By Will Vandervort (Contact / Staff Bio)
May 8, 2008 - 12:15 a.m. EST

NCAA Clemson Regionals

Where: Sloan Tennis Center, Clemson

When: Friday and Saturday (Regional Finals)

Tickets: Tickets for the event will be available for purchase onsite at 10 a.m. and cost $5 for adults and $3 for youth and college students with appropriate identification. The parking lot on Heisman Street adjacent to the Fike Recreation Center will be reserved for the 2008 NCAA Women’s Tennis Regional Championships.

Times: Furman vs. Michigan, 11 a.m.; Winthrop at Clemson, 2 p.m.

Teams:

Clemson (15-9)

Head coach: Nancy Harris

About the Tigers: Clemson won the ACC Championship to earn the conference’s automatic berth. This is the fifth straight year Clemson, the No. 13 national seed, has hosted a regional. Clemson has won 10 straight matches and is led by Ani Mijacika leads the Tigers as the nation’s No. 2 singles player. She boasts a 27-6 overall record with 16 wins over ranked opponents. Mijacika has also partnered with senior Carol Salge to comprise the team’s top doubles tandem. The duo is currently ranked fourth in the Fila/ITA Tennis poll and has won its last 10 matches. Of the pair’s 14 wins during the dual season, seven have been against opponents ranked in the top 25.

Winthrop (13-11)

Head coach: Cid Carvalho

About the Eagles: The Eagles earned an automatic bid by winning the Big South Tournament, their eighth conference title in the last 10 years. They are sitting at 13-11 for the year. Clemson and Winthrop have just three times in history with the Tigers claiming the victory in each contest. However, the two teams have not faced off since 1979.

Michigan (18-5)

Head coach: Ronni Bernstein

About the Wolverines: Michigan, ranked 19th in the Fila/ITA Tennis poll, finished the year with an overall 18-5 mark. The Wolverines fell to top-ranked Northwestern, 4-0, in the finals of the Big Ten Tournament. A second-round match-up between Michigan and Clemson would be just the third all-time and the first since 1982. The Tigers won both prior contests.

Furman (19-5)

Head coach: Debbie Southern

About the Paladins: Furman was awarded its bid in the NCAA Tournament by winning the Southern Conference Tournament for the fifth consecutive season and 16th overall. The Paladins suffered one of their five losses to the Tigers earlier this year, as Clemson won a 6-1 decision in Greenville on Jan. 29. The Tigers lead the series score by a wide 38-3 margin.

—Will Vandervort