Oct. 28, 2005

Columbia, S.C. – The South Carolina women’s tennis team got off to a fast start in their annual Southern Intercollegiate Tournament on Friday in Columbia. The Gamecocks went 7-0 in singles matches, and have a pair of underclassmen in Saturday’s semifinals.

Carolina’s freshman and sophomores picked up six of the squad’s seven wins, earning sophomore Megan McGavock and freshman Gira Schofield bids into the semifinal rounds of their respective brackets. Also advancing for the Gamecocks were freshman Natasa Vuckovic, redshirt sophomore Grace Blakely and senior Justine Walsh. Together, the five lost just one set and won 84 of the 108 games played in their matches.

USC put three teams on the court for doubles action, with McGavock and junior Laura Ganzer, as well as Schofield and Vuckovic advancing to the semifinals of their flights with 8-3 and 8-1 victories respectively. Carolina’s only loss of the day came in the top flight of doubles, where Walsh and Blakely could not overcome Macchi and Gyoreova of Brenau, falling 8-3 on court six at the Maxcy-Gregg Tennis Center.

Play resumes tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. with singles matches. The tournament is being contested at three different sites: the Maxcy-Gregg Tennis Center (USC women’s courts), the Sam Daniels Tennis Center (USC men’s courts), and the Columbia Tennis Center (at the corner of Pickens and Whaley St.).