Women Set For Return Trip To NCAA Tournament
05/01/18 | Women's Tennis
"I'm proud of the girls for all their hard work," said head coach Alison Silverio. "I'm excited to have another opportunity to compete, and we're ready to go do some work on the east coast."
This is the second straight season the Ducks have qualified for the NCAA Tournament, after snapping a 10-year gulf in 2017. This is the program's eighth all-time appearance in the postseason tournament, and the second back-to-back appearances, following 1999 and 2000.
"The whole season you're preparing and developing and working for the NCAA Tournament, and we want to be a program that is vying for championships," Silverio said. "Obviously there are steps to get there, but to have a standard of reaching the postseason is just something that we do. To do it two years in a row, for this team and for these young ladies who have been working hard, it's a great opportunity."
And prepare they did as the Ducks finished the 2018 regular season with a 15-9 record while going 5-5 in Pac-12 play. UO took on a daunting schedule of opponents, facing 14 programs currently ranked in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's top 50, including six in the top 25. The Ducks went 6-9 against ranked foes, recording key wins against Northwestern, who is currently ranked No. 12, and Baylor, who is ranked 26th.
This will be the first-ever meeting between the Ducks and Volunteers. Tennessee finished the season 18-11 overall and 3-10 in Southeastern Conference play. The Volunteers entered the conference tournament as the No. 12 seed, advancing to the second round of play before falling to No. 5 Ole Miss, 4-2.
"They've had a wonderful season," said Silverio of Tennessee. "They are an extremely well coached, gritty team from what I've seen. That's what it's about, it's an opportunity to put it all on the line and battle with your teammates. To have a great opponent that's going to give you resistance and make you better. I'm looking forward to it, they are a great team."
It will be a long trip across the country for UO, but it is nothing the Ducks have not faced before. This year UO traveled for two matches in Georgia as well as two matches in Kansas, splitting both road trips.
"We had to play last year in Athens (Ga.), so we have experience going out to the East Coast and being able to battle," Silverio said. "We'll make sure we take care of all of our details and preparations, but it doesn't matter where we are playing, we are just eager to get out there and looking forward to the opportunity to compete."
On Wednesday, the NCAA announced that senior Alyssa Tobita has been selected to compete in the NCAA Division I Singles Championships in Winston-Salem, N.C., which will run from May 23-28 after the completion of the team championships.
Tobita is only the fourth Duck ever, and the first since 2006, to be selected to the individual tournament.
A native of Miliani, Hawaii, Tobita has been a force for the Ducks going 18-11 on the year, including 14-7 in dual play.
After going 0-4 the last two seasons at the No. 1 spot, Tobita finished the year with an 11-7 record, while going 6-10 against ranked opponents. She closed out the season winning three of her four ranked matchups, including a come from behind, 4-6, 6-1, 6-3, victory over then No. 16 Michaela Gordon of Stanford.
Tobita was also selected as the No. 2 alternate in the doubles NCAA Doubles Championships along with partner Shweta Sangwan.
Although the two have not paired since mid-February, they remain the team leaders with a 13-6 doubles record. Sangwan and Tobita joined forces for a 9-1 record in the fall, winning the program's first-ever ITA Northwest Regional Doubles Championship defeating then No. 11 Karla Popovic and Olivia Hauger of California in three sets.
The two Ducks are currently third on the all-time doubles wins list with a 36-15 career record when paired together.
