March 8, 2005

NEW ORLEANS, La. - Tulane women's tennis player Darya Ivanov has been selected as the Conference USA Player of the Week, the league office announced Tuesday.

The weekly honor is the first for Ivanov, who was a second-team All-Conference USA selection during her freshman campaign.

Ivanov, a sophomore hailing from Adelaide, Australia, was recognized after winning her fourth consecutive singles match on Sunday over William and Mary's Lingda Yang, 7-6, 6-3, at No. 5 singles. The win moved her singles record to 10-8 on the year and was one of two for the Green Wave, who fell to the No. 20 Tribe, 5-2, at Goldring Tennis Center.

In doubles play, the unranked duo of Darya and Maria Ivanov upset William and Mary's Candice Fuchs and Megan Mouton-Levy, the nation's No. 25 doubles combination, at No. 1 doubles, 9-7.

"Darya and her sister had a great win in doubles," Tulane head coach David Schumacher said. "They were playing a tough team from William and Mary and it would have been easy for them to pack it in, but they fought hard and came away with the win. Darya's really turned the tide recently with her singles play and has been playing very well."

For their performance on Sunday, the Ivanov tandem earned the No. 37 spot in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) rankings, also released on Tuesday. The Green Wave pair of Jenny Kuehn and Julie Smekodub cracked the poll as well, checking in at No. 50. After upending No. 39 Megan Muth on Sunday, Kuehn, then ranked No. 55, jumped to No. 37 in this week's rankings while Nancy Kockott and Smekodub are ranked No. 60 and No. 97, respectively.

Ivanov and the No. 19 Green Wave host No. 48 South Alabama at 2 p.m. on Friday and No. 62 VCU on Sunday at noon at Goldring Tennis Center. Admission for both days is free to the public.