May 25, 2006

STANFORD, Calif. — South Carolina freshman Gira Schofield lost in the first round of the NCAA Women’s Tennis Singles Championship on Wednesday night at the Taube Tennis Center in Stanford, Calif.

Schofield lost a three-set match to 57th-ranked junior Anna Lubinsky from Texas A&M by a 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 count. It was the first career meeting between the two.

Schofield became the 13th Gamecock to compete in the NCAA Singles Championship and just the second to do so as a freshman. The other was Katarina Markovski (now Petrovic) — now USC’s assistant coach — in 1999.

The Boca Raton, Fla, native Schofield finished the 2005-06 season with an overall singles record of 25-11 and was 14-7 in dual matches playing exclusively at the No. 1 position. Her current national ranking is 48th, with the final poll being released Friday, June 2.

In addition to making the All-SEC Second Team in April, Schofield was named the Southeastern Conference’s Co-Freshman of the Year. She also took home ITA Southeast Region Rookie of the Year honors and was tabbed the Gamecocks’ team MVP.