May 4, 2011

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Junior Anya Morgina from the No. 35-ranked South Carolina women’s tennis team received her first career invitation to the 64-person NCAA Singles Championship on Wednesday. The event takes place over May 25-30 in Stanford, Calif., at Taube Tennis Center.

Morgina is the top-ranked Gamecock at No. 44 in the nation for singles. She also holds a No. 40 ranking in doubles with Dominika Kanakova. Morgina went 13-10 playing at No. 1 singles the entire spring and had the most overall wins on the team with a 23-13 mark. The junior’s 8-3 record on court one in regular-season SEC play was the most wins of any player in the conference at the position and tied a school record for victories at No. 1 singles. Morgina earned seven victories over ranked players, including 2010 NCAA champion Chelsey Gullickson. Morgina earned a spot on the All-SEC First Team for her efforts.

With Morgina’s selection, South Carolina has placed a singles competitor or doubles team in 23 of 30 NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships. Laura Bernstein remains the only Gamecock to advance to the round of 16 in singles, doing so in 1983. In doubles, Helen Crook and Victoria Davies are the only South Carolina duo to go as far as the semifinals, which happened in 1994.

The draw for the singles and doubles tournaments will be determined at a coaches meeting Tuesday, May 24.