FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - 5-2-02

AASU Hosts NCAA Division II Women's Tennis Mid-Atlantic Regional

SAVANNAH, Ga. – The No. 2-ranked Armstrong Atlantic State women's tennis team will host three other schools in the 2002 NCAA Division II Women's Tennis Mid-Atlantic Regional on Friday, May 3, and Saturday, May 4. On the line is a berth in the NCAA Division II Women's Tennis National Championships, to be held in Kansas City, Mo., from May 9-12.

AASU (21-3) enters the regional as the top seed and will be looking for its eighth straight to the final 16 of the National Championship. The Lady Pirates feature the top singles player in Division II, two-time PBC Player of the Year Zsofi Golopencza, as well as two-time ITA All-America senior Michaela Kratochvilova and PBC Freshman of the Year Annamaria Forgacs. The Lady Pirates earned an automatic berth into the regionals by capturing their ninth Peach Belt Conference Championship.

Fellow Peach Belt Conference school Georgia College & State (13-9) is the No. 4 seed and is ranked No. 11 in the latest Omni Hotels/ITA DII National Rankings. Led by the No. 6-ranked singles player in the country, Julia Roudkovskaya, and No. 27-ranked freshman Annika Persson, the Bobcats earned an at-large bid by finishing fourth in the PBC.

Another PBC school, Columbus State (12-8), makes its first NCAA regional appearance in three seasons with an at-large bid earned by finishing fifth in the conference. The Cougars feature freshman Suzanne Viagie, ranked No. 30 in the nation in singles, and are in the postseason for the first time under head coach Evan Isaacs.

Fayetteville State (9-3) rounds out the region field as the No. 8 seed and makes history as the first team to earn a berth in the NCAA Championships from the Colonial Intercollegiate Athletic Association. The Lady Broncos, who defeated Johnson C. Smith in the CIAA Championship to earn the league's automatic berth, are coached by Elorine Hill, who became the first coach in CIAA history to earn conference championships in two sports (volleyball, women's tennis).

Host AASU will meet Fayetteville State on Friday, May 3, at 10:00 a.m. in the first match of the day. Georgia College & State and Columbus State will then face off at 2:00 p.m. on Friday. The region championship match will be on Saturday, May 4, at 11:00 a.m. with the winner earning a bid in the NCAA Division II Women's Tennis National Championships in Kansas City, Mo., from Thursday, May 9, to Sunday, May 12.

The other half of the Mid-Atlantic Regional will take place concurrently at Clayton College & State University on Friday and Saturday and features the No. 2-seeded host Lady Lakers, No. 3-seeded North Florida, No. 6-seeded Kennesaw State and No. 7-seeded Lees McRae.

Click Here To Visit The 2002 Mid-Atlantic Regional Page

- Pirates -