Vasenina's NCAA Tourney Run Starts Wednesday
Wednesday, 05/30/2012
Ecaterina Vasenina is making her first trip to the NCAA Division I Women's Tennis Championships, but it will have a familiar feel for USF's top player.
The individual field was announced Tuesday and Vasenina will start her national championship run against Florida's Sofie Oyen, an opponent she's seen twice.
"It's really nice because I already know how to play against her. I will start the match with an idea in mind of what to do," Vasenina said Tuesday before preparing for the event that takes place Wednesday through Monday at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex on the University of Georgia campus in Athens.
Vasenina, a junior from the Republic of Moldova, lost her first meeting with Oyen and bounced back to defeat the sophomore in two sets last season.
Vasenina was an NCAA alternate last season and put herself in a great position to make the tournament this season. The 44th-ranked player in the country posted a 17-7 singles record this spring at USF's No. 1 position after going 9-3 in the fall. She made the All-Big East team for the second straight season after helping the Bulls make the finals at the Big East Championships in Tampa.
"It's really exciting. It's a huge thing," Vasenina said. "This tournament is kind of like when you're a professional. You play for the university, but you still play for yourself. It's kind of like you prove to yourself how good you are. You can accomplish a lot of goals in tennis here."
Vasenina's first-round match is set for 5 p.m. Wednesday. You can follow along at the NCAA's official website here.