GREENVILLE, S.C. ? Furman senior Laura Gioia has been selected as one of the 64 singles players that will compete in the 2009 NCAA Division I Women’s Tennis Championships to be held May 20-25 at the George P. Mitchell Tennis Center in College Station, Texas. The competition will begin following the conclusion of the team championship with Texas A&M University serving as the host.
Gioia, currently ranked 19th in the country, has been listed among the top 20 athletes in the nation all year and will represent the Southern Conference in the NCAA Singles Championships. The senior has compiled a record of 20-4 on the season, winning her last 14 matches. After posting an undefeated record in league competition, Gioia was named the SoCon Player of the Year for the second time in her career. She is a four-time all-conference honoree and one of the most successful women’s tennis players to ever wear the Paladin uniform. Gioia ranks second all-time at Furman with 76 career singles victories and is the winningest Lady Paladin with a total of 143 career singles and doubles wins.
Pairings for the competition will be announced at a later date.