Oct. 21, 2009

By: Lindsey Williford, Media Relations Graduate Assistant

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Coming off a three-week break from competition, the University of Tennessee women's tennis team hits the courts this week at the Wilson/Intercollegiate Tennis Association Ohio Valley Regional Championships in Cincinnati, Ohio on the campus of the University of Cincinnati.

The Orange and White will showcase six individuals and two doubles teams in the main draws. Senior Caitlin Whoriskey, the tournament's No. 1 seed is coming off a semifinal run at the Riviera/ITA All-American Tournament where she defeated the nation's top-ranked player, Maria Mosolova of Northwestern. Junior Maria Sorbello is seeded fourth in the tournament, followed by sophomore Natalie Pluskota and freshman Kata Szekely in the seven and eight ranks, respectively.

Senior Zsófia Zubor and junior Rosalía Alda will also compete in the main singles draw. Zubor will face Eastern Kentucky's Anouk Faure in the Round of 64 and Alda drew the No. 13-seed, Michelle Sammons of Purdue when singles play begins Friday, Oct. 23. It has yet to be determined what opponents Whoriskey, Sorbello, Szekely and Pluskota will match-up with in round one action.

UT also snagged the top seed in doubles. Taking the spot is the senior/junior duo of Zubor and Alda. The Tennessee tandem has gone undefeated this season, winning its draws at the SEC Coaches Tournament and Furman Fall Classic. The pair received a bye into the tournaments' second round, where it will face-off against the junior team of Anastasia Dracheva and Megan Martzolf from Miami University.

Also grabbing a seeded position and first-round bye is the team of Sorbello and Szekely. The two got the seventh slot at the tournament after a 5-6 start to the season. The Lady Vol combo looks to battle Xavier University's Kelsey Kinnard and Tiffany Treece, who also moved into the Round of 32 by virtue of a bye.

Last year, the Big Orange found much success at the tournament. In singles, Whoriskey didn't lose a single set before falling to Clemson's Josipa Bek in the main draw semifinals. Also reaching the semis, was the doubles pair of Sorbello and Alda, which dropped a hard-fought 5-9(5) decision to the No. 2-ranked team of Sanaz Marand and Sophie Grabinski from North Carolina but not before defeating three opponents, including a seventh-seeded duo from Furman.

The five day tournament kicks off Thursday, October 22, with two rounds of doubles beginning at 2:00 p.m. CST.

THURSDAY SCHEDULE

DOUBLES

No. 1 Zsófia Zubor/Rosalía Alda (UT) vs. Anastasia Dracheva/Megan Martzolf (Miami) - 3:15 p.m. CST

No. 7 Maria Sorbello/Kata Szekely (UT) Kelsey Kinnard/Tiffany Treece (Xavier) - 3:15 p.m. CST