April 10, 2003

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The University of Memphis women's tennis team (14-6, 4-1 C-USA) earned the No. 4 seed heading into the Conference USA women's tennis championship, Saturday, in New Orleans. The Lady Tigers will open Saturday at noon against Southern Miss, with the winner advancing to face the winner of the Louisville/Cincinnati match at noon, Sunday.

The No. 4 seed is the highest seed for the Lady Tigers in recent history. Memphis' 14-6 record is the eighth-best single season win total in Lady Tiger history. The Lady Tigers are led by a trio of seniors -- Sabrina Lindemann, Monica Gonzalez-Gordo and Sumitra Rao. Memphis has also been bolstered by the additions of newcomers Viktoria Gruber, Marlene Dirnstorfer, Andrea Feichtinger and Kristin Noble. The Memphis newcomers are 43-16 in spring dual matches, and Feichtinger leads the team with a 16-3 singles mark, including an 8-1 record at No. 6 and a 6-1 record at No. 5.

"When we finished second in the conference tournament, we played individual flights, so this is the highest we have ever been seeded as a team," Head Coach Charlotte Peterson said. "I'm elated and very proud of the team for all the hard work they've done."

No. 28 Tulane is the top seed for the tournament and is one of two teams that will receive a first-round bye in the tournament. No. 55 TCU is the No. 2 seed and will receive the other bye. Tulane will face the winner of the UAB/East Carolina match, while TCU faces the winner of the DePaul/Marquette match-up.

Memphis finished 10th at the C-USA Championships last season, after struggling to a 5-14 record during the regular season. Memphis lost its first round match-up to Cincinnati, 4-1, then was eliminated by South Florida, 4-1, in the consolation round.

Conference USA Tournament Seeding
1.	Tulane
2.	TCU
3.	Houston
4.	Memphis
5.	South Florida
6.	Louisville
7.	DePaul
8.	UAB
9.	East Carolina
10.	Marquette
11.	Cincinnati
12.	Charlotte
13.	Saint Louis