The 2004 Conference USA Women’s Tennis Championship gets underway this Thursday, April 15 at Louisville’s Bass Rudd-Tennis Center and Seneca Park in Louisville, Ky. The tournament concludes on Sunday, April 18 with the championship match scheduled for Noon EST. Tulane, the defending C-USA Champion, is the top seed, while TCU is the No. 2 seed. Both squads will receive a first-round bye.

The Green Wave, who are ranked No. 13 in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Poll, enter this year’s championship on a 12-match winning streak, while also boasting a 21-1 overall mark. Tulane currently has six players ranked in singles action, including four in the Top 100. Erika Valdes leads the Green Wave with a No. 47 ranking, after posting a 7-1 overall mark in dual meet action. Sophomore Julie Smekodub is ranked 49th by the ITA, after garnering a 5-4 singles record, while Darya Ivanov (16-3) follows with a No. 89 showing. Maria Ivanov (8-9) is ranked No. 93 and Jenny Kuhn, who received a No. 107 ranking, is 15-4, including a 10-4 mark as Tulane’s No. 2 singles player. In doubles action, the 21st-ranked tandem of Nancy Kockott and Dorottya Magas have amassed a record of 7-2 at the No. 1 spot, while the duo of Kuhn and Smekodub are ranked No. 34 nationally. The Green Wave have also posted a 14-1 mark against ranked opponents, including a 5-2 upset over 14th-ranked Texas on April 2.

TCU is ranked 29th by the ITA with a 15-6 overall record and is 1-1 in conference play. The Horned Frogs, who are currently on a 13-match winning streak, are led by junior Paty Aburto and senior Saber Pierce. Aburto is ranked No. 48 with a 14-2 record as TCU’s No. 1 singles player, while Pierce is 18-7 this spring, including a 12-2 mark at the No. 2 singles spot. In doubles, Pierce and teammate Ana Cetnik have garnered a No. 34 ranking with a 15-5 record in dual match action.

Thursday’s play begins at 9 a.m. with fourth-seeded DePaul facing 13th-seeded Cincinnati at the Bass-Rudd Tennis Center. The Blue Demons are 18-8 and 6-0 versus C-USA opposition, while the Bearcats are 7-13 and 0-4 in league play. Also squaring off in the other 9 a.m. match is No. 5 Louisville (19-9; 3-2 C-USA) and 11th-seeded UAB (11-13; 4-5 C-USA) at Seneca Park.

Thursday’s noon matches feature third-seeded Houston (10-9; 1-2 C-USA) taking on 14th-seeded Saint Louis (2-18; 0-4 C-USA) and sixth-seeded Marquette (5-15; 2-1 C-USA) versus 12th-seeded Southern Miss (9-10; 0-1 C-USA).

The first day’s action concludes at 3 p.m. with No. 8 USF battling ninth-seeded Memphis and seventh-seeded Charlotte facing No. 10 East Carolina. The Bulls are 3-13 overall, while the Tigers are 10-11, including a 3-2 mark in C-USA action. The 49ers are 12-6 overall and 2-2 in C-USA play, while the Pirates are 9-10 this spring and 0-2 in C-USA action.

Complete results throughout the 2004 championship can be found at www.conferenceusa.com.