New Orleans, La., is the site of the 2003 Conference USA Women’s Tennis Championship, which is slated get underway this Saturday, April 12 at Tulane’s Goldring Tennis Center and Dillard University’s Tennis Center. The championship concludes on Tuesday, April 15 with the championship match scheduled for Noon CST. The host Green Wave is the championship’s top seed, while defending C-USA champion TCU is the No. 2 seed. Both squads will receive a first-round bye.

Tulane, ranked 28th in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Poll, enters this year’s championship with a 14-4 overall mark and is 2-0 in C-USA action. The Wave is led by the freshman duo of Julie Smekodub and Jenny Kuhn. Smekodub, ranked 32nd by the ITA, sports a 7-7 mark this year at No. 1 singles, while Kuhn is 16-2 in dual match play as Tulane’s No. 2 singles player. In doubles, the tandem of Smekodub and Kuhn are ranked ninth with a 9-4 record. Tulane’s No. 3 singles player, Erika Valdes is ranked 103rd nationally, sports a 13-5 record. Against ranked opponents this season, the Green Wave is 7-4 with wins over Florida State, Ole Miss, Tulsa, TCU, Oklahoma State and Baylor.

TCU is ranked 55th by the ITA with 9-9 overall record and is 2-1 in conference play. The Horned Frogs are led by junior Paty Aburto and senior Rosa Perez. Aburto is 10-7 in dual match play as TCU’s top singles player. Perez is 15-3 this spring, playing mainly at the No. 2 singles spot. Aburto and Perez are the No. 59 doubles team with 12-4 record in dual match action.

Saturday’s play begins at 9 a.m. with eighth-seeded UAB facing ninth-seeded East Carolina. The Blazers are 10-6 and 3-2 versus C-USA opposition, while the Pirates are 13-7 and 0-2 in league play. The winner of the UAB/ECU match will advance to face Tulane on Sunday at 3:00 p.m.

Also squaring in the other 9 a.m. match is seventh-seeded DePaul taking on 10th-seeded Marquette. The Blue Demons are 17-8 overall and 2-1 against C-USA foes, while the Golden Eagles are 3-13 with a 2-0 mark against league opponents. The winner of the DePaul/Marquette match will advance to face TCU on Sunday at noon.

Saturday’s noon matches feature third-seeded Houston taking on 13th-seeded Saint Louis and fourth-seeded Memphis versus 14th-seeded Southern Miss. The Cougars are 11-8 this season (1-2 C-USA), while the Billikens are 9-12 this year. The Tigers are 14-6 with a 3-1 C-USA record and USM is 8-10 overall and 0-4 against league opponents.

The first day’s action concludes at 3:00 p.m. with fifth-seeded South Florida battling 12th-seeded Charlotte and sixth-seeded Louisville facing 11th-seeded Cincinnati. The Bulls are 9-10 overall, but are 5-2 against C-USA opponents. The 49ers are 8-12 overall and 1-1 in C-USA play. U of L is 19-6 overall and 0-1 in conference play, while UC is 10-10 this spring and 2-3 in C-USA action. The Cardinals C-USA loss came to the Bearcats on April 2, a 4-3 decision in Cincinnati.

Check the Conference USA website throughout the 2003 championship for updates. Click on the link at the top of the page for the complete championship bracket.

2003 C-USA Women’s Tennis Championship
#1 TULANE
#2 TCU
#3 HOUSTON
#4 MEMPHIS
#5 SOUTH FLORIDA
#6 LOUISVILLE
#7 DE PAUL
#8 UAB
#9 ECU
#10 MARQUETTE
#11 CINCINNATI
#12 CHARLOTTE
#13 SAINT LOUIS
#14 SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI