April 28, 2008

Complete Release in PDF Format

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - The Marshall University's women's tennis team will be waiting anxiously as the 2008 NCAA Division I men's and women's tennis selection announcement airs between 2 and 2:30 ET, Tuesday, April 29 on ESPNews.

In the latest rankings, the Thundering Herd (17-9 overall, 2-1 Conference USA) stands 49th behind UNLV and BYU. The 2008 cut-off will be around the 47th slot, which puts the Herd on the bubble for an at-large bid. Marshall's last NCAA team appearance was in 2005 after the Herd defeated Western Michigan for the Mid-American Conference title.

"We are sitting on the bubble going into the selection show," Marshall's head coach John Mercer said. "We are anxious and excited for a possibility of a NCAA appearance since joining Conference USA."

The team brackets can be viewed on the NCAA Web sites (www.NCAA.com and www.NCAA.org) following the completion of the televised announcement.

If selected as a team, the Herd will play the first and second rounds at one of 16 regional sites across the nation. The NCAA Finals will be hosted by the University of Tulsa, May 15-26 at the Michael D. Case Tennis Center.

Junior Kellie Schmitt (Pittsburgh, Pa.) ranks 55th in the ITA singles poll and is hoping for a selection into the NCAA singles competition. The Herd's 28th-ranked doubles pair of Schmitt and Karolina Soor (Lindesberg, Sweden) also anticipates selection into the NCAA doubles competition. All rounds of singles and doubles competition will be played at the University of Tulsa.

The individuals selected to the singles and doubles championship will be posted on both web sites no later than 6 p.m. ET, Wednesday, April 30.