April 30, 2008

COLUMBIA, S.C. — One day after the South Carolina women’s tennis team earned its 14th straight bid to the NCAA Tournament, two Gamecocks earned bids to the NCAA Individual Championships on Wednesday. It marks the first time since 2002 the Gamecocks will have representation in the team, singles and doubles tournaments.

Junior Gira Schofield received an invitation to the NCAA Singles Championship for the third consecutive year. Schofield is one of just three Gamecocks in school history to reach the 64-person tournament three years in a row. A fourth Gamecock, current assistant coach Katarina Petrovic, also made three appearances but not consecutively.

Schofield will also appear in the 32-team NCAA Doubles Championship for the first time in her career with sophomore Ana Marija Zubori. The last time South Carolina had a doubles tandem in the event was 2002 when Jennifer Radman and Kathy Boyanovich reached the second round. Radman was also the last player to compete in both tournaments before Schofield achieved the feat this year.