May 23, 2008

NCAA Singles Bracket

TULSA, Okla. -- No. 4-seeded Maria Mosolova (Moscow, Russia/No. 204) will advance to the quarterfinal round of the NCAA singles championship after her third-round victory Friday.

Also on Friday, it was announced that Northwestern as a team finished the season second overall in the final ITA rankings.

No. 4 Maria Mosolova vs. Katrina Zheltova (Sacramento State)
In Friday's third round action, Mosolova faced off with Sacramento State's Katrina Zheltova and dominated play from the beginning. Although many points came tough and took plenty endurance on Mosolova's part, she was ultimately able to prevail in straight sets, 6-4, 6-2.

With the win, Mosolova advances to the quarterfinal round and remains just one of eight individuals in contention for the singles crown. She will face Baylor's Zuzana Zemenova in the quarterfinal round at 1:30 p.m. Saturday. Earlier this season, Mosolova faced Zemenova in a dual match March 26, defeating her at No. 1 singles 5-7, 6-4, 6-2.

Northwestern (29-2) Finishes No. 2 Overall
The ITA released its final team rankings on Friday, with Northwestern finishing second in the poll. UCLA, the 2008 NCAA champion, beat out Northwestern for the top-spot by less than one point. The Wildcats held the No. 1 spot from February 26 through the NCAA tournament before dropping into second. It is the highest final season ranking for the Wildcats in program history.

The NCAA singles and doubles championships are being held at the Michael D. Case Tennis Center on the campus of the University of Tulsa in Oklahoma, May 21-26. For additional tournament information including live stats, video, brackets and more, please visit Tulsa's official championships homepage.

For the entire singles championship bracket, please click the PDF link above. Below is Saturday's schedule for the NCAA singles quarterfinal round.

No. 4 Maria Mosolova vs. Zuzana Zemenova (Baylor), 1:30 p.m.