Oct. 3, 2008

River Forest, IL - The Dominican University women's tennis team will be looking to take advantage of the first-ever Northern Athletics Conference (NAC) automatic qualifier to the NCAA Division III National Tournament as the Stars compete at the 2008 NAC Women's Tennis Championships on Saturday and Sunday, October 4 and 5, in Madison, Wis., with the conference champion winning the NAC's bid to nationals.

The Stars, who finished fourth at the 2007 NAC Championships, have posted a 2-7 record in NAC regular season play, ending the regular season on Wednesday afternoon with a 5-4 win over NAC and River Forest rival Concordia University Chicago. The Stars' Julia Filipski (St. Charles, IL) is expected to be the Stars' #1 singles competitor. Filipski, a senior, has posted a 7-6 record in the number one singles flight but more importantly has won her last three matches posting wins over the NAC's Concordia Chicago, Lakeland College and Marian College. Filipski finished fifth in the 2007 NAC Championships.

Transfer Adrea Body (Palos Heights, IL) figures to be the Stars entry at number two singles. Body, in her first season with the Stars, has posted a 2-9 record at number two singles, 1-7 against NAC opponents. Body's only win in singles competition came against Lakeland on Saturday as she outdueled Lakeland's Erin Cepa 6-1, 6-0.

Gina Cesario (Addison, IL) and Krystal Glass (Elk Grove Village, IL) will be Dominican's number three and four singles competitors respectively. Cesario, who competed in the 2007 NAC Championships as the Stars' number five singles competitor, has posted a 2-9 record at three singles on the season as a senior while Glass, a freshman, is 3-7 in singles play this season after posting a 6-3, 6-1 win over Concordia Chicago in singles play on Wednesday.

Nadia Pencheva (Addison, IL) has had the most success for the Stars in singles play this season. The sophomore has posted an overall record of 8-5 in singles play including a 7-2 record against NAC opponents, playing most matches as the Stars' number five singles competitor.

Rosa Flores (Burnham, IL) has played nine matches for Dominican in the number six singles flight. The 5'7" senior has a 5-4 record against other number six competitors this season.

In doubles play, the Stars' figure to team Filipski and Cesario at number one doubles, Body and Glass at number two singles and Pencheva and Courtney Bates (Bolingbrook, IL) at number three singles. Dominican has a combined 14-25 record in doubles play, with Bates and Pencheva proving to be the most formidable duo with a 7-4 record as a doubles team.

Action for the tournament is set to begin at 9:00 a.m. both days with Edgewood College serving as this year's host at the Nielsen Tennis Stadium in Madison, Wis.