Jan. 11, 2007

COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina women’s tennis coach Arlo Elkins announced his team’s spring schedule Thursday. The Gamecocks will compete in 19 dual matches, including 11 against SEC teams.

South Carolina opens its 2007 slate hosting East Tennessee State at 5 p.m. Jan. 24 at the Indoor Fieldhouse. The Gamecocks’ first road match takes place the following week at Furman on Jan. 30. Winthrop and Davidson visit Columbia, S.C., on Feb. 7 and 11 at 5 and 1:30 p.m. Carolina closes out its non-conference schedule with contests at N.C. State and Clemson on Feb. 24 and 25, and then hosts Marshall at 2 p.m. Feb. 28.

Mississippi State and Mississippi represent the Gamecocks’ first SEC opponents March 2 and 4 at home at 2 and 1 p.m. South Carolina then hits the road for five straight matches at Georgia (March 9), Tennessee (March 11), College of Charleston (March 15), LSU (March 23) and Arkansas (March 25). The Gamecocks face Auburn, Alabama and Kentucky at home March 30 and April 1 and 6, with Kentucky being their final home match. USC travels to Vanderbilt (April 8) and Florida (April 14) for its final regular-season matches.

The SEC Tournament takes place over April 19-22 in Lexington, Ky., with Kentucky serving as the host institution. First- and second-round NCAA competition gets underway during May 11-13 at 16 campus sites that will be determined when the field is announced. The NCAA Championships, which includes the singles and doubles tournaments, will be played in Athens, Ga., from May 18-28.

“With our SEC schedule and nationally ranked non-conference teams, we have a tremendous opportunity to compete against the nation’s best,” Elkins said. “Our schedule gives us a chance to reach our lofty goals of a high team ranking and SEC finish and qualifying individual players for national tournaments.”