Women's Tennis Set for ITA Regional Championships

Oct. 17, 2007

ANN ARBOR, Mich. - The Marquette women's tennis team will open play at the 2007 Midwest Wilson/ITA Regional Championships Thursday on the campus of the University of Michigan. Two Golden Eagles are ready to represent MU in the main draw while three others will look to earn a berth in the main draw by first playing in the qualifying draw.

The six-day event features a 64-player singles qualifying draw, which begins on Thursday (Oct. 18). Those 64 players will be competing for eight spots into the main draw, which begins on Saturday (Oct. 20). The 64-team doubles main draw begins on Friday (Oct. 19).?? Senior Erin Watkins and sophomore Kylie Moore each received bids in the main draw, while senior Maria Calbeto and freshmen Rachael Hush and Christina Ruiz will play in the qualifying draw.

Calbeto will play Detroit's Svetlana Flankova in her first match of the qualifying draw, while Hush will play Aylin Seyalioglu of Xavier and Ruiz will face Bowling Green's Kelsey Jakupcin. All three matches will start at 9 a.m. ET.

Doubles teams of Shannon Brown and Calbeto as well as Ruiz and Hush will play in the doubles draw beginning Friday.

"We are very excited to have five singles players in and two doubles teams in," said head coach Jody Bronson. "I think it speaks to the how much better we are playing this season compared to last. We have not played since late September and I know the players are ready to compete again."

Seventeen ITA Regional Championships for NCAA Division I men and women are taking place over the next week at campuses throughout the country. The singles finalists and doubles champion from each regional event will earn spots in the 2007 ITA National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships, which Ohio State University will host Nov. 1-4, at the Racquet Club of Columbus in Columbus, Ohio.

Schedule of Play

Thursday, Oct. 18
9 a.m. -- First and second rounds of singles qualifying

Friday, Oct. 19
8:30 a.m. -- Final round of singles qualifying
2 p.m. -- First and second rounds of doubles main draw

Saturday, Oct. 20
9 a.m. -- Third round of doubles main draw
Followed by -- First and second rounds of singles main draw

Sunday, Oct. 21
?9 a.m. -- Quarterfinal and semifinal rounds of doubles main draw
Not before 1 p.m. -- Third round of singles main draw

Monday, Oct. 22
9 a.m. -- Doubles main draw championship match
11 a.m. -- Singles main draw quarterfinals
2 p.m. -- Singles main draw semifinals

Tuesday, Oct. 23
10 a.m. -- Singles main draw championship match