Feb. 20, 2009
Up Next
The No. 30-ranked Gamecock women’s tennis team (5-2) faces its archrival No. 14 Clemson on Sunday at 2 p.m. at Hoke Sloan Tennis Center in Clemson, S.C. South Carolina won its lone match last week 5-2 against Winthrop. The Tigers (6-3) went 1-2 playing in the ITA National Team Indoor Championships the past weekend in Madison, Wis. Clemson qualified by winning its region of the ITA Kick-Off Weekend against Boise State and Auburn. In the first round of the national event, Clemson lost 4-3 to California but responded with a 5-2 victory over Fresno State in the first round of consolation play. In its final consolation match, Clemson lost 4-3 to Southern California.
Series History
Naturally, the history between South Carolina and Clemson is a lengthy one and about as even as it can get. The Gamecocks have a slight 22-21 edge in the all-time series but six of the last seven have belonged to the Tigers. Prior to Clemson’s dominance in the series beginning in 2003, South Carolina won nine of 10 and 12 of 15 against the Tigers.
Last Time Out
South Carolina topped Winthrop 5-2 in its final non-conference home match of the season Feb. 11. The Gamecocks managed to win at Nos. 1 and 3 doubles and then claimed the positions of one, two, three and six in singles play. Carolina used some new looks in the match with sophomore Miljana Jocic and senior Suzanna Mansour playing two doubles and senior Gira Schofield and freshman Ashley Miller at three. The two teams had played sparingly together in the fall, but Schofield and Jocic had been playing the two spot this season while Mansour had previously teamed up with Miller at No. 3 doubles. In singles, Mansour moved from five to four singles, Miller from six to five and Jocic from four to six.
A Ranking Best for Schofield
Senior Gira Schofield surpassed her previous career record of a No. 23 national singles ranking when the Feb. 19 list had her pegged at 19th. Previously, Schofield was No. 71 heading into the spring, a jump of 52 spots. Schofield has won 13 matches in a row dating back to last fall.
SEC Player of the Week
Junior Ana Marija Zubori picked up SEC Player of the Week honors following the Gamecocks’ victory against VCU in a consolation match of the ITA Kick-Off Weekend. Her win at No. 2 singles in three sets against the Rams clinched South Carolina’s 4-3 victory. It was the first time in Zubori’s career she picked up the weekly accolade from the conference office.
Stojic to Make Season Debut
Freshman Dijana Stojic has been cleared to play and will make her first appearance of the season against the Clemson Tigers on Sunday. Stojic should assist in improving the Gamecocks’ bottom half in singles that has gone a combined 8-13 through seven matches. She enjoyed a successful career as a junior, playing Fed Cup for Bosnia-Herzegovina for several years.
Zubori Comes Close to School Record
Junior Ana Marija Zubori’s outstanding fall season that saw her go 8-2 with four wins against players ranked in the top 50 of the fall preseason ITA rankings paid off with a No. 14 national singles ranking to begin the spring. Zubori’s rating of 14th fell one short of tying the school record held by current assistant coach Katarina Petrovic (Markovski). Petrovic reached the top recorded ranking in school history of 13th on March 29, 2000. She went on to finish the year ranked No. 29. The highest final ranking in school history belongs to Laura Bernstein, who ended the 1982-83 campaign ranked 15th. Despite still being undefeated this spring, Zubori fell to No. 35 in the most recent poll released Feb. 19.
Career Win for Schofield
Senior Gira Schofield scored her first career victory against a top-10 opponent Jan. 21 when she defeated Furman’s Laura Gioia 7-6, 6-1. Gioia came into the match ranked No. 9 in the country. Schofield’s previous best win came her freshman year when she topped Robin Stephenson of Alabama who was 12th at the time.
Top Three Are Tops
The Gamecocks’ top three singles players of senior Gira Schofield (1), junior Ana Marija Zubori (2) and senior Natasa Vuckovic (3) have been tough outs once again through the first seven matches this season with a combined record of 19-2. The trio’s combined record from 2007 to the present playing in the top half of the lineup stands at a stellar 101-38 (.727).
Zubori at her Best Against the Best
Junior Ana Marija Zubori has played outstanding tennis this season while taking on some of the best players in the country. At 15-2 overall, she owns an impressive record of 6-2 versus ranked players and only one of those opponents was ranked outside the top 50 at the time of the match. So far in 2008-09, Zubori has defeated players ranked 23rd, 36th, 37th, 40th, 42nd and 73rd at the time of the matches. Each of her two losses came against players with a higher national ranking than her when they played.
Not a Typical Schedule
The Gamecocks schedule this season is somewhat different this season for several reasons. First, South Carolina played five matches in the month of January, the most it has ever played during coach Arlo Elkins’ 26 years at the helm. Previously, the most an Elkins-coached team had played in January was four in 1990. After a hefty early season schedule, the Gamecocks face a light load in February. South Carolina has just three matches scheduled for February, the fewest under Elkins. Lastly, opportunities to see the Gamecocks at home will be scarce this season. Just seven matches are on tap, the fewest Elkins has scheduled during his tenure as head coach. Currently, the Gamecocks do not return home for a match until March 13 against the Tennessee Lady Vols.
Schofield’s Streak in the Rankings Continues
Senior Gira Schofield started the spring ranked No. 71 and is now No. 19, continuing her streak of appearing in every release of the ITA polls starting since March 6, 2007. She has now appeared in 20 consecutive releases of the ITA’s national singles rankings.
More Schofield Streaks
Senior Gira Schofield is currently riding a 13-match winning streak in singles dating back to the fall. After going 0-3 at her first fall tournament in Virginia in September, she has yet to lose. Schofield’s 13 wins in a row is tops for her career and the Gamecocks’ best since classmate Natasa Vuckovic ripped off 11 straight her sophomore season from Feb. 28 to April 1. Junior Ana Marija Zubori also won 10 consecutive matches spanning the fall of her freshman year through the first eight matches of the spring campaign.
