May 5, 2005
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – No. 1 ranked senior Megan Bradley earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Singles Championship and Miami’s third ranked doubles tandem of Bradley and sophomore Audrey Banada received an automatic bid to the NCAA Doubles Championship when the NCAA announced today the field of 64 singles players and 32 doubles teams that will compete in the 2005 NCAA Women’s Tennis Championships.
The singles and doubles competition will take place May 23-28 at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex on the campus of the University of Georgia in Athens at the conclusion of the team championship that will be held in the same site, May 19-22.
Bradley, who has been the nation’s top-ranked player for nine-straight weeks, has amassed a 23-0 undefeated record in dual-match play en route to a 42-1 overall mark–a UM single-season record. She has also holds a 30-3 overall doubles mark, including a 21-1 record in the spring.
After dropping her first and only match of the season on October 15, 2004, Bradley has gone on to win 37-consecutive matches, which includes victories over 14 ranked opponents.
The Columbia, Mo. native was named the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Player of the Year after posting a perfect 10-0 record in league play. She went 3-0 in singles at the ACC Championships in April.
In only three years at Miami, Bradley has moved to fourth all-time in singles with a 96-13 record behind former Miami great Jodi Applebaum (101-23) and is only eight wins away from moving to first all-time.
In the fall, Bradley was invited to the main draw of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) All-American Championship where she reached the quarterfinals. At the Wilson/ITA South Region singles championship, Bradley downed Georgia’s Shadisha Robinson (#23) 6-3, 6-4 to claim the title. Bradley defeated California’s Suzi Babos, 6-2, 6-2, to become the first Miami women’s tennis player to win the singles title at the ITA National Team Indoor Championship. She finished the fall season with a 19-1 record.
Sophomore Audrey Banada pairs up with Megan Bradley as the nation’s third ranked doubles tandem |
Bradley closed the 2004 season with a No. 5 singles ranking after compiling a 37-6 overall record and becoming the first Miami player to reach the NCAA semifinals since 1988. Bradley also became the first Miami player to be named All-American since the 1999 season.
Together, Miami’s Bradley/Banada pair has posted a 25-2 overall record and a 16-1 mark in dual-match play this season. The duo has defeated seven ranked opponents, and has been ranked as high as No. 2 in the ITA rankings.
In the fall the pair posted a 9-1 record and won the Wilson/ITA South Region doubles title earning an automatic bid to the ITA National Intercollegiate Indoor Championship where they reached the quarterfinals.
The Hurricanes will first concentrate on the NCAA Women’s Tennis Team Championships, which will begin with the first-and second round March 13-14. Ninth-seeded Miami received its first-ever bid to host the championship and will welcome California, Mississippi and Florida Atlantic to the Neil Schiff Tennis Center. The Hurricanes will face FAU Friday at 2:00 p.m.