Women's Tennis Heads to USTA/ITA Carolina Regional Championships

2012 USTA/ITA Carolina Regional Championships

GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNCG women's tennis program sends off junior Dilara Yurtkuran (Istanbul, Turkey / Gunes Koleji) and seniors Annette Rios (Santa Ana, El Salvador / Liceo Latinoamericano), Alex Whitehead (Victoria, Australia / Star of the Sea College) and Niltooli Wilkins (Burnsville, Minn. / Homeschooled) to represent the Spartans at the 2012 USTA/ITA Carolina Regional Championships, Thursday, Oct. 18 through Sunday, Oct. 21 in Winston-Salem. 

"We have a chance this weekend to challenge some very good programs (UNC, Duke, Clemson, USC, Wake and NC State)," said head coach Jeff Trivette. "Our kids will go head to head with the best players in our region. We have to look at this tournament as an opportunity to break into the national setting." 

Wilkins and Whitehead leads the team with a 9-1 doubles record in the fall and will compete against UNC's Zoe DeBruycker and Laura Slater Friday. Rios and Yurtkuran are 4-1 in doubles and will face Anna Ekelund and Lisa Grosselius from Charlotte in the round of 64. 

Rios enters the qualifying round with a 5-3 singles record and hopes to qualify for the main draws starting with Xue Zhang from Wake Forest. Yurtkuran currently has a 3-4 record in singles and will duel Sophie Nelson from NC State in the qualifying singles round. 

Play will begin Thursday, Oct. 18, at 9 a.m. at Wake Forest. 

- UNCG -