Nze and Zsilinszka Set for NCAA Individual Tournament

DURHAM, N.C. - After leading the Duke University women's tennis team to a final record of 22-8, two Blue Devils will have a chance to continue their seasons as the NCAA Individual Tournament gets underway Wednesday in Athens, Ga. Juniors Ellah Nze and Reka Zsilinszka were selected to the 64-player field in singles competition.

Nze will match up with Elisabeth Fournier of Washington State on Wednesday at 1 p.m. Ranked 47th in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's most recent poll, Nze posted an overall record of 23-15 in singles action during the 2009-10 campaign. She led Duke primarily from the No. 1 position, going 5-3 in ACC play and defeating eight nationally-ranked opponents. In last year's individual tournament, Nze advanced to the round of 16 before falling to the No. 2 seed.

Fournier broke a Washington State record for single-season victories, going 31-9 this season. She earned second team Pac-10 honors and was listed at No. 59 in the latest ITA poll. Wednesday's match will mark the first meeting between Nze and Fournier.

Zsilinszka will face off with Anouk Tigu of Arkansas in Wednesday's first round, with the match slated for 1:30 p.m. Zsilinszka is riding a 12-match win streak heading into the tournament. She compiled a record of 29-11 this season, including a perfect 9-0 mark in conference action. Ranked 34th by the ITA, Zsilinszka was been a consistent leader for the Blue Devils from the No. 1, 2 and 3 positions during the regular season.

Tigu led Arkansas from the No. 1 spot this season, posting a record of 15-9 in dual match play. The junior was a first team All-SEC honoree and is ranked 29th in the ITA's most recent poll. Tigu and Zsilinszka have never faced each other on the tennis court, and Tigu will be making her first appearance in the NCAA Individual Tournament. Zsilinszka advanced to the round of 16 in 2009's tournament before falling to the No. 1 seed.

Live scoring of all matches throughout the singles draw will be available on www.goduke.com.

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