for all-MWC doubles accolades for the second year in a row. The Purple and White ride a four-match winning streak into the weekend.
Tuohimaa currently paces the Purple and White with a 17-9 singles record. The Helsinki, Finland native teamed up with Duncan lead the Frogs with a 13-6 doubles clip, highlighted by a 5-1 ledger against nationally ranked opponents. The No. 46 duo claimed the league's automatic bid into the NCAA Doubles Championship, while Munch-Soegaard, the 55th-ranked singles player in the country, will also represent the Frogs in the NCAA Singles Championship.
The Gamecocks (16-8, 7-4 SEC) enter the tournament after reaching the semifinals of the SEC Tournament for just the third time in school history and first time since 2002. Last season, South Carolina advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals for just the second time in school history, storming past Wake Forest, Tennessee and Washington. South Carolina has now been selected for the NCAA Tournament 20 times in the event's 29-year history, and the Gamecocks are one of just 18 teams in the country to have received at least 20 bids.
USC is led by senior Ana Marija Zubori and sophomore Dijana Stojic. Zubori, ranked No. 39 in singles, will play in both the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships for the second year in a row. The Mulhouse, France product has played every dual match at No. 1 singles this year and is 12-11 at the position. Zubori and Stojic combine to form the No. 15-ranked doubles team in the country and own a 16-8 record together.
South Carolina has dominated TCU in the all-time series, holding a 14-3 advantage over the Frogs. However, TCU has earned wins in three of the last four meetings, including the last matchup in 2001.
First serve is set for 9 a.m. CT Friday and fans can follow the live action from GoFrogs.com. Visit NCAAsports.com for complete coverage of the 2010 NCAA Division I Women's Tennis Championships.
