Oct. 17, 2007

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - - The University of Memphis women's tennis team opens play later this afternoon in the pre-qualifying round of the ITA Southeast Regional Championships, hosted by the University of North Carolina. Junior Kristin Chamberlain will be the first one to step on the court, as she faces North Carolina Central's Tatiana Velasquez at 12:30 p.m. The winner of that match will then face Middle Tennessee's Pooja Kommireddi at 2:45 p.m.

Four other Lady Tigers will play in the qualifying round, which begins play Thursday. Sophomore Amanda Brown was to open in the pre-qualifying round today with Chamberlain, but with tournament withdrawals, moved up to the qualifying round on Thursday. She will face Charlotte's Yudeshnee Pillay at 10:30 a.m.

Also in the qualifying draw are sophomore Dara Toulch, junior Ekin Zafir and freshman Lindsey Wiseman. Toulch will open her first career regional action against Elon's Jenn Tucci at 10:30, Thursday, while Zafir faces East Tennessee's Tara Byrne at 10 a.m. Wiseman drew a tough opening opponent, facing No. 9 seed Jessica Preeg of Furman at 9:30 a.m., Thursday morning.

Sophomore Marjorie Ondeck has to wait until Friday to start her singles play schedule. She will face Deanna Bailey of Elon at 9:45 a.m.

All three Lady Tigers doubles entries will begin play on Thursday. Marjorie Ondeck and Lindsey Wiseman will face Charlotte's entry of Yudeshnee Pillay and Ana Spivakovsky at 4:30 p.m. Teammates Dara Toulch and Ekin Zafir will open their doubles schedule against UNC Greensboro's tandem of Valerie Behr and Jess Eblen, also at 4:30. The final Memphis tandem of Amanda Brown and Kristin Chamberlain will face Louisville's team of Jo-Ann VanAerde and Lindsey Jones at 5:30, Friday night.

The Lady Tigers are making their first appearances at the ITA Southeast Regionals since the fall of 2002 when former Lady Tigers Sabrina Lindemann and Monica Gonzalez-Gordo played in the main draw in singles and drew a No. 4 seed in the main draw doubles portion of the tournament.

The ITA Southeast Regional is one of eight tournaments sponsored each fall by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA). The Southeast Region is composed of some of the top women's tennis programs in the country. Last year, Clemson (No. 11), North Carolina (No. 12), Vanderbilt (No. 16), Wake Forest (No. 20), Duke (No. 21) and Tennessee (No. 23) were Southeast Region teams that finished in the top 25.