Feb. 24, 2006

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The 24th-ranked University of South Carolina women’s tennis team (5-1) travels to Providence, R. I., on Saturday and Boston on Sunday to play Brown and 13th-ranked Harvard, respectively. Both matches begin at 11 a.m.

Saturday’s match with Brown is the first-ever meeting between the two schools. The Bears are 3-4 this season with wins against Syracuse, Massachusetts and Boston University.

South Carolina is 2-0 all-time against Harvard and last defeated the Crimson on March 13, 2004 by a score of 5-2. Harvard (5-3) is led in doubles by the fourth-ranked duo of juniors Elsa O’Riain and Melissa Anderson, and in singles by O’Riain in 66th and Anderson in 72nd.

In the Fila Collegiate Tennis Rankings released Tuesday, South Carolina freshman Gira Schofield jumped to 46th from a tie for 59th in singles, while the Gamecocks moved up two spots in the team standings from 26th to 24th.

The Gamecocks won four straight singles matches in a 4-3 win over in-state rival Clemson on Sunday with sophomore Megan McGavock clinching the victory in the fifth singles position. Schofield rallied to earn a 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 upset of Frederica van Adrichem, then ranked 41st in the nation, and junior Laura Ganzer and freshman Natasa Vuckovic also earned singles wins for South Carolina.

After playing Brown and Harvard, the Gamecocks open SEC competition on the road with matches against No. 75 Mississippi State on March 3 and No. 35 Mississippi on March 5.