Clemson Meets Washington in NCAA 1st Round in Nashville Friday

Match Information vs. WashingtonWhat: NCAA Championships First RoundWho: No. 31 Washington Huskies (17-9) vs. No. 38 Clemson Tigers (13-12)When: Friday, May 12, 1 p.m. CT (2 p.m. ET)Where: Currey Tennis Center, Nashville, Tenn.Live Stats: VUCommodores.com (http://www.vucommodores.com/livestats/w-tennis/xlive.htm)Up Next: The winner of Friday’s match faces the winner of No. 3 Vanderbilt and SIU Edwardsville in the second round of the NCAA Championships on Saturday, May 13 at 1 p.m. CT (2 p.m. ET).

Clemson Notes:

• Clemson has earned a bid to the NCAA Championships for the 16th year in a row, and the 18th time in Head Coach Nancy Harris’ 20 seasons at the helm of the program. It is the 25th NCAA tournament berth in program history.
• The Tigers (13-12) are coming off of a 4-0 victory over No. 33 Notre Dame in the second round of the ACC Championships in Rome, Ga. on April 27, followed by a 4-1 loss to No. 12 Duke in the tournament quarterfinals on April 28.
• Junior Daniela Ruiz was named an NSCA All-American in April, the program’s first strength and conditioning All-American since 1996.
• Sophomores Ayan Broomfield and Marie-Alexandre Leduc both earned All-ACC Second Team honors for 2017.
• Leduc is 13-8 in dual singles matches and is currently on a four-match winning streak. She has a 6-3 record since moving to the No. 1 position in the singles lineup on March 23.
• Freshman Constanza Gorches is 14-8 in singles play, playing primarily at No. 5, and has also won four-straight matches. Gorches’ 14 dual singles wins are most on the Clemson team this season.
• Clemson has won the doubles point in 17 out of 24 matches this season. The Tigers started the season clinching the doubles point in two of their first six matches, and since then, have won the doubles point in 15 out of 19 matches. The team claimed the doubles point in 11 of its 14 ACC regular season matches.
• Leduc and Broomfield are 20-5 overall in doubles, including 15-4 in dual matches. The pair is 4-2 against nationally-ranked opponents this season, and has won six out of its last seven contests.
• Ruiz and sophomore Fernanda Navarro are 15-1 in dual doubles matches and currently on an 11-match winning streak.
• Clemson’s 2017 roster is made up of one junior, five sophomores and two freshmen.

Series Information vs. Washington:

• Clemson and Washington have met just one time previously in women’s tennis, in 2004, and that match was also in the NCAA Tournament.
• The Tigers and Huskies met in the NCAA Quarterfinals on May 21, 2004 in Athens, Ga., with the Tigers prevailing in a 4-3 victory to advance to the NCAA Final Four for the first time in program history. In that match against Washington, current Clemson assistant coach Maria Brito claimed one of the Tigers’ four points in the team victory, winning in straight sets at No. 4 singles. 

ITA RANKINGS(as of May 4, 2017)

TEAMVanderbilt – 3rdWashington – 31stClemson – 38th

SINGLESAstra Sharma (Vanderbilt) – 4thSydney Campbell (Vanderbilt) – 15thStacey Fung (Washington) – 30thFernanda Contreras (Vanderbilt) – 87thAyan Broomfield (Clemson) – 98thChristina Rosca (Vanderbilt) – 102ndMarie-Alexandre Leduc (Clemson) – 121st 

DOUBLESAstra Sharma & Emily Smith (Vanderbilt) – 1stAyan Broomfield & Marie-Alexandre Leduc (Clemson) – 41stNour Abbes & Miki Kobayashi (Washington) – 44thChristina Rosca & Astra Sharma (Vanderbilt) – 86th