• Roster
• |
• Schedule/Results
• |
• Stats
• |
• News
• |
• Archives

Oct. 21, 2010

ITA Texas Regional draws

WHAT: Texas resumes fall tournament play this weekend at the ITA Texas Regional Championships.  The event formerly classified as the ITA Southwest Regional Championships features each NCAA Division I school in the state of Texas. 

The singles and doubles winners from this event advance to the second national championship event on the college tennis calendar, next month's ITA National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships in New York City.

WHEN:  Friday, Oct. 22 through Tuesday, Oct. 26 - day one begins Friday with two rounds of singles and one round of doubles. 

WHERE: Baylor Tennis Center - Waco, Texas

LAST YEAR AT THE ITA TEXAS REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS:  Then-freshman Aeriel Ellis ran through the main singles draw unblemished, as she won the 64-player draw to earn a berth at the ITA National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships.  Krista Damico knocked off top-seeded Lenka Broosova of Baylor in the singles quarterfinals and was eliminated by Ellis in the semifinals. 

PRE-TOURNAMENT COMMENTS
Texas head coach Patty Fendick-McCain
"We're excited to see everyone get back into competition after putting in some good training this month.  This event gives us another opportunity to get a lot of matches in and challenge ourselves against some of the best players in the country.  Aeriel Ellis would earn a singles berth at the ITA National Intercollegiate Indoors in November by getting to the quarterfinals of this event (by way of her singles ranking).  It will be fun to see everyone get after it this weekend."

LAST TIME OUT:  Aeriel Ellis was eliminated in the opening round of the main singles draw at the ITA All-American Championships.  Ellis went on to win three matches in the singles consolation draw.      

THE 2010-11 LONGHORNS:  Texas returns four regular singles starters from the 2009-10 squad that reached the finals of the Big 12 Championship and the round of 16 at the NCAA Championships.

The Horns are led by sophomore Aeriel Ellis, the 2010 Big 12 Conference Freshman of the Year and ITA Texas Region Rookie Player of the Year.  The Californian played in all three national championship events last season - the ITA All-American Championships, ITA National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships and the NCAA Championships - on her way to totaling a 32-14 overall singles record. 

Junior Krista Damico posted 28 singles wins during a standout sophomore campaign and registered a 15-8 mark in dual matches.  Senior Maggie Mello compiled a perfect 11-0 mark in conference play last season, and senior Caroline Larsson finished with a 15-4 record last season in dual matches. 

Seniors Amanda Craddock and Abby Liu and juniors Carlene Leyden, Julia Wiegand and Maya Zein-El-Abdin also return for the 2010-11 campaign.  They are joined by a pair of freshmen in Elizabeth Begley and Cierra Gaytan-Leach.