April 28, 2008
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The No. 11 Vanderbilt women’s tennis team will learn its first-round opponent in the NCAA Tournament on Tuesday afternoon at 1 p.m. (CT) when the field of 64 is announced for the NCAA Women’s Tennis Tournament.
The selection show is scheduled to be aired on ESPNews (Channel 102 on Comcast Digital in Nashville, Channel 207 on DIRECTV). The Commodores currently have an 18-5 record and finished the conference season with a 7-4 mark.
Vanderbilt will be looking to make its 14th consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The Commodores have enjoyed success in the postseason event, making the round of 16 in the last nine tournaments. Vanderbilt has a 30-13 record in its previous 13 trips to the NCAA Tournament.
The Commodores will also be looking to host the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament for the 10th straight year. Vanderbilt is a perfect 18-0 at the Currey Tennis Center in the NCAA Tournament.
Last season, Vanderbilt defeated Murray State 4-0 in the first round, before knocking off in-state rival Tennessee 4-0 in the second round. The Commodores were downed by perennial power and top-seeded Stanford 4-0 in the round of 16 in Athens, Ga.
Vanderbilt’s best finish in the NCAA Tournament came in 2001 when the Commodores advanced to the finals before dropping a 4-0 decision to Stanford. The Black and Gold also dropped a 4-0 decision to Stanford in the semifinals of the 2004 tournament.
Selections for the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships will be announced Wednesday. The singles field consists of 64 players, while the doubles field is made up of 32 teams.
Senior and first-team All-SEC Amanda Taylor will be looking to make her second-straight appearance in the NCAA Singles Championships. Taylor, currently ranked 20th nationally in singles by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, finished the regular season with a 19-4 dual match record and 26-8 overall singles record.
Sophomore Catherine Newman will also be looking for her second trip to the singles championships. No. 46 Newman, a second-team All-SEC selection, has a 14-8 dual match record in singles and a 24-11 overall mark.
The doubles team of Taylor and Courtney Ulery also figure to get an invite to the NCAA Doubles Championships. Currently ranked 22nd nationally, the tandem has a 15-6 dual match record, including an 8-3 mark in conference matches.
Complete information about Vanderbilt’s first round opponent as well as match times will be available Tuesday after the selection show.
