Wednesday, 03/14/2012

ATLANTA—The Georgia State women’s tennis team climbed back into the ITA Women’s National Team rankings and sophomore Abigail Tere-Apisah improved in the ITA Women’s Singles rankings released on Wednesday.

GSU (7-4) jumped up to No. 66 in the ITA rankings, marking the seventh time it has been nationally ranked this season. The Panthers began the year No. 58 and rose as high as No. 38 this year on Feb. 25. The team has battled four opponents that held national rankings at the time of the matchup this season in No. 13 Georgia Tech, No. 43 Sacramento State, No. 43 William & Mary and No. 62 Wake Forest. Georgia State is 2-2 in those matches.

Tere-Apisah is 11-0 to start the season and has three victories over ranked opponents. Most recently she defeated Fresno State’s Marianne Jodoin, the No. 45-ranked player, 6-3, 6-4. She also owns wins against the No. 93-ranked singles player in Wake Forest's Kayla Duncan and the No. 45-ranked player in Georgia Tech's Jillian O'Neill this season.

The Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, native has already been named CAA women’s tennis Player of the Week twice so far this season. Her 11th victory was a 6-4, 6-4 triumph over North Florida’s Aline Berkenbrock in Georgia State’s 5-2 victory against the Ospreys on Monday.

Georgia State and Tere-Apisah possess huge opportunities with a match at No. 35 South Carolina at 1 p.m. on Saturday. The Panthers are entering the home stretch of their schedule with the Colonial Athletic Association Championships just more than a month away. If the lineups hold true from previous matches, Tere-Apisah is expected to take on South Carolina’s Anya Morgina at the No. 1 singles matchup. In the spring dual match season, Morgina has lost just one match to Georgia’s Chelsey Gullickson, the No. 11-ranked singles player. Morgina is ranked No. 45 in the latest singles rankings. Both Tere-Apisah and Morgina have a common opponent in William & Mary’s Jeltje Loomans, whom they both defeated by an identical 6-3, 6-4 score.

Fans can follow the Panthers, led by fifth-year head coach Miha Lisac, on Saturday with live stats courtesy of the South Carolina athletic department. Visit www.GeorgiaStateSports.com later this week for a preview of the match and a link to the live stats.