May 20, 2008

GREENVILLE, S.C. - Junior tennis player Laura Gioia will begin play at the NCAA Singles Championship in Tulsa, Okla. on Wednesday, May 21.

Gioia is scheduled to face sophomore Katrina Zheltova from Sacramento State in a 3:00 p.m. match on Wednesday.

86th-ranked Gioia will take on 34th-ranked Zheltova in the round of 64. Gioia enters the tournament with a dual-match record of 22-2 in singles play and 19-4 in doubles play. Zheltova sports a 15-5 singles mark and 13-10 doubles mark in dual match play this season.

Gioia and Zheltova both helped their respective teams to conference championships and NCAA tournament berths in 2008. Both teams fell in the first round of the tournament, with Furman losing to Michigan by a score of 4-0, and Sacramento State falling to Arizona State by a score of 4-0.

The 2008 NCAA Division I Women's Singles Championships will take place at the Michael D. Case Tennis Center on the campus of The University of Tulsa.