No. 12 Panthers headed back to NCAA postseason

ORANGE, Calif. –  For the fourth year in a row, the Chapman University women’s tennis team has been selected to the NCAA Division III Women’s Tennis Championships. The Panthers, ranked No. 12 in Division III, have earned a first-round bye in the regional bracket which will be hosted by Pomona-Pitzer Colleges in Claremont, Calif.

Chapman (12-4) is the No. 2 seed in the bracket and will play Friday against the winner of the Gwynedd-Mercy College (Pa.) and University of Redlands match at a time still to be determined. Chapman defeated Redlands 6-3 in April, but has never faced Gwynedd-Mercy. Host Pomona-Pitzer earned the top seed in the region.

The Panthers are led by junior two-time All-American Liz Lewis, ranked No. 1 in the West Region. Lewis has an overall singles record of 24-1, including a 24-match winning streak, and recently reached the semifinals in last month’s Ojai Valley Tournament.

Lewis and junior Kelley Fox are also ranked No. 1 in the West Region in doubles. Together, they are 12-6 overall after earning All-America honors last season. Fox (13-5), freshman Candace Scholler (11-8), and sophomore Cassidy Sirois (11-8) have also contributed winning records to Chapman’s regular season success.

The Panthers are still looking for their first playoff win as a team. Chapman is 0-4 in its first four appearances in the NCAA Division III tournament (2001, 2007-09).

by Nicole Inal & Doug Aiken
Sports Information Intern & Sports Information Director

Tournament Bracket: http://www.ncaa.com/auto_pdf/p_hotos/s_chools/ncaa/sports/w-tennis/auto_pdf/WTen-D3-2010Bracket