ORANGEBURG, S.C. – South Carolina State tennis teams will be heading in opposite directions when the 2005 NCAA Tennis Championship tournament opens on May 13th. The Lady Bulldogs (26-1) will face the #2 Florida Gators (18-2) in Gainesvillle, Florida at 5 p.m., while the Bulldogs (18-5) will head north to Durham, North Carolina to take on the #8 Duke Blue Devils (18-5) at 10 a.m. The trip to the tournament will be the first for the Lady Bulldogs while the Bulldogs will make their second consecutive NCAA appearance.
“Both teams are headed in the right direction with the women getting to the tournament for the first time this year and our men going for the second year in a row,” SCSU Head Tennis Coach Hardeep Judge said following the announcement. “The experience that both teams will receive in the tournament is going to pay off for us down the road.”
The Lady Bulldogs, who make their first trip to the NCAA Tournament, will face the Florida Gators in a “Clash of Champions” as the Gators are the 2005 champions of a tough Southeastern Conference. Also participating in the Gainesville Regional will be #33 Florida International (18-5) and #43 Florida State (11-11). Although the Lady Bulldogs boast the best overall record at the regional, the team will remain the underdogs facing the second-ranked Florida Gators.
“This will give us a chance to see what it’s like to go up against one of the best teams in the country . . and our goal is to get to where they are now,” Judge added. “Our goal is to get our team to that level of play so getting the chance to see one of the top teams in the country in competition is a good one.”
The Bulldogs, who make their second consecitive trip to the NCAA Tournament will face the #11Duke Blue Devils in Durham, North Carolina. Duke heads into the tournament following an upset loss to rival North Carolina in the semifinal round of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament, but remains heavily favored on the strength of an 11-match winning streak prior to the semifinal loss.
Source:
www.meacsports.com
Posted By: Will Moss
Friday, May 13th 2005 at 4:37AM
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