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Athletic Report
April 24, 2002

ZIA TENNIS SELECTED FOR NCAA TOURNAMENT FOR SIXTH CONSECUTIVE SEASON
ENMU is #2 Seed at Central Regional in Abilene, Texas

PORTALES, NM – The Eastern New Mexico University women’s tennis team, ranked #23, has been selected for the NCAA Division II National Tournament for the sixth consecutive season. The Zias are seeded #2 in the four-team Central Regional in Abilene, Texas, set for May 3-4. ENMU, 13-3, will open the Regional Tournament on May 3 against the #3 seed, Midwestern State University, 12-8.

The other Regional semifinal pits #1 seed Abilene Christian University, 18-6, against the #4 seed, Cameron University, 15-6. Match times have not been determined. Semifinal winners meet for the Regional championship on May 4. The Regional champion will advance to the 16-team National Finals, May 9-12, in Kansas City, Mo.

The NCAA Division II National Tournament features 62 teams. There are two Regional sites in each of the eight Regions. Three or four teams have been selected for each Regional site, with the winners advancing to the National Finals.

ENMU is led by #1 singles player Layla Turner (Sr., Casa Grande, AZ/Casa Grande Union H.S.). Turner is 21-5 and ranked #37 nationally in singles this season. Turner is 17-3 in doubles, including 9-0 with Sarah Salazar (Jr., Belen, NM/St. Pius X H.S.) at #3 doubles. Turner placed third in singles at the ITA/Rolex National Tournament this past fall. She finished sixth in singles and fifth in doubles at the ITA/Rolex Nationals as a sophomore, and placed fourth in singles as a junior. She owns a career record of 91-19 (.829) in singles and has career doubles record of 81-27 (.750).

ENMU Head Coach Christine Blaeser is in her 12th season with the Zias. She has guided Eastern to NCAA Regional Tournaments at the University of Northern Colorado in 1997, at Abilene Christian in 1998, at the University of Central Oklahoma in 1999 and 2000, and at Washburn University in 2001. The Zias won their first ever Regional title in 2000. ENMU was defeated in the first round in 1998, and lost in the Regional championship match in 1997, 1999 and 2001.