Women's tennis to host to tournament.
March 4, 1998
LAS VEGAS - The 37th-ranked UNLV women's team welcomes three of college tennis' top 15 squads to town for the 1998 Excalibur Challenge running March 10-14 at the Fertitta Tennis Complex on campus.
Leading the field is unanimous No. 1-ranked Florida followed by 11th-ranked William & Mary and No. 15 Notre Dame.
For the Lady Rebels, each match will be their first-ever meeting with the national powers. UNLV's contest with the Lady Gators on Thursday, March 12, will mark only the second time the school has faced a top-ranked team on its home court following a 1994 showdown vs. then-No. 1 Georgia.
"This is the highest-quality collection of college teams Las Vegas has ever seen," UNLV Head Coach Ola Malmqvist said. "It will be a big challenge for us and a good opportunity to see where we stand against some of the best talent in the country."
The four-team field features 11 of the nation's top-100 ranked singles players and five of the top-20 doubles tandems, including Florida's two-time defending NCAA champions Dawn Buth and Stephanie Nickitas. UNLV is led by the 10th-ranked duo Gee Gee Garvin and Susie Kocsis.
UNLV and Florida will each face all three teams during the week in a dual match format while Notre Dame and William & Mary will each play the Lady Rebels and the Lady Gators. All matches are free admission.
1998 EXCALIBUR CHALLENGE SCHEDULE
(All matches at Fertitta Tennis Complex, Las Vegas, NV)
DATE TEAMS TIME
Tuesday, March 10 Notre Dame vs. UNLV 1:30 pm
Wednesday, March 11 Florida vs. Notre Dame 11 am
Thursday, March 12 Florida vs. UNLV 1:30 pm
Friday, March 13 Florida vs. William & Mary 11 am
Saturday, March 14 William & Mary vs. UNLV 11 am
