College Tennis News - Women's Tennis preview: Miami Spring Invite

WHAT: Texas kicks off the spring season this weekend at the four-team Miami Spring Invite. The three-day event features the Longhorns along with Vanderbilt, Texas A&M and host Miami.

WHEN: Play begins Friday, Jan. 18 and continues through Sunday, Jan. 20

WHERE: Neil Schiff Tennis Center – Coral Gables, Fla.

TEXAS OPENS AT NO. 11 IN I.T.A. PRESEASON POLL
Texas has landed the No. 11 slot in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) preseason women’s tennis team poll. It marks the Longhorns’ highest spot in the ITA preseason poll since 2006, when UT opened at the third slot.

I.T.A. PRESEASON SINGLES RANKINGS (TEXAS PLAYERS)
79. Noel Scott

ADDISON, GROENVYNCK JOIN THE LONGHORNS
Eighth-year head coach Patty Fendick-McCain welcomes a pair of first-semester newcomers in Lana Groenvynck (Schilde, Belgium) and Breaunna Addison (Boca Raton, Fla.). Groenvynck reached the semifinals at the 2011 Borreman Cup in Belgium, while Addison is a former singles champion at the prestigious Dunlop Orange Bowl International Tennis Championships.

THE 2012-13 LONGHORNS
Texas returns six student-athletes from the 2011-12 squad that landed at No. 10 in the final ITA team poll, advanced to the NCAA Championship’s round of 16 and won the Big 12 Championship.

Senior Aeriel Ellis earned her second consecutive ITA singles All-America selection last season and has qualified for 10 of 11 national championship events contested in her time as a Longhorn. The Californian has advanced to the singles round of 16 at the last two NCAA Championships.

Sophomore Lina Padegimaite (pah-day-gee-MY-tay) posted a 22-5 overall singles record and was selected as the Big 12 Conference Freshman of the Year last season. The native of Lithuania cruised to a 9-0 mark last season in conference play. Junior Elizabeth Begley posted an impressive 34-7 overall singles record last season, which included a 21-2 dual-match record and a 9-0 mark in conference play.

Sophomore Noel Scott knocked off several highly-ranked opponents in dual-match play last season and notched 16 singles victories as a freshman. Scott brings a No. 79 singles ranking into the spring season. UT also returns junior Juliana Gajic and sophomore Annat Rabinovich.

HORNS HOST HOME OPENER NEXT WEEKEND
Texas will host four matches next weekend (Jan. 26-27) in association with the annual ITA Kick-Off Weekend.