Jan. 22, 2004

WACO, Texas - The Baylor women's tennis team, ranked No. 32 nationally, open their season this weekend on the road as they travel to Nashville, Tenn., to take on 12th-ranked Vanderbilt and 4th-ranked Duke at the Brownlee O. Currey Jr. Tennis Center. The Bears will play Vanderbilt on Friday, Jan. 23 at 5 p.m. (CST) and take on Duke on Sat., Jan. 24 at 1 p.m. (CST).

Baylor returns four position players off last season's Big 12 Champion squad. The Bears returned to the NCAA Tournament last season after a one year hiatus. Second-year Baylor head coach Joey Scrivano is assisted this season by Rebekah Rhodes (Texas, 2002) and Kim Niggemeyer (Fresno State, 2003). Baylor has no players ranked nationally in singles but in doubles, junior Daria Potapova and sophomore Stephanie Balzert are ranked No. 45.

Vanderbilt enters the match with a 2-0 record after blanking Michigan State (7-0) and No. 31 Virginia (7-0). The Commodores feature four players ranked among the nation's top 100 in singles and two ranked doubles teams. Seniors Aleke Tsoubanos and Kelly Schmandt are ranked No. 2 and juniors Audra Falk and Annie Menees are No. 28.

After advancing to the 2003 Final Four for the sixth timen school history, the Duke women's team opens the 2004 season against Baylor. The Blue Devils have four returning off last year's squad and have four freshmen. Three-time all-American Amanda Johnson leads the Duke squad, she is No. 5 in singles and . Johnson and freshman tory Zawacki are ranked No. 5 in doubles. Four other Blue Devil players are ranked nationally in singles.