Ninth-Seeded Hurricanes Set to Host NCAA Regional
May 4, 2005
CORAL GABLES, Fla.– The University of Miami women’s tennis team earned a bid to host an NCAA Regional when the field of 64 teams was selected for the 2005 NCAA Division I Women’s Tennis Championships. The ninth seeded Hurricanes will host California, Florida Atlantic and Mississippi in the first- and second-rounds May 13-14 at the Neil Schiff Tennis Center.
Miami (20-4, 9-1 ACC), who has reached the NCAA Tournament for the 10th-consecutive season and will host their first-ever regional, will play Florida Atlantic (9-10) at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, May 13th after California (12-8) and Mississippi(13-9) square off at 10:00 a.m. The winner of the UM/FAU match will face the winner of the Cal/Ole Miss match at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 14th and will advance to the Round of 16 in Athens, Ga.
“I think that it’s a great opportunity for our players to play in our home facility and in our conditions,” said head coach Paige Yaroshuk-Tews. “The draw is difficult regardless, whether you are home or away, but playing here for the first time in an NCAA event is a big step for our program and this university. Now, we need to win two matches and get to Athens.”
The Hurricanes boast a 26-match win streak that dates back to the 2003 season when they play in the confines of the Neil Schiff Tennis Center. In 2004, Miami finished with a 14-0 mark at home and posted a 12-0 record this season.
“Our girls play good tennis at home. They are more confident at home, in these conditions and in this environment and weather. We will take it one step at a time. We first have to take care of Florida Atlantic. A lot of things will come into play on Saturday.”
Miami has made 19 appearances in the NCAA Tournament and is 19-18 all-time. Last season, the Hurricanes defeated South Alabama, No. 1 seed Floridaand Tulane to reach the Quarterfinals for the first time since 1986.
Eight teams represented the Atlantic Coast Conference in the field of 64, second behind the SEC who had 10 teams earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Pac-10 conference was third with seven teams.
Stanford, the defending NCAA Champion, earned the top seed. The Cardinal are 20-0 this season and own a 49-match win streak that dates back to the 2004 season. Florida is seeded second followed by Kentucky to who enters the tournament as the No. 3 seed. Rounding out the Top 16 are: Vanderbilt, Northwestern, Georgia Tech, Southern California, Georgia, Miami (Fla.), UCLA, Texas, Clemson, North Carolina, Tulane, Baylor and Tennessee.
First- and second-round competition will be conducted May 13-14 in 16 campus sites around the country. The winner of each site will advance to the NCAA Division I Women’s Tennis Championships at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex in Athens, Georgia, hosted by the University of Georgia. The team championship will be held May 19-22.
The field for the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championship will be announced Thursday by 6:00 p.m. on NCAAsports.com.
NCAA Regionals – Coral Gables Fla.
Friday, May 13
Match 1: California vs. Mississippi- 10:00 a.m.
Match 2: (9) Miami vs. Florida Atlantic – 2:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 14
Match 3: Winner of Match 1 vs. Winner of Match 2 – 1:00 p.m.
