Feb. 8, 2007

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The University of Memphis women's tennis team (0-2) will take to the road for a four-match road swing in search of its first 2007 spring dual victory. The four-match swing will begin at Chattanooga (1-2), Friday, in a 1:30 p.m. (ET) non-conference match.

Chattanooga is opening its 2007 spring home stand with the Friday match, after falling to No. 19 Kentucky, 7-0, to open the season, then splitting a pair of matches in Nashville, defeating Lipscomb, 3-2, and falling to Belmont, 4-3.

The Mocs are led by senior Anastasia Zhukova, who is the 23rd-ranked singles player in the country. Zhukova, who missed the season-opening match at Kentucky due to injury, has dropped only four points in her first two matches and will likely team with junior Lindsey Ballard at the top doubles spot in the line-up.

Memphis has used the same singles line-up in each of its first two matches, with freshman Marjorie Ondeck at No. 1, fellow freshman Dara Toulch at No. 2 and sophomore Ekin Zafir at No. 3. All three of those Lady Tigers are looking for their first singles win of the spring, something freshman Amanda Brown got in her last outing against Murray State. Brown is 1-1 at No. 4 singles, while senior Christina Wieser, who missed the entire fall due to off-season knee surgery, and sophomore Flavia Russo have each gone 0-2 at No. 5 and 6 singles, respectively, to open the season.

Memphis mixed up the doubles line-up a bit in each of the first two matches, giving Katie-Mary Outhwaite her first collegiate experience of her career by teaming her with freshman Amanda Brown at No. 3 doubles in the Murray State match.

Memphis will stop in Cookeville, Tenn., following the Chattanooga match and face Tennessee Tech, Saturday, to wrap up this weekend's portion of the road trip. The Lady Tigers will then travel south to Alabama to face three-time NAIA national champ Auburn-Montgomery Feb. 24th, then will open league play at UAB Feb. 25th.