Oct. 1, 2009

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Ana Marija Zubori, Miljana Jocic, Madeleine Saari-Byström and Josefin Andersson from the South Carolina women’s tennis team will compete in Ann Arbor, Mich., beginning Friday at 10 a.m. in the Wolverine Invitational.

In addition to South Carolina and host Michigan, other teams in the field include Eastern Michigan, Marquette, Miami (Ohio), Purdue and Western Michigan.

The Wolverine Invitational marks just the second tournament of the fall thus far for Zubori, who is the highest ranked member of the Gamecocks’ squad at No. 29 in the nation. At the SEC Fall Coaches Classic, she went 2-1 and recorded victories against No. 49 Karen Nijssen of Ole Miss and No. 33 Anastasia Revzina from Florida. Zubori faces Julia Breuss from Eastern Michigan in the first round of the maize draw.

Jocic continues her busy fall campaign as the only Gamecock who will have competed in the team’s first four tournaments. Jocic has a team best 8-2 record through three events and won her flight at the SEC Fall Coaches Classic. She claimed the backdraw at the UVa Invitational and reached the finals of the Furman Fall Classic last weekend. Jocic takes on Michelle Sammons of Purdue on Friday in the maize draw.

Saari-Byström is ready for her second tourney of the fall having competed in Greenville, S.C., last weekend to get her collegiate career started. She posted a 1-2 record in singles and nearly missed snagging a victory against No. 99 Ina Hadziselimovic of Clemson when she lost 6-4 in a third set. Saari-Byström and Anya Morgina posted a 2-1 record together in doubles playing in the top flight against a difficult field that included seven schools that finished the 2009 season ranked in the top 25. She also plays in the maize draw Friday against Purdue’s Jennifer Rabot.

Andersson posted 1-2 records at both the SEC Fall Coaches Classic and Furman Fall Classic. At Furman, she picked up a win against Estefania Balda, an experienced player from Clemson. She and Dijana Stojic went 2-1 at the SEC event and were 1-2 together in Greenville. Andersson is scheduled to play in the blue draw versus Kelly Barry from Marquette.

Following the Wolverine Invitational, the Gamecocks will send team members to Evanston, Ill., for the Wildcat Invitational hosted by Northwestern.