Sept. 11, 2008

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Gira Schofield and Ana Marija Zubori from the South Carolina women’s tennis team are listed among the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s preseason national rankings.

Schofield enters the fall campaign ranked No. 31 in the nation for singles play, while Zubori holds down the No. 54 position. The two are ranked No. 19 as a doubles team as well.

The No. 31 ranking for Schofield is five spots higher than where she began the fall last year, and Zubori is 23 spots ahead of her fall ranking in 2007. They are ranked four positions ahead of the pace from last fall in doubles.

Schofield, who is now entering her senior season, is a three-time All-SEC Team member and finished last season with a 23-15 singles record. She earned a final billing of 40th nationally after just missing the round of 16 at the NCAA Singles Championship. Schofield has played all but two matches in her career at No. 1 singles for the Gamecocks.

Zubori, a junior, fought off numerous injuries in the spring but still managed a 22-11 record in singles. She finished second on the team in dual match victories with a 14-6 record and was 7-3 against SEC opponents. Zubori has played the majority of her matches at No. 2 singles and has been honored on the All-SEC Team in each of her two seasons as a Gamecock.

South Carolina gets its fall season underway with the UVa Invitational in Charlottesville, Va., over Sept. 19-21.