ATLANTA--The No. 62-ranked Georgia State women's tennis team hosts
No. 31-ranked Illinois on Saturday in yet another nationally-ranked showdown in Atlanta.
GSU previously had a match scheduled for Sunday morning against Wake Forest. That match has been canceled and no makeup date will be scheduled. Saturday's
match vs. Illinois has been moved outdoors to the Blackburn Tennis Center and
will now begin at 11 a.m.
The
No. 31 Fighting Illini (2-4) present GSU's (2-1) highest-ranked opponent since
it dropped a heart-breaking 5-2 match last year at No. 13 Georgia Tech. It's
the second match between Georgia State and Illinois women's tennis all-time
dating back to an 8-1 victory by the Illini on March 21, 1990.
The
Panthers, led by sixth-year head coach Miha Lisac, and Illini will both be playing their first matches since competing at
the nationally-recognized ITA Kick-Off Weekend on Sunday and Monday. GSU went
1-1 on the weekend with a 4-3 upset win over No. 40-ranked Oklahoma State. GSU
fell at No. 6 Georgia to close the event. Illinois fell to No. 25 Vanderbilt,
4-1, in the opening round of the ITA Kick-Off Weekend before dropping a 4-0
match at No. 19 Ole Miss.
Saturday's
match will feature two nationally-ranked showdowns, one each in singles and doubles.
The Panthers send junior Abigail Tere-Apisah, the No. 29-ranked player in the
ITA National Singles rankings, to the No. 1 singles position. In doubles, GSU
fronts the No. 19-ranked tandem of Tere-Apisah and sophomore Masa Grgan in the
No. 1 doubles slot. Illinois counters with two nationally-ranked singles
players in No. 106 Melissa Kopinski and No. 59 Allison Falkin. Kopinski played
in the No. 1 position with Falkin at No. 2 in the ITA Kick-Off Weekend.
Kopinski pairs with senior Rachael White to form the No. 11-ranked doubles pair
in the nation at the No. 1 position.
Live
stats will be available for Saturday's match taking place at the Blackburn Tennis
Center this weekend. Fans can receive live updates by following the women's
tennis team on Twitter at "@GSUWTennis". Visit the women's tennis page on
GeorgiaStateSports.com following each match for a full recap and all results.
www.GeorgiaStateSports.com
