COLLEGE STATION, Texas ? Furman senior Laura Gioia advanced to the round of 16 in the 2009 NCAA Division I Women’s Tennis Championships Thursday with a 6-4, 6-1 victory over California’s Mari Andersson at Texas A&M’s George P. Mitchell Tennis Center.

Gioia, ranked 17th in the country, will battle No. 21 Sanaz Marand of North Carolina on Friday. The match time will be announced at the conclusion of today’s singles and doubles action.

“I was really nervous about today’s match, but I realized that this is my last collegiate tournament and I wanted to play my heart out while also playing smart,” explained Gioia.  “I felt like I did a good job of running down a lot of balls, forcing (Mari) to play another shot, while also going for my own shots when I could.”

By advancing to the round of 16, Gioia earns ITA All-American status, becoming the first-ever Lady Paladin tennis player to achieve such a feat. The native of Tampa, Fla., improved to 22-4 on the season, matching her career-best win total from her junior year. Gioia has amassed 78 career singles victories and is just one away from tying Furman’s all-time mark of 79 set by Southern Conference Hall of Famer Megan Dunigan.

Winner of 16 consecutive matches, Gioia has posted wins over four ranked players this spring season. The senior was equally impressive in fall competition, winning four matches in the ITA Regional Tournament and advancing to the ITA National Indoor Championships. Gioia attributes her success in this year’s NCAA Tournament to her experiences in these competitions over the past two years.

“After being at NCAA’s last year and competing in some of the major tournaments this fall, I feel like I was more prepared for the caliber of competition I would face,” said Gioia. “In this tournament, there is no easy match, but knowing what to expect really helped me prepare.”