Clemson Women’s Tennis To Play Host To NCAA First And Second Round Action As #7 Overall Seed

May 1, 2007

CLEMSON, SC – The Clemson women’s tennis team was seeded seventh overall for the 2007 NCAA Tournament and earned the #1 seed in its regional bracket, as announced on Tuesday afternoon. The Tigers will play host to first and second round matches for the fourth straight year with action beginning at the Hoke Sloan Tennis Center on Friday, May 11 and continuing on Saturday, May 12. Clemson will face Coastal Carolina in one opening-round match-up, while Virginia and Virginia Commonwealth will battle in the other. Match times will be announced at a later date.

The winner of the Clemson Regional will advance to the NCAA Championships to be held in Athens, GA from May 18-22.

The Tigers have now reached the national tournament for the sixth straight year, while making the 64-team field for the eighth time in Head Coach Nancy Harris’ 10-year tenure. Overall, Clemson has played in 15 NCAA Tournaments, advancing to the Final Four in 2004 and 2005. Last season, the Tigers fell in the regional finals to the Kentucky Wildcats after defeating the Siena Saints in the first round.

Clemson currently boasts the #6 national ranking and a 20-4 overall record. The Tigers were co-champions of the ACC regular season after tallying an 11-1 mark during conference play. They have won seven matches over top-25 teams this year, which ties for second-most in program history. Sixteen of Clemson’s 22 different opponents this season were selected to the NCAA Tournament and the Tigers posted a 13-4 record against those teams.

Coastal Carolina earned an automatic bid to this year’s tournament by claiming the Big South Conference title. The Chanticleers own a 19-5 overall record in 2007. Friday’s opening-round contest will be the first meeting in history between Clemson and Coastal Carolina.

The Tigers’ potential second-round opponents are both familiar foes. Clemson defeated Virginia Commonwealth by a 5-2 margin on Feb. 10 in Richmond, VA and now owns a 3-1 overall record against the Rams. Virginia Commonwealth is currently ranked 29th with a 21-8 ledger for the 2007 season.

A Saturday match-up between the Tigers and Cavaliers would be the third meeting this year between the conference foes. Clemson claimed both prior contests, winning 5-2 at home on Apr. 14 and then defeating Virginia, 4-0, in the quarterfinals of the ACC Championships on Apr. 20. With those two victories, the Tigers took a commanding 28-4 lead in the series score. The Cavaliers enter the tournament with an 11-11 overall record.