Aug. 16, 2011

MEMPHIS - Women's tennis head coach Lee Taylor Walker has announced Memphis' fall 2011 tennis schedule, which features two home tournaments and several opportunities for the Tigers to showcase their skills.

"Our fall schedule is designed to give everyone an opportunity to see where they are at with respect to the top players both in the collegiate ranks and in the pros," said Walker. "We've put together a really strong fall that will let us hit the ground running."

With five returning players, including Conference USA first teamer and 116th-ranked Courtney Collins and C-USA Newcomer of the Year Mariya Slupska, and two newcomers on the roster, the Tigers will be looking to make some national noise early against the best players the country has to offer. Their first opportunity will come Sept. 27-30 at an ITF individual tournament followed by another ITF event Sept. 30-Oct. 2. Some members of the squad could also be invited to play at the All-American National Championships Oct. 1-8 in Los Angeles, Calif.

"We're excited to see how our girls will compete against the best players in the pro ranks," said Walker. "This is really an opportunity for our girls to make a name for themselves."

In addition to facing quality pro competition, the Blue and Gray will also face off against some of the best collegiate players in the country. After playing in a tournament Oct. 28-30 hosted by Vanderbilt, who was ranked No. 16 in the final ITA Spring rankings, the Tigers will host the Memphis Collegiate Invitational on Nov. 4-6. The event will feature players from six teams ranked in the top 40 last spring - No. 21 Tulsa, No. 22 Arkansas, No. 28 Alabama, No. 34 Maryland, No. 35 Arizona and No. 40 Mississippi.

The highlight of the schedule will occur in October when the Tigers host the USTA/ITA Regional Indoor Championships, Oct. 14-18. The event will feature the top players in the region and a chance to qualify for the National Indoor Championships, Nov. 4-6.

"It's going to be so nice to be home for two big tournaments," said Walker. "Those two events will be the highlight of the fall for us. We hope our fans will come out and support what we're trying to do with Memphis tennis."

For the complete fall 2011 schedule, CLICK HERE