May 11, 2000

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - After working for 18 years to earn its first-ever NCAA Tournament bid a year ago, the University of North Carolina women's tennis program accepted its second consecutive NCAA Tournament bid on May 4.

The Tar Heels (10-13, 2-6 in the Atlantic Coast Conference), who are tied at the 40th spot in the most recent ITA rankings, will face No. 37 Arkansas (9-12, 4-7 in the Southeastern Conference) in the first round. The winner will face the winner of the Duke-Winthrop match. The Tar Heels have been assigned to a regional tournament which will be played on the campus of of Duke University in Durham, N.C., on Friday and Saturday, May 12 and 13.

"We're extremely excited to receive an NCAA Tournament bid for the second year in a row," UNC head coach Roland Thornqvist said. "It's a tribute to this team's hard work starting last fall and throughout the spring season. We've taken some losses but we've played a tough schedule, which should benefit us in the NCAAs."

The winners of the 16 regionals will advance to the national Round of 16, which begins on May 18 in Malibu, Calif., on the campus of Pepperdine University.

Mejia tops UNC's Tournament Line-up

Freshman Marlene Mejia heads North Carolina's line-up for the 2000 NCAA Women's Tennis Tournament. The complete line-up is as follows:

Niebling out versus Arkansas, a match-time decision Saturday:

According to Head Coach Roland Thornqvist, junior Erin Niebling (Bay Head, N.J.) will not play Friday versus Arkansas due to a knee injury. Niebling, who usually teams with Marlene Mejia at No. 1 doubles, has missed considerable time this season due to the injury. She has a 6-3 record in singles action on the year. Thornqvist said Niebling's status would be a match-time decision Saturday should the Tar Heels advance.

Carolina's Youth Movement:

With freshmen as two of its top three seeds for this weekend's NCAA First and Second Rounds, North Carolina has relied on its first-year stars for much of its success this season. Marlene Mejia (Lansdale, Pa.) leads the team in victories, standing at 22-13 overall and 11-8 at the No. 1 singles spot. Kendrick Bunn (Wilson, N.C.) is close behind with a 21-13 overall mark and is slated to play at No. 3 in this weekend's line-up. Also enjoying a strong freshman campaign is Kate Pinchbeck (Edmondson Park, Australia) who has a 16-11 overall mark. Bunn and Pinchbeck also comprise the Tar Heels' No. 2 doubles duo with an 11-10 record, while Mejia teams with senior Jessica Zaganczyk to make up the No. 1 doubles duo for this weekend.

Tar Heels Tackle Tough Schedule:

Of the Tar Heels' 23 dual matches this season, all but three (UNC-Greensboro, and NC State twice) were against teams ranked in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's rankings at the time of the match. Ten matches came against teams ranked among the nation's top 20, and UNC faced three top-five teams, Wake Forest, once when the Deacs were No. 2 and once when No. 3, and No. 5 Florida. Carolina posted a 7-13 record against teams ranked by the ITA.

Injury-plagued Heels:

In addition to Niebling, several other Tar Heels have missed time due to injury this season, including No. 1 player Marlene Mejia who missed singles play in three key late-season matches due to a knee injury. Carolina went 1-2 in her absence from the singles line-up, falling to ACC foes Maryland and Virginia. Senior Jeni Burnette (Raleigh, N.C.), a key source of veteran leadership, also missed much of the season due to injury.

Carolina versus the Lady Razorbacks:

The Tar Heels stand at 1-2 in three all-time matches versus Arkansas. The squads have not met this season but had four common oppoenets in the 2000: Florida, Kentucky, South Carolina and Tennessee. Neither the Tar Heels nor Lady Razorbacks defeated any of these opponents who all pqualified for the 2000 NCAA Women's Tennis Tournament.

Saturday's possible opponents:

Should the Tar Heels top Arkansas and advance to Saturday's match, they will take on the winner of the Duke-Winthrop match-up. UNC has never faced Winthrop. However, the Heels have a long history with the Blue Devils. The Carolina-Duke all-time series stands at 25 wins apiece. Duke evened the slate with a 6-3 win over the Tar Heels on April 16 in Durham.

Carolina Online:

For more information on the North Carolina women's tennis team or any other Tar Heel squad, visit www.TarHeelBlue.com, the official site of Carolina athletics.