May 3, 2001

FURMAN TENNIS TEAMS TO SQUARE OFF AGAINST HIGHLY RANKED OPPONENTS IN FIRST ROUND OF NCAA TOURNAMENT

GREENVILLE, S.C.- The Furman men and women's tennis teams will face highly ranked opponents in the first round of the NCAA tournament. The men will play their second match of the season against the No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs, while the women will battle the No. 3 University of Tennessee Lady Volunteers.

The men, ranked No. 58 in the country, are making their first appearance in the NCAA team tournament under the leadership of head coach Paul Scarpa. The Southern Conference champions currently stand at 19-9 on the season, including wins over Atlantic Coast Conference foes North Carolina and North Carolina State. The team went 9-1 in league play during the regular season and defeated College of Charleston, Chattanooga, and East Tennessee State in the conference tournament en route to the title.

With the win over East Tennessee State in the Southern Conference finals, Scarpa won his 700th match, joining Hawaii's Jim Schwitters, Stanford's Dick Gould, and former Georgia head coach Dan McGill as the only head coaches to tally 700 career victories.

The Paladins and Bulldogs faced off earlier this season, with Georgia sweeping Furman, 7-0. This will be the seventh meeting between the two teams, with Georgia holding a 7-0 lead in the series. The match will be played in Athens, Ga. on Saturday, May 12 at a time to be announced.

The Lady Paladins, under the leadership of coach Debbie Southern, are 18-8 on the year. Furman went 9-0 in league play during the regular season and beat Wofford, Appalachian State, and College of Charleston on its way to a fourth consecutive tournament crown. This marks the third straight year the Lady Paladins have participated in the NCAA tournament.

Furman is currently riding a Southern Conference record 32 league match win streak and has won thirteen of its last fourteen contests.

The Lady Paladins and Lady Vols have faced off six times, with Tennessee holding a 6-0 advantage in the series. The match is scheduled to be played in Knoxville, Tenn. on Friday, May 11 at a time to be announced.