May 14, 2008
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TULSA, Okla. – Fresh off a 4-3 comeback victory over Kentucky in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, the No. 11 Vanderbilt women’s tennis team faces Southeastern Conference foe and sixth-ranked Florida in the round of 16 on Thursday evening at 6 p.m. CT at the Michael D. Case Tennis Center.
“We are very excited to be playing in the round of 16,” Vanderbilt women’s tennis head coach Geoff Macdonald said. “Florida is a great team and we have a lot of respect for them. We’re looking forward to facing them on Thursday.”
Vanderbilt advanced to its 10th straight sweet 16 with a pair of victories at home. The `Dores defeated No. 70 Indiana State 4-0 in the opening round and downed No. 23 Kentucky 4-3 in the second round. Vanderbilt never led against Kentucky until sophomore Catherine Newman clinched the match with a three-set win over Carolina Escamilla.
Vanderbilt is 3-6 all-time in the round of 16. The `Dores last advanced past this round in the 2004 tournament, when they defeated Tennessee 4-1. Vanderbilt eventually advanced to the semifinals that year before falling to Stanford.
The `Dores meet a familiar foe in the round of 16 in the Florida Gators. The two squads have met previously this season with Florida claiming both contests. The teams met three weeks ago in the semifinals of the SEC Tournament in Auburn, Ala., with Florida winning 4-2.
Florida also hosted the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament, defeating Jacksonville and Auburn, both by 4-0 scores. Florida is in the round of 16 for the 21st time in the last 22 years.
The Gators have four players ranked nationally in singles, led by SEC Freshman of the Year Julia Cohen, who is ranked 29th. Florida also has one doubles team ranked as the team of Megan Alexander and Marrit Boonstra is rated eighth nationally.
Florida leads the overall series against Vanderbilt 35-2. The `Dores last defeated the Gators on March 11, 2005, when the `Dores emerged victorious 4-3. Thursday’s match will mark the third time the two schools have met in the NCAA Tournament. Florida has won both previous meetings in the NCAA Tournament, with the last meeting coming in the quarterfinals of the 2003 tournament, a 4-0 Florida victory.
Live stats and complete information on the NCAA Championships can be found at tulsahurricane.com. A recap from Vanderbilt’s sweet 16 match will be available on the official Web site of Vanderbilt athletics, vucommodores.com.