Women's Tennis Opens NCAA Tournament Against Georgia

Photo courtesy of Harvard Athletic Communications

Complete Post Season Notes (PDF)

The Particulars
Harvard travels to Clemson, S.C., to open up play in the NCAA women’s tennis tournament. The Crimson will face Georgia, Friday, May 14 at 10 a.m. at the Hoke Sloan Tennis Center.

Clemson and College of Charleston will square off at 1 p.m. on Friday. The two winners of the day will face each other Saturday at 1 p.m., and the winner of that match will advance to the Sweet 16 in Athens, Ga.

Follow From Home
Live scoring of all matches this weekend will be available through ClemsonTigers.com. Click here for live stats of the Harvard vs. Georgia match.

If You're Going
For those fans attending the opening rounds of the NCAA Tournament in Clemson, S.C., admission will be $5 for adults and $3 for students. Free parking will be available in the lot behind the Fike Recreation Center.

About Harvard
Harvard closed out the regular season with a 14-7 record and a 6-1 mark in the Ivy League. The Crimson won eight of its last nine matches, including the final four in a row.

Sophomore Holly Cao holds a 15-4 record in dual matches at the No. 1 singles spot. She posted an 11-4 record in fall tournaments, giving her 26 wins on the year. Junior captain Samantha Rosekrans boasts a 13-7 record in dual matches at the No. 4 postition, while freshmen Hideko Tachibana and Kristin Norton both hold 14-6 records at the Nos. 2 and 3 spots, respectively.

In doubles play, the duo of Cao and Rosekrans hold a 8-8 record in the No. 1 position.

Scouting the Bulldogs
The No. 19 Georgia Bulldogs closed out the regular season with a 12-8 record and an 8-3 mark in the Southeastern Conference. Georgia fell to South Carolina, 4-1, in the opening round of the SEC Tournament, April 23.

Chelsey Gullickson spent the season at the No. 1 singles spot, tallying a 15-5 overall mark. Nadja Gilchrist went 11-8 in the No. 2 singles spot, while Yvette Hyndman held a 10-8 record at the No. 3 spot.

In doubles play, the pair of Gilchrist and Gullickson went 16-3 at the No. 1 spot. Hyndman and Cameron Ellis teamed up for a 12-6 record at No. 2 doubles.

This marks the 24th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance for the Bulldogs, who hold a 57-21 all-time mark in the tournament. The Crimson last faced the Bulldogs in 2006 at the USTA/ITA National Team Indoor Championships, and came away with a 4-3 victory. Harvard is 1-2 all-time against Georgia.

The Rest of the Field
The No. 9 Clemson Tigers, who hold a 22-5 record, are hosting the NCAA Tournament for the seventh consecutive year.

Josipa Belk holds a 16-8 record at the No. 1 singles spot in dual matches this season. She won 10 of her final 11 matches to close out the season. In No. 2 singles, Keri Wong holds an 18-4 mark, while Nina Hadziselimovic went 17-7 in No. 3 singles.

Belk and Hadziselimovic paired up in No. 1 doubles for a 13-2 mark in dual matches. They closed out the season with 11 consecutive victories, and only dropped one match in conference play. Wong and Laurianne Henry compiled a 7-3 mark at No. 2 doubles.

The last time Harvard and Clemson met, the Crimson claimed a 4-3 victory. Harvard holds a 2-1 record over the Tigers.

The College of Charleston compiled a 20-9 overall record and a perfect 10-0 mark in Southern Conference matches. The Cougars claimed their second consecutive conference title, and defeated Furman, 4-0, in the conference tournament championship.

Holly Dowse compiled a 12-12 record at No. 1 singles, while Emma Hayman went 11-8 at No. 2 singles. Caroline Newman posted a 14-2 overall mark while playing No. 3 singles. She went an undefeated 10-0 in conference play this season.

Dowse and Hayman paired up for a 17-5 mark at No. 1 singles, including a perfect 6-0 in the SoCon. Laura Borza and Anna Lee Evans were also undefeated in conference play this season and held a 6-2 record overall in No. 2 doubles matches.

They’re Honored
Hideko Tachibana was a unanimous decision as Ivy League rookie of the year, as she boasted a 14-6 overall record in dual matches, with a 6-1 mark in conference play. She is the seventh Crimson women’s tennis player to earn the honor.

Joining Tachibana on the Ivy League first-team was sophomore Holly Cao. Cao and Samantha Rosekrans were selected to the doubles first-team.

Freshman Kristin Norton was named to the conference second-team, while the duo of Norton and Tachibana was named to the doubles second-team.

Finishing Hot
Several Crimson players ended the season on a strong note:
    •Samantha Rosekrans won eight of her final nine matches
    •Holly Cao and Kristin Norton both won seven of their final nine
    •Hideko Tachibana won seven of her final eight

Rank ‘Em
At the end of the regular season, Harvard achieved a ranking of 39 in the Campbell’s ITA Women’s Tennis ranking. This is the highest ranking for the team since January 2007. Several individuals are ranked nationally or regionally as well.
    •Holly Cao: 73rd Nationally/First in the Northeast Region
    •Hideko Tachibana: Sixth in the Northeast Region
    •Kristin Norton: 14th in the Northeast Region
    •Cao/Samantha Rosekrans: Fifth doubles team in the Northeast Region
    •Norton/Tachibana: Ninth doubles team in the Northeast Region

Coming up Next
Following the conclusion of the NCAA team tournament, Holly Cao will represent the Crimson as she plays in the individual tournament in Athens, Ga., May 26-30.