Griffin Qualifies for Singles; Teams up with Bittles in Doubles
6/21/1999 8:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
May 7, 1999
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Forty-eight hours after the NCAA Selection Committee bypassed the No. 43 Maryland women's tennis team for its field of 64 teams, senior Meg Griffin (Topeka, Kan./Topeka West) has been selected for the singles competition and will join junior Lorraine Bittles (Nashville, Tenn./Brentwood Academy) for their second consecutive doubles appearance.
Individually, Griffin becomes the third Maryland women's tennis player to qualify for singles. Jeri Ingram, in 1989, and Claudia Borgiani, in 1985, reached post-season play after both were ACC No. 1 singles champs. At 20-15 overall this year, Griffin has played the entire season at both No. 1 singles and doubles and earned her second consecutive All-ACC selection on April 30.
Griffin and Bittles, currently No. 20 nationally, have been ranked for the last two seasons. They have reached as high as No. 9 in this year's preseason poll. In the 1998 NCAA Tournament, the duo was ousted by a 19th-ranked team from Marquette in three grueling sets. They have a 19-11 record so far this season. In fact, Bittles and Griffin won nine of their first 10 duals this year and finished at 12-5 in team competitions.
The tournament will be held in Gainesville, Fla. from May 20-28. The NCAA, however, will announce the opponents at a later time.
