No. 10 Clemson Women’s Tennis to Host ITA Kickoff Weekend

Jan. 28, 2011

CLEMSON, SC – The Clemson women’s tennis team will host the first two rounds of the ITA Team National Indoor Championships with the ITA Kickoff Weekend on Jan. 29 and 30. The Tigers (5-0) are ranked 10th nationally, and will welcome No. 19 Vanderbilt, No. 53 Marshall, and No. 61 Dartmouth, for the tournament.

Action starts Saturday morning at 9:00 am, as Vanderbilt takes on Marshall. Clemson will play at 2:00 pm against Dartmouth at the Clemson Indoor Tennis Center.

The losers of Saturday’s matches play at 9:00 am Sunday, and the winners will face off at 2:00 pm on Sunday as they try to advance to the Final 16, which is held at the University of Virginia.

The ITA Team Indoor Championship is a 61-team tournament, featuring the country’s top clubs. The first two rounds are held at campus sites around the country, and the winner of each of the 15 sites and the host school, Virginia, play out for the Championship.

The Tigers are led by Josipa Bek, who is ranked 12th in the country in singles. The junior is 3-0 this season, all at the top spot in the lineup. Keri Wong, No. 48 nationally, is 3-0 as well, splitting time at No. 1 and No. 2 singles.

Paired, Bek and Wong comprise the nation’s No. 2 overall doubles team nationally. The duo is 14-4 overall in 2010-11.

Clemson’s freshmen have been excellent so far, with Maria Belaya have combined to go 9-0, and neither has yet dropped a set.

Sophomores Caroline Magnusson have also been playing well, and neither have dropped a match.

The tournament calls for matches to stop once the clinching point has been reached in the match (the fourth point). Teams are awarded one point for winning two of three doubles matches, and one point is awarded for each singles victory.