SAN DIEGO (UNLVRebels.com) – Top UNLV player Molly Helgesson opens play Wednesday at the ITA National Fall Championships being staged this week at the Barnes Tennis Center on the campus of San Diego State.
 
Helgesson (4-3 this fall) earned her spot in the elite 32-player singles draw by reaching the final of the ITA Mountain Region Championship played in Las Vegas last month. This actually marks the second consecutive season that the native of Falkenberg, Sweden, qualified for the national event but she was unable to play in last season's version.
 
In the first round, Helgesson will face 58th-ranked Mary Stoiana of Texas A&M, who is seeded 5-8, starting at 11:45 am. Fans can watch live on YouTube here, follow the scoring here or get more information on the single-elimination event here.
 
The ITA National Fall Championships mark the crescendo of the collegiate tennis fall season, bringing together the nation's top singles and doubles players to battle it out for the most prestigious individual honors during autumn's tournament play.
 
As one of the longest ongoing National Championships on the ITA calendar, the ITA National Fall Championships have been a key aspect of the college tennis landscape beginning in 1978 on the men's side of play and 1984 on the women's side.