April 14, 2008

GREENSBORO, N.C. - Reigning ACC champion Georgia Tech will put its crown on the line this week, as the 2008 Atlantic Coast Conference Women's Tennis Championship gets underway at Sanlando Park in Altamonte Springs, Fla. The Yellow Jackets, who have shared the league's regular-season title in each of the last three years, made it four in a row with this year's being their first outright prize.

Georgia Tech, the league's top seed, will be looking to collect its fourth consecutive championship crown. The Yellow Jackets, who posted a 10-1 mark in conference action this season with its lone loss coming at Duke in mid-March, will play either No. 8 seed NC State (12-9, 5-6 ACC) or No. 9 seed Wake Forest (8-12, 4-7 ACC) on Friday, April 18.

Receiving a first-round pass for the third straight year include Duke, Miami and Clemson. The Blue Devils won their last five matches to secure the No. 2 seed, posting a 9-2 record in league play. Duke will play the winner from the first round between No. 7 seed Virginia (9-12, 5-6 ACC) and 10th-seeded Virginia Tech (14-12, 2-9 ACC) on Friday at noon.

Winners of their last seven regular-season matches, Miami and Clemson finished the ACC race tied in points with eight apiece. The Hurricanes, who have come in second to Georgia Tech in the last three years for the league title, earned the No. 3 seed after claiming the tiebreaker over Clemson based on head-to-head competition. Miami defeated the Tigers, 5-2, on March 7.

Seven could be the lucky number for Clemson in 2008, as the Tigers have captured the conference crown six times since 1983. The Tigers (12-9, 8-3 ACC), seeded fourth in this year's tournament, takes on the winner between the No. 5 seed North Carolina and 12th-seeded Maryland match on Friday at 9 a.m.

The other first-round match on Thursday features 11th-seeded Boston College battling No. 6 seed Florida State at 3 p.m. The winner will move on to the quarterfinals, facing Miami on Friday at 3 p.m.

Coverage of the ACC Women's Tennis Championship will be made available On-Demand every night at 8 p.m. ACC Select from April 17-20.

2008 ACC WOMEN'S TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP
April 17-20, 2008
Sanlando Park
Altamonte Springs, Fla.

Thursday, April 17
#8 NC State vs. #9 Wake Forest - 9:00 a.m.
#5 North Carolina vs. #12 Maryland - 9:00 a.m.
#7 Virginia vs. #10 Virginia Tech - 12:00 p.m.
#6 Florida State vs. #11 Boston College - 3:00 p.m.

Friday, April 18
#1 Georgia Tech vs. #8 NC State or #9 Wake Forest - 9:00 a.m.
#4 Clemson vs. #5 North Carolina or #12 Maryland - 9:00 a.m.
#2 Duke vs. #7 Virginia or #10 Virginia Tech - 12:00 p.m.
#3 Miami vs. #6 Florida State or #11 Boston College - 3:00 p.m.

Saturday, April 19
Semifinal 1 - 10:00 a.m.
Semifinal 2 - 1:00 p.m.

Sunday, April 20
Championship Match - 11:00 a.m.