NCAA Tournament Bound!

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Syracuse is NCAA Tournament bound for the fourth time in program history. The Orange earned one of 34 at-large bids to the 2021 Women's Tennis Tournament and will take on Kentucky in the first round in Berkeley, California on Friday, May 7.

"Any time you receive an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament from among 250+ Division I women's tennis programs is exciting," head coach Younes Limam said. "This year, especially with all the extra bumps in the road, our team is very hungry to make a statement in the post season and finish our season strong. They've managed adversity very well, and team captain Miranda Ramirez has helped keep everyone focused on achieving our goals."

Syracuse is ranked No. 45 in the latest ITA rankings. The Orange defeated San Francisco, 4-3, on Sunday to improve their record to 8-11. No. 26 Kentucky enters Friday's match with a 15-8 record. The Wildcats advanced to the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament where they lost to No. 3 Georgia, 4-0.

Viktoriya Kanapatskaya has made an impact for Syracuse in her freshman season. The Belarus native is ranked No. 13 nationally in singles and earned a spot on the All-ACC First Team. Kanapatskaya posted an 11-5 record this season playing predominantly at the No. 1 spot. Her win against Victoria Flores, who was ranked No. 13 at the time, clinched the Orange's win against No. 11 Georgia Tech.

Kanapatskaya pairs with graduate student Natalie Novotna to form the No. 37 doubles team in the nation. The duo has a record of 8-8 at No. 1 and No. 2 doubles.

Graduate students Miranda Ramirez and Guzal Yusupova and junior Sofya Treshcheva competed in the 2019 NCAA Tournament when the Orange advanced to the second round. Ramirez and Treshcheva helped Syracuse secure the doubles point in its opening-round win against Wisconsin. Ramirez also posted a win at No. 3 singles, and Yusupova's victory at No. 4 singles secured the 4-2 triumph for the 'Cuse.

Syracuse will be making its fourth NCAA Tournament appearance in the last tournaments (2020 championship cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic). The Orange have an all-time record of 2-3 in the tournament.

"Coach (Maddie) Kobelt and I are thankful to Mark Wheeler and John Wildhack, as well as our athletic trainer Allison Mitchell, our strength coach Michael Missen, and volunteer assistant coach Len Lopoo, for their tireless commitment and support, which made our team's success possible," Limam said.

The winner of the Syracuse-Kentucky match faces either San Jose State (15-1) or No. 16 seed California (17-6) in the second round.

For complete coverage of Syracuse tennis, follow us on Facebook (Syracuse Women's Tennis), Twitter (@Cuse_Tennis) and Instagram (@CuseTennis).

Syracuse University Athletics

Players Mentioned

Viktoriya Kanapatskaya

Natalie Novotna

Miranda Ramirez

Sofya Treshcheva

Guzal Yusupova

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