Sooners Play Final Home Match Thursday

NORMAN, Okla. The Oklahoma women's tennis team (14-9, 4-5) plays its last home match of the 2005 season Thursday, April 21 at 2 p.m. against Big 12 leader and No. 14 Baylor at the OU Headington Family Tennis Center in Norman. Admission to all home matches is free and live scoring of the match will be available at SoonerSports.com.

The match will also feature seniors Jessica Braver, Bethany Griffin and Heather Saluri, as they make their final appearance on the Sooner courts. The Oklahoma seniors have appeared in two consecutive NCAA Championships, set school records and been a part of four-straight ITA Academic All-America teams. This class has set higher standards for future Sooners.

“It's the final home match for three outstanding seniors who have brought a lot of success to our program,” head coach Mark Johnson said. “They have been the perfect examples of a true student-athlete and have been excellent representatives of the University of Oklahoma the past four years.”

Oklahoma faces a tough task in the Lady Bears, who arrive with an overall mark of 18-4 and a perfect 9-0 conference record. Individually, the Sooners will go head-to-head with Baylor's No. 27 Zuzana Zemenova who owns a perfect 8-0 record in conference play at the No. 1 position and has won her last seven matches. OU's No. 1 doubles team of Braver and sophomore Irina Lykina will face their highest-ranked opponent of the season in No. 23 Daniella Covello and Zuzana Cerna.

In the all-time series the teams have only played nine times, with Baylor leading 6-3. In 2004, OU edged the Bears, 4-3, in Waco, Texas.

2005 Senior Notes

Jessica Braver - Edmond, Okla., Heritage Hall High School
Two-time Academic All-Big 12 team member (2003, 2004) ... 2004 CoSIDA Academic All-District second team selection ... 2003 ITA Academic All-American ... Has maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA the last six semesters ... Recently honored by the OU Athletic Department as a recipient of the Athletics Director's Leadership Award.

Bethany Griffin - Amarillo, Texas, Amarillo High School
Two-time Academic All-Big 12 team member (2003, 2004) ... Named a 2003 ITA Academic All-American ... Named the 2004 Big 12 No. 3 doubles position champion with teammate Gabby Baker ... Acknowledged by the OU Athletic Department as a 2005 Athletics Council Achievement Award recipient for overcoming personal odds to achieve academic success.

Heather Saluri - Des Moines, Iowa, Urbandale High School
Two-time NCAA Doubles Championships qualifier (2003, 2004) ... Two-time All-Big 12 doubles team selection (2003, 2004) ... Holds the single season OU record for most doubles victories with 23 set with former Sooner great Anda Perianu in 2004.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Sooners Play Final Home Match Thursday

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