May 26, 1999

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - North Carolina's improving women's tennis program has announced a 1999-2000 schedule that ranks as the most challenging in school history. The Tar Heels will play 13 of 21 dual matches next year against teams which were invited to the 1999 NCAA Tournament field, highlighted by encounters against 1999 NCAA runner-up Florida and 1999 NCAA semifinalist Duke.

"I think everyone involved with the North Carolina women's tennis program is excited about the schedule we will play next year," said North Carolina Head Coach Roland Thornqvist (North Carolina '93), who just completed his first year as the Tar Heels' head coach. "The Atlantic Coast Conference is improving as a women's tennis league every year and certainly we hope that we can step up our game and challenge Duke next year for the conference title. In addition, five ACC teams got bids to the tournament this year, the most in history.

"We also wanted to go out and schedule a tremendous non-conference schedule, playing the best teams in our region as well as a handful of national opponents of the highest rank. I think we have accomplished that.

"Twelve of our 21 dual matches will be played in Chapel Hill next year so our fans will have plenty of opportunities to see us play."

North Carolina will play five matches at home against teams, which made the 1999 NCAA Tournament field. These matches are against Notre Dame on February 26, Illinois on March 4, Harvard on March 5, Iowa on March 11 and Wake Forest on April 13. Iowa made the Round of 16 at this year's NCAA Tournament before losing to Duke. Carolina's other home opponents will be Richmond, UNC-Greensboro, Clemson, Georgia Tech, N.C. State, Indiana and Virginia Commonwealth.

Eight of Carolina's nine road matches next year will be played against teams in the 1999 NCAA Tournament. Besides Florida and Duke, UNC will also play against Kentucky, Tennessee (1999 NCAA Final 16), South Carolina (1999 NCAA Final 16), William & Mary, Florida State and Maryland. Virginia is the only road opponent for the Heels next year who did not make this year's NCAA Tournament.

UNC finished 16-9 this past year, a marked improvement over its 5-17 mark of the previous season. The Tar Heels finished fourth in the ACC and reached the ACC semifinals before losing to #5 Duke. The Tar Heels garnered the first NCAA Tournament bid in school history and upset higher-seeded Washington in the first round before losing to fourth-ranked Ole Miss on its home court in the second round of the tournament.

1999-2000 University of North Carolina Women's Tennis Schedule

Date                      Opponent/Event               Site                   Time
Fri.-Sun., October 1-3    UNC Invitational             Chapel Hill, N.C.      All Day
Fri.-Sun., October 15-17  Georgia Invitational         Fripp Island, Ga.      All Day
Fri.-Mon., November 5-8   ITA Regionals                Winston-Salem, N.C.    All Day
Fri.-Mon., January 21-24  ACC Indoor Championships     Chapel Hill, N.C.      All Day
Sat., January 29          Richmond                     Chapel Hill, N.C.      5:00 p.m.
Wed., February 9          UNC-Greensboro               Chapel Hill, N.C.      6:00 p.m.
Sat., February 12         Kentucky                     Lexington, Ky.         2:00 p.m.
Sun., February 13         Tennessee                    Knoxville, Tenn.       1:00 p.m.
Tues., February 22        South Carolina               Columbia, S.C.         5:00 p.m.
Sat., February 26         Notre Dame                   Chapel Hill, N.C.      1:00 p.m.
Wed., March 1             William & Mary               Williamsburg, Va.      3:00 p.m.
Sat., March 4             Illinois                     Chapel Hill, N.C.      1:00 p.m.
Sun., March 5             Harvard                      Chapel Hill, N.C.      12:00 Noon
Sat., March 11            Iowa                         Chapel Hill, N.C.      10:00 a.m.
Mon., March 13            Florida                      Gainesville, Fla.      5:00 p.m.
Thurs., March 16          Florida State                Tallahassee, Fla.      2:00 p.m.
Thurs., March 23          Clemson                      Chapel Hill, N.C.      4:00 p.m.
Sun., March 26            Georgia Tech                 Chapel Hill, N.C.      1:00 p.m.
Wed., March 29            N.C. State                   Chapel Hill, N.C.      5:00 p.m.
Sat., April 1             Indiana                      Chapel Hill, N.C.      12:00 Noon
Wed., April 5             Virginia Commonwealth        Chapel Hill, N.C.      4:00 p.m.
Sat., April 8             Maryland                     College Park, Md.      1:00 p.m.
Sun., April 9             Virginia                     Charlottesville, Va.   1:00 p.m.
Thurs., April 13          Wake Forest                  Chapel Hill, N.C.      5:00 p.m.
Sun., April 16            Duke                         Durham, N.C.           1:00 p.m.
Thurs.-Sun., April 20-23  ACC Championship             Atlanta, Ga.           All Day
Fri.-Sun., May 13-15      NCAA Regional Championship   To Be Determined       All Day
Thurs.-Sun., May 19-22    NCAA Team Championship       To Be Determined       All Day
Mon.-Fri., May 23-27      NCAA Sin/Dou Championships   To Be Determined       All Day

Head Women's Tennis Coach: Roland Thornqvis, Second Year as Women's Tennis Head Coach at North Carolina (Also Played Three Years at North Carolina and was Assistant Men's Tennis Coach for Two Years)

Assistant Women's Tennis Coach: Jennifer Hyde, Second Year at North Carolina

Women's Tennis Sports Information Director: Dave Lohse, Twenty-Third Year at North Carolina

Home matches played at the Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Exit North Carolina Highway 54 at the Friday Center and follow the signs.