Challenging Field Awaits Gamecocks at Furman Fall Classic

Sept. 25, 2008

COLUMBIA, S.C. — A challenging field awaits the South Carolina women’s tennis team over Friday through Sunday at the Furman Fall Classic in Greenville, S.C.

In addition to the Gamecocks, players from Clemson, Florida State, Furman, North Carolina, Northwestern, Tennessee and Vanderbilt will compete in the event. Every team competed in the 2008 NCAA Tournament and all but one advanced to at least the second round.

Play begins at 9 a.m. Friday with doubles and continues with a second doubles match at 10:30 a.m. Singles matches start at 1 p.m. On Saturday, doubles contests begin the day again at 9 a.m. followed with singles at 10:30 a.m. Only singles matches will be played Sunday starting at 9 a.m.

South Carolina junior Ana Marija Zubori, ranked No. 54 in the country, is set to compete in flight one against No. 23 Katrina Tsang in the first round Friday. Other players in the draw include No. 2 Ani Mijacika of Clemson, No. 24 Katie Rybakova of Florida State, No. 40 Catherine Newman of Vanderbilt and No. 72 Laura Gioia of Furman.

In flight two, Gamecock senior Natasa Vuckovic will meet Northwestern’s Maria Mosolova, the nation’s No. 6-ranked player, in the first round. Other ranked players competing in flight two include No. 37 Caitlin Whoriskey from Tennessee and No. 53 Lauren MacFarlane of Florida State.

Miljana Jocic squares off in flight three against Jessica Preeg from Furman in the first round. The only ranked player in the field is No. 11 Georgia Rose from Northwestern.

Jelena Rajic will compete in flight four for the Gamecocks, first playing North Carolina’s Laura Reichert. Unlike flight three, the field includes three ranked players with No. 30 Samantha Murray from Northwestern, No. 56 Courtney Ulery of Vanderbilt and No. 113 Federica Suess of Florida State.

Suzanna Mansour is set to play Susan Bitetti from Furman in the first round in flight five and could possibly face two ranked players among the field in No. 36 Lauren Lui from Northwestern and No. 108 Federica van Adrichem of Clemson.

Rounding out South Carolina’s group of competitors is Ashley Miller, who will play Jennifer Betts from Furman in flight six. Flights six and seven do not contain any ranked individuals.

In doubles action in the first flight, Vuckovic and Zubori will team up to face the 17th-ranked Clemson tandem of Mijacika/van Adrichem on Friday morning. Flight one also includes the ranked teams of No. 33 Sorbello/Whoriskey (Tennessee), No. 35 Newman/C. Ulery (Vanderbilt) and No. 40 MacFarlane/Rybakova (Florida State).

Jocic and Mansour face No. 29 Murray/Robison from Northwestern to start play in flight two, while Miller and Rajic take on Vanderbilt duo Blatt/Robertson in flight three.