Sept. 20, 2007

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina women’s tennis team will gets its 2007 fall schedule underway in Charlottesville, Va., at the inaugural UVa Invitational from Friday to Sunday. In addition to host Virginia, the Gamecocks will be joined by Marshall, Old Dominion, UNC Greensboro, VCU and William & Mary in the tournament.

Two Gamecocks are among the national singles rankings this fall, led by junior Gira Schofield at 36th. It marks the highest ranking of Schofield’s career, as her previous best was No. 39 during fall 2006. Sophomore Ana Marija Zubori, who celebrated her 21st birthday last week, is ranked 77th, also a career best. Schofield and Zubori also are ranked as a doubles team at No. 23.

Four other nationally-ranked singles players are among the competitors in Charlottesville with Tatsiana Uvarova of VCU (No. 26), Katarina Zoricic of William & Mary (No. 46), Kellie Schmitt of Marshall (No. 48) and Ragini Acharya of William & Mary (No. 90).

Gamecock junior Natasa Vuckovic will play at the UVa Invitational as well. A second-team All-SEC member a year ago, Vuckovic led the Gamecocks in dual-match victories with a 19-3 record and was 9-1 in SEC matches. She held a 20-10 mark in doubles and was 16-6 in duals as well.

Megan McGavock is the lone senior on South Carolina’s squad for the 2007-08 school year. She ended the prior season with a 13-13 record in singles and went 12-9 in doubles. McGavock won the clinching-match for the Gamecocks against Kentucky in three sets against Jessica Giuggioli to give South Carolina a first-round bye in the SEC Tournament.

Florida State transfer Suzanna Mansour is one of two Gamecock newcomers for the fall. Mansour has a 25-24 career singles record and went 8-5 last fall before sitting out the spring season. She also went 6-2 in doubles matches and was 10-7 in duals during her freshman year.

Miljana Jocic is South Carolina’s only true freshman, hailing from Novi Sad, Serbia. She competed in several ITF Junior events prior to joining the Gamecocks and was a semifinalist at a tournament in Pancevo, Serbia.

Gamecock head coach Arlo Elkins returns for his 25th season at the helm of the women’s tennis program. He owns a career record of 370-242 (.605) and is 97-79 (.551) in SEC matches. Elkins is joined by assistant coach and former South Carolina great Katarina Petrovic, who enters her fourth season.