April 2, 2008
Complete Release in PDF Format 
IRVING, Texas - Tulsa is the top ranked C-USA Women's Tennis team, coming in at No. 52 in the latest ITA rankings. The Golden Hurricane are coming off an upset win of then-No. 52 South Alabama. TU is followed in the rankings by No. 56 Rice and No. 60 Marshall.
The Golden Hurricane's Thalia Diaz-Barriga is the Women's Tennis Player of the Week. Diaz-Barriga defeated nationally-ranked Michaela Babicova in Tulsa's upset of No. 52 South Alabama and now has 10 singles wins at the No. 2 position and 12 overall.
WOMEN'S TENNIS PLAYER OF THE WEEK (4/1)
THALIA DIAZ-BARRIGA - Tulsa
Jr., Cordoba, Veracruz, Mexico (Univ. of Miami Online)
Diaz-Barriga defeated No. 123 Michaela Babicova in three sets, 1-6, 7-6(8-6), 1-0 (11-9) in Tulsa's 5-2 upset of No. 52 South Alabama, Saturday at the Michael D. Case Tennis Center. Diaz-Barriga along with partner Marta Marcinkowska also won in doubles, 8-1 over Katie Welch / Michaela Babicova. Diaz-Barriga's victory gives her 10 wins at the No. 2 position and 12 overall. This is the second weekly honor for Diaz-Barriga in 2008 (Mar.18), and the second of her career.
WEEKLY AWARDS
Conference USA will name a male and female tennis Athlete of the Week throughout the regular season. The weekly accolades are selected by the media relations department and announced every Tuesday throughout the season.
ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
J22 - Kellie Schmitt, Marshall
J29 - Kellie Schmitt, Marshall
F5 - Alexandra Kichoutkin, Tulsa
F12 - Natalia Bubien, SMU
F19 - Dominique Karas, Rice
Alexandra Kichoutkin, Tulsa
F26 - Kseniia Tokarieva, SMU
M4 - Alexandra Kichoutkin, Tulsa
M11 - Kellie Schmitt, Marshall
M18 - Thalia Diaz-Barriga, Tulsa
M25 - Elvira Serrot, UCF
A1 - Thalia Diaz-Barriga, Tulsa
OTHER NOTABLE C-USA TENNIS PERFORMANCES
Kellie Schmitt - Marshall
Jr., Pittsburgh, Pa.
Schmitt split both of her singles and doubles match this week, falling to ranked foes from No. 33 Auburn, before rebounding to down her opponents from No. 52 South Alabama. Along with partner Karolina Soor in doubles, Schmitt took out the nationally-ranked duo from USA, 8-6.
NATALIA BUBIEN - SMU
Jr., Warsaw, Poland
Bubien continued her outstanding season last week against Notre Dame as she grabbed two ranked wins. Bubien and partner Pavi Francis won their fourth straight doubles match by defeating the top-ranked pair in the country, taking down the Irish's Brook Buck and Kelcy Tefft. Francis and Bubien are now 11-4 this season, after upsetting the No. 1 duo in the nation, 8-7 (4). Bubien then turned around and did it again in singles, downing No. 38 Tefft at the No. 1 slot.
ITA WOMEN'S TEAM RANKINGS
(April 1)
Rank School
52 Tulsa
56 Rice
60 Marshall
INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS
(April 1)
Singles Individual
58 Kellie Schmitt, Marshall
88 Natalia Bubien, SMU
Doubles Team
26 Schmitt/Soor, Marshall
41 Bubien/Francis, SMU
WEEKLY RELEASE
The Conference USA media relations staff will produce a weekly release each Tuesday throughout the season, including Athlete of the Week selections and updated standings. Complete league statistics and results will be updated daily throughout the season on the Conference website.
ON THE WEB
For the latest Conference USA tennis match recaps, scores, standings, stats and weekly notebooks please log on to the league's official website: www.ConferenceUSA.com
