Feb. 17, 2000

Madison, Wisc. -- The 13th-ranked USC (6-1, 1-1 Pac-10) women's tennis team defeated No. 15 Tennessee, 7-1, in the first round of the USTA/ITA National Women's Team Indoor Championships today, Feb. 17, in Madison, Wisc. Hosted by the University of Wisconsin, the tournament is utilizing an experimental format where a match tie-breaker (first to 10, win by two) is played in place of a third set in singles. Teams are also awarded two points, instead of one, for sweeping the doubles matches.

The Trojans took advantage of both experimental rules, winning three of the four singles matches in the tie-breaker format, and sweeping doubles play for two points. Due to this change in format, the match was much closer than the score indicated between the Women of Troy and Lady Vols.

"The score was not nearly as indicative as how close the match really was," said head coach Richard Gallien. "If you look and see how close the doubles scores were, you'd see we could have just as easily lost all three. The match would have also taken a much different twist had we lost one of the match tie-breakers.

"The field this year is so strong that any team can come here and lose three matches, so I'm very glad for us to get a win like this."

USC will face No. 4 Georgia tomorrow, Feb. 18, at 4 p.m. in the tournament quarterfinals. This is the Trojans first quarterfinal appearance at the championships since 1997.

Singles
(1) Alison Ojeda (Tennessee) def. Jewel Peterson (USC) - 6-0, 2-6, 1-0 (10-4)
(2) Kara Warkentin (USC) def. Vilmarie Castellvi (Tennessee) - 6-2, 6-2
(3) Veronika Safarova (USC) def. Agnes Wiski (Tennessee) - 6-4, 6-7 (0-7), 1-0 (10-4)
(4) Jacqui Boyd (USC) def. Meiling Parks (Tennessee) - 6-1, 6-1
(5) Anita Loyola (USC) def. Candy Reid (Tennessee) - 3-6, 6-1, 1-0 (10-5)
(6) Tiffany Brymer (USC) def. Crystal Cleveland (Tennessee) - 4-6, 6-4, 1-0 (13-11)

Doubles
(1) Warkentin/Brymer (USC) def. Castellvi/Ojeda (Tennessee) - 8-6
(2) Loyola/Safarova (USC) def. Reid/Wiski (Tennessee) - 9-7
(3) Boyd/Peterson (USC) def. Cleveland/Parks (Tennessee) - 9-7