FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SINGLES DRAWS ARE ANNOUNCED AS LEWIS EYES FIRST ROUND OPPONENT

SAINT PETER, Minn. – The NCAA announced the singles draws for the Division III championship tournament which will begin on Friday in St. Peter, Minn. hosted by Gustavus Adolphus College. Chapman University freshman tennis player Liz Lewis will face Lauren Claire from Washington & Lee University (Va.) in the first round of competition. The two are part of 32 players selected to participate in the tournament.

Lewis, ranked No. 4 in the West Region, is the first Chapman women’s player since Deborah Denio in 1997 to earn All-America honors. The Panthers’ No. 1 singles player posted an overall record of 20-5 in singles play, including a 4-2 mark in tournaments. The rookie climbed to the semifinals at the West Region championships last fall and most recently reached the Round of 16 at the Ojai Valley Tournament in April.

Her opponent, Claire, is the No. 3 singles player on the nation’s No. 1-ranked Washington & Lee team. The sophomore is also ranked No. 7 in the Atlantic South Region. Claire and the top-ranked Generals are facing Williams College (Mass.) for the Division III national team championship today.

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NCAA Division III Women’s Tennis Championships website:
http://gustavus.edu/events/athletics/tennis/2008/
NCAA Division III Women’s Tennis Singles Championship Bracket:
http://ncaa.com/uploadedFiles/Sports/Tennis_W)/Articles/Division_III/Bracket_W_Singles_2008.pdf