May 4, 2005

CORAL GABLES, FL - Florida Atlantic University learned Wednesday it will face the University of Miami in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. It's the second NCAA appearance in the past three years for the Owls. California and Mississippi are the other teams in the four-team regional. The tournament is made up of 64 teams playing in sixteen regionals. The Owls will face the host Hurricanes May 13 at 2:00pm at the Neil Schiff Tennis Center.

FAU (9-10) last played on April 17 when it defeated Stetson in the championship match of the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament. FAU defeated Jacksonville, UCF, and Stetson during the tournament to claim its second A-Sun title in the past three years. FAU enters the NCAA Tournament with five wins in its last six matches.

The Owls are led by senior Alena Dvorakova, the A-Sun's Player-of-the-Year. She is 22-5 on the year, including 15-3 at no. 1. For her career, she has received First-Team All-Conference honors four times and Player-of-the-Year honors twice. She is FAU's all-time Division I leader in singles (90) and doubles (67) wins.

Miami enters the regional ranked no. 9 in the nation by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. Cal (12-8) is no. 24, and Ole Miss (13-9) is no. 35.

FAU faced Miami February 15 in its season opener in Coral Gables. The Owls were defeated 7-0. The winner of the FAU-Miami match faces either Cal or Ole Miss May 14 at 1:00pm. The regional winner advances to the round of 16, May 19-22, in Athens, GA.

Florida Atlantic last appeared in the NCAA Tournament in 2003 when it faced Florida in Gainesville.