Sugiyama Earns First Career Bid to NCAA Singles Event
4/30/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- Junior Chisako Sugiyama(Parsippany, N.J./The Montclair Kimberley Academy) of the No. 19-ranked University of Michigan women's tennis team received her first career invitation to the NCAA Singles Championship, announced Wednesday evening (April 30) by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Sugiyama earned one of46 at-large bids into the 64-player tournament, which will be held May 21-26 at the University of Tulsa's Michael D. Case Tennis Center in Tulsa, Okla.
Sugiyama, who is ranked 50th in this week's Intercollegiate Tennis Association national rankings, finished her third Big Ten Conference campaign with an undefeated 10-0 record at both the No. 1 singles and doubles positions. She carries a team-best 26-10 overall singles record, including an 18-4 dual-match mark at the top two spots. A three-time Big Ten Athlete of the Week selection this year, Sugiyama currently holds a 17-match winning streak. She is the first Wolverine in four years to earn back-to-back All-Big Ten honors.
Sugiyama is the ninth U-M women's tennis player -- and first since Michelle DaCosta in 2004 -- to receive an invitation to the NCAA Singles Championship.
Sugiyama and sophomore Tania Mahtani(Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif./Palos Verdes Peninsula HS) are listed as the third alternates for the 32-team NCAA Doubles Championship (May 21-26). The 40th-ranked Wolverine tandem has compiled an overall record of 21-8, including a 17-6 dual-match mark at No. 1. Sugiyama and Mahtani became the second U-M doubles team in three seasons to finish the Big Ten regular season with a perfect 10-0 record at the top position.
The Wolverines (18-5) will head to Clemson, S.C., to compete in the NCAA Regional Championship next Friday and Saturday (May 9-10) at Clemson University's Hoke Sloan Tennis Center. Michigan will face Furman (19-5) in the first round on Friday at 11 a.m. and, should it advance, would meet the winner of the 13th-ranked Tigers (15-9) and Winthrop (15-7) on Saturday at 11 a.m.
Contact: Marc Ressler (734) 763-4423
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