May 5, 2010

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Senior Ana Marija Zubori and sophomore Dijana Stojic received bids Wednesday to represent South Carolina in the NCAA individual women’s tennis championships in Athens, Ga., over May 26-31 at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex.

Zubori will play in both the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships for the second year in a row, becoming the first player in school history to play each tournament in back-to-back years. She is currently ranked No. 39 in the nation in singles, her highest ranking of the spring since mid-February when she was 38th. Zubori has played every dual match at No. 1 singles this year and is 12-11 at the position. She earned first-team All-SEC honors for the second year in a row to become the first multiple-time first-team selection in school history.

Stojic earned her first all-conference honor this year when she made the All-SEC Second Team, and she appeared on the SEC All-Tournament Team as well. Stojic and Zubori combine to form the No. 15-ranked doubles team in the country. They have played the No. 1 doubles spot in every dual match this spring and went 13-8. Overall, Stojic and Zubori own a 16-8 record together and have defeated six ranked duos. In the most recent doubles rankings, the Gamecocks’ top tandem has defeated teams ranked Nos. 8, 12, 16 and 22.

South Carolina has received representation in the individual women’s tennis championships 23 times in the event’s now 29-year history. Laura Bernstein remains the only Gamecock to advance as far as the round of 16 in singles, doing so in 1983. In doubles, Helen Crook and Victoria Davies have the best finish of any duo when they reached the semifinals in 1994.

The NCAA Singles Championship consists of 64 players, while the doubles features 32 teams. Play for singles kicks off Wednesday, May 26, while doubles begins Thursday, May 27. One round of the tournaments will be played each day, culminating with the national championships Monday, May 31. The draw for both tournaments will be announced Tuesday, May 25.