Nov. 11, 2015
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Senior Frances Altick and sophomore Sydney Campbell head to New York for the fourth national championship on the 2015-16 ITA National Tournament calendar, the National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships.The NIIC features 32 of the nation’s elite men’s and women’s singles players, as well as 20 outstanding men’s and women’s doubles teams.
Both student athletes have worked tirelessly for the opportunity to compete on one of the biggest stages in tennis, let alone college tennis; the home of the US Open, the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Complex.
Altick enters tournament competition after defeating fellow Commodore, Campbell, in the Ohio Valley Regional singles final. A native of Monroe, La., Altick is currently riding a six-match win streak, and owns a 14-3 fall record winning the last eight of ten matches. The SEC and NCAA tournament team member takes on Michigan’s No. 19 Ronit Yurovsky Thursday morning at 8:00 am CT.
“It’s really exciting to get this opportunity,” said Altick. “It’s been a goal of mine to get here since freshman year, so I’m pumped that it worked out this year. It’s an awesome opportunity to compete against some of the best players in the country and see how you match up.”
Ranked seventh in the nation, Campbell returns to the big apple for the second year in a row after falling in the first round of NIIC action last season, only to defeat the then-No. 3 player in the country in in consolation play. The 2015 Singles All-American takes on a familiar conference foe in UGA’s No. 72 Caroline Brinson at 8:00 am CT Thursday morning.
“It’s so exciting to be heading back to National Indoors, it is such a competitive and fun event,” said Campbell. “Playing at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center is amazing and it is such an honor to be selected for the tournament. I can’t wait to represent the Commodores in one of my favorite cities!”
Following the Tournament:
Live scoring will be available for the entire tournament on event host Columbia University’s website HERE. The USTA will once again host a live chat during the event and Ken Thomas of RadioTennis.com will also be on-site providing coverage. To view updated draws and read daily recaps from the event, visit the ITA Championship tournament central. You can also follow the conversation Twitter by following @ITATennis and using the hashtag #NIIC.
In addition, ESPN3 and WatchESPN will broadcast the men’s and women’s singles semifinals and finals, available at WatchESPN.com. The NIIC broadcast will feature Patrick McEnroe and Stephen Amritraj as the on-air talent for the six matches. Mid-match, on-court interviews with the players will be conducted, a feature that debuted during ESPN’s coverage of the 2015 US Open. Semifinal coverage gets underway at 9 a.m. ET on Saturday, Nov. 14, with men’s and women’s matches played consecutively. Sunday’s championship matches begin at 10 a.m. ET, with the men’s final, followed immediately by the women’s final.
