Gira Schofield

2007-08 (JUNIOR): Produced yet another great season for the Gamecocks playing at the No. 1 position in both singles and doubles … Went 23-15 in singles and 20-15 in doubles contests … One of five players on the team with at least 20 victories … Maintained a national singles ranking in the top 50 the entire season, a new achievement for her career … Named to the All-SEC Second Team, her third all-conference accolade in a row … Cracked the top 25 in the nation in early March for the first time … Ranked as high as No. 9 in the country in doubles with Ana Marija Zubori … Finished the year ranked 40th in singles and was seventh in the ITA Southeast Region … Was 34th in doubles with Zubori and the two came in at sixth for the region … Received an at-large bid to the NCAA Singles Championship for the third year in a row, making her one of just four players in school history to play in the tournament three times … Made the second round of NCAAs after defeating Ekaterina Burduli from Washington State in the first round 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 … Nearly beat seventh-seeded Amanda McDowell from Georgia Tech in the second round, losing 6-2, 4-6, 7-5 … McDowell went on to win the individual title by defeating her final four opponents in straight sets and did not lose more than six games to any of them … Schofield began the year ranked No. 36 in the fall … Scored a win against Tatsiana Uvarova from VCU at her first tournament in September, beating the nation[apos]s then-No. 26 player 6-1, 6-3 … Won the A-1 flight at the Southern Intercollegiate Championships in late October by defeating her teammate and doubles partner Zubori 0-6, 6-3, 6-3 … Gave a strong showing at the SEC Fall Coaches Classic by reaching the finals … Defeated players from Ole Miss and Alabama en route to the semifinals … Beat Amanda Taylor of Vanderbilt, ranked 20th at the time, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 to reach the championship match … Won her first five matches of the spring in singles play … Moved to the No. 2 position for a couple of early matches after coming back from a severe illness … It was the first time in Schofield[apos]s career she played anything except the top spot … Provided the clinching point in South Carolina[apos]s 4-3 win over Vanderbilt, a team ranked No. 14 at the time that went on to finish the season 10th … Was down 5-4 and 15-40 in the 10th game of her match with the Commodores[apos] Taylor serving and managed to fight off three match points before forcing a tiebreaker … Schofield won the match 6-7(7), 6-4, 7-6(4) … In an almost identical situation in the first round of the NCAA team tourney, Schofield provided the clinching point against VCU with the score tied 3-3 to propel Carolina into the second round … After splitting sets with Uvarova, Schofield took a 4-0 lead in the third but lost the next five games before holding serve twice to force a tiebreaker … In the breaker, Schofield fought off two match points before winning the match by scores of 6-2, 4-6, 7-6(7) … Playing doubles with Zubori, the duo[apos]s 10-3 fall record helped them crack the top 10 when the spring rankings were released in January … One of their fall victories came against Clemson[apos]s team of Mijacika/van Adrichem, who were No. 2 in the country at the time … Also beat then-No. 10 Whoriskey/Zubor of Tennessee, who went on to win the Riviera/ITA All-American Championships … At the SEC Fall Coaches Classic, Schofield and Zubori downed then-No. 6 Haney/Koning of Auburn … The duo had winning streaks of five, four and seven matches during the season … They stood 16-3 after a win against N.C. State in February … Schofield and Zubori won tournament titles at the Furman Fall Classic and the Southern Intercollegiate Championships playing in the top flights.

2006-07 (SOPHOMORE): Followed up her outstanding freshman season with an equally impressive sophomore campaign … Earned recognition on the All-SEC First Team, making her just the second Gamecock in school history to achieve first-team status … Ended the season with a national singles ranking of 53rd and was as high as No. 39 … Ranked No. 7 in the ITA Southeast Region for singles … Her doubles play with partner Ana Marija Zubori earned a national billing of 18th at one point during the spring … The duo finished the year ranked No. 40 … Competed in the NCAA Singles Championship for the second year in a row … Lost to Tracy Lin from UCLA in the first round 7-6(4), 6-2 … Players she defeated during the season who held a national ranking in the final listing included Fani Chifchieva of Auburn (16), Ela Kaluder of Arkansas (38), Martina Banikova of Mississippi State (43), Ilona Somers of Ole Miss (46), Kellie Schmitt of Marshall (73), Ashley Joelson of UCLA (112) and Laura Gioia of Furman (116) … A member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll for a second consecutive year … Compiled a 17-16 overall record in singles matches and was 13-9 playing exclusively at the No. 1 singles position for dual matches … Her record in SEC matches was 6-5 … In doubles, Schofield was 19-14 and 11-10 in duals with all but one match coming at the top slot … Bothered by injuries during the fall that limited her playing time … Still performed well in doubles with Zubori, as the tandem claimed the A-1 flight at the Southern Intercollegiate Championships … The two reached the final of the A flight at the SEC Fall Coaches Classic after defeating teams from Florida, Kentucky and Vanderbilt … Suffered an 8-6 setback to Georgia[apos]s Y. Hyndman/Ivanov in the championship match … Later defeated the Bulldog team in the spring 8-3 when the UGA duo was ranked No. 15 … Came back to win her first four singles matches in the spring, three of which came in straight sets … Won seven of her first nine matches to begin the dual season … Scored two big wins against Marshall, first in doubles against Kever/Schmitt, who were ranked 27th at the time, and then in singles 6-4, 6-2 against then-No. 28 Schmitt … Nearly defeated Megan Falcon from LSU on the road when Falcon was ranked No. 2 in the country … Lost the match 6-7, 7-6, 6-1 to Falcon, who also finished the season ranked second … Also fell in close matches with Blakeley Griffith of Tennessee and Amanda Fish of Vanderbilt in April … Schofield was defeated 7-5 in the third against Griffith and dropped a 10-7 super tiebreaker to Fish … Had a winning streak of seven matches during the spring in doubles with Zubori and won 11 of 12 after losing the first match of the spring.

2005-06 (FRESHMAN): Had one of the best freshman years in South Carolina history … Named second-team All-SEC … Also tabbed SEC Co-Freshman of the Year, becoming the first Carolina player to earn the accolade from the Southeastern Conference … Became the second Gamecock to win the ITA Southeast Region Rookie of the Year award … Won the Gamecocks[apos] 2006 MVP award as well … Was an at-large selection for the NCAA Singles Championship in Stanford, Calif., to become just the second South Carolina freshman to make the field … Finished the year ranked No. 54 in the nation in singles … Stayed among the top 70 in singles the entire spring, reaching a high of 46th in late February … Lost back-to-back matches in singles just one time the entire season … Went 25-11 overall and 14-7 in duals while playing exclusively at the No. 1 singles position … Held a 5-6 mark in SEC matches … In doubles, Schofield registered a 19-17 slate, tying her with fellow freshman Natasa Vuckovic for the team lead in victories … Played every doubles match during the spring season at the top slot as well … Defeated four ranked players in the spring … The first was Frederica van Adrichem from Clemson, who was 41st at the time … Within a week during April, Schofield beat players ranked No. 12 and No. 15 at the time of the match … The first was Robin Stephenson of Alabama, who lost in straight sets … The second was Vanderbilt[apos]s Amanda Fish … Defeated Kseniia Tokarieva from Mississippi in the first round of the SEC Tournament to help the Gamecocks win 4-1 after losing the doubles point … Tokarieva was the player with which Schofield shared SEC Freshman of the Year honors … Finished the fall at 10-2 with a couple of tournament crowns … Her first was the Southern Intercollegiate Championships … Schofield[apos]s last tourney championship was at the SEC Fall Coaches Classic by downing teammate Vuckovic in the final in three sets … Played doubles with Laura Ganzer, Megan McGavock and Vuckovic … Was 10-11 in dual matches for doubles play … Made the SEC Freshmen Academic Honor Roll, as well as the Athletics Director[apos]s Honor Roll for the fall and spring semesters.

HIGH SCHOOL: Attended American Heritage Boca Delray High School … Ranked No. 1 in Florida in the girls[apos] 16s and finished No. 2 in the nation … Won the state championship at her high school during her junior season and the team finished second in her senior season … During her junior year of high school, she won the Best Newcomer of the Year award and the team MVP as a senior … Finished second at the girls[apos] 16s National Clay Courts and second at the girls[apos] 18s Bush Florida Open tournament.

PERSONAL: Is an exercise science major … Her birthday is Aug. 29, 1986 … Parents are Dr. Fred and Susan Schofield … Has two older brothers, F.J. and Paxton.

CAREER STATISTICS