Michigan Set to Host Six-Team Wolverine Invitational
9/29/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan women's tennis team will kick of its 2005-06 season by hosting the seventh annual Wolverine Invitational Friday through Sunday (Sept. 30-Oct. 2) at the Varsity Tennis Center. Tennis action will begin at 10 a.m. on Friday and at 9 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday and will consist of three 16-player singles flights and three round-robin doubles flights.
The tournament will feature six teams, including three opponents that appear on Michigan's 2006 dual match schedule -- Marquette (March 11), Western Michigan (March 16) and Michigan State (March 22). Bowling Green and Cincinnati will also be in attendance.
Five players will represent Michigan at the tournament. Junior Lindsey Goldstein (Highland Park, Ill./Highland Park HS) earned the "Wolverine" singles flight championship in 2003 and has won all but two of the eight singles matches she has played in at the tournament. Sophomore Allie Shafner (Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek HS) went 3-1 and reached the finals of the "Blue" singles flight last season, and classmate Monica Sly (Belleair, Fla./Shorecrest Preparatory School) collected a 2-2 record in the "Maize" singles flight in 2004.
Freshmen Lindsey Howard (Richmond, Va./Mills E. Godwin HS) and Chisako Sugiyama (Parsippany, N.J./The Montclair Kimberley Academy) will make their collegiate debuts at the Wolverine Invitational.
Michigan put forth a strong effort at last year's tournament, claiming victories in 24 of 35 matches. Senior Nina Yaftali (Westlake Village, Calif./Westlake HS) took home top honors in the 16-player "Maize" singles flight, while the tandem of Leanne Rutherford (2002-05) and senior Debra Streifler (Highland Park, Ill./Highland Park HS) captured the championship in the 32-team doubles bracket.
Juniors Kara Delicata (LaSalle, Ontario/Sandwich Secondary School) and Elizabeth Exon (Irvine, Calif./Woodbridge HS) will join Streifler and Yaftali at the Riveria/ITA All-American Championships, held Oct. 1-9 at the Riveria Tennis Club in Pacific Palisades, Calif.
Results of the Wolverine Invitational will be regularly updated on MGoBlue.com throughout the tournament. Participating SIDs and interested media members may also have results faxed or e-mailed to them by contacting Michigan Athletic Media Relations at (734) 763-4423.
Contact: Marc Ressler (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
