Nov. 4, 2009

By: Lindsey Williford, Media Relations Graduate Assistant

KNOXVILLE, Tenn.- With a 7-0 record this fall, including a doubles title at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association All-American Championships, it's no surprise the Tennessee duo of senior Caitlin Whoriskey and sophomore Natalie Pluskota claimed the No. 1 seed at the ITA National Indoor Championships set to begin Thursday at Yale University in New Haven, Conn.

Whoriskey also is seeded fifth in the singles portion of the competition.

Whoriskey and Pluskota will look to continue their dominance in doubles at the most challenging ITA-sponsored tournament of the year. While this is Whoriskey's second appearance at the championships for doubles, it is her first with Pluskota.

In 2007, the East Sandwich, Mass., native joined with current-senior Zsófia Zubor to capture the All-American title and earn a trip to the semifinals of the Indoor Championships. The pair fell to eventual champions, Sophie Grabinski and Sanaz Marand, of North Carolina.

This year, the Lady Vols will kick off their hopes for a second national championship victory against Boise State's Lauren Magale and Pichittra Thongbach. The Bronco pair won the ITA Mountain Region Championships. Round of 16 play begins at 9 a.m. on Thursday.

Fresh off a run to the singles title at the ITA Ohio Valley Regionals, Whoriskey received an automatic bid into the singles draw of the final ITA contest of the fall season. She ousted six opponents at the regionals, three from Vanderbilt alone, to earn her first crack at individual play at the Indoor Championships.

Whoriskey will look to close out the fall schedule in style and build upon her current 10-2 record. The fifth-seeded Lady Vol will battle Nadine Fahoum from Old Dominion in round one of competition set for 1 p.m. on Thursday. Falhoum enters the tournament after winning the ITA Atlantic Regionals.

THURSDAY SCHEDULE

DOUBLES (Round of 16)

No. 1 Caitlin Whoriskey/Natalie Pluskota (UT) vs. Lauren Magale/Pichittra Thongbach (Boise State) - 9 a.m.

SINGLES (Round of 32)

No. 5 Caitlin Whoriskey (UT) vs. Nadine Fahoum (Old Dominion) - 1 p.m.