NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Vanderbilt women’s tennis team returns to action this weekend when it takes on No. 24-ranked Georgia Tech at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Brownlee O. Currey Tennis Center. The Commodores will be looking for their ninth dual win (8-1) of the 2003 season. Vanderbilt’s match with Georgia Tech will be its final non-conference match before its grueling Southeastern Conference schedule starts. The Yellow Jackets presently stand at 3-1 this season. This will be the seventh meeting all-time between these two squads. The Commodores lead the all-time series 5-1, which includes a 6-1 victory last year in Atlanta.

In the recent Intercollegiate Tennis Association national rankings, which were released on Wednesday, Vanderbilt dropped from No. 8 to 10 despite not playing a match. The drop in the rankings was due to not competing in last weekend’s ITA National Team Indoor Championship, which the Commodores were invited to. The tournament showcased 16 of the top teams in the country. Vanderbilt head coach Geoff Macdonald elected to keep his team home so several players could get over some nagging injuries before the start of the SEC schedule.

Several streaks will be on the line this weekend when the Commodores take the court. Senior Sarah Riske and junior Aleke Tsoubanos, who are ranked No. 2 nationally, have won 13-consecutive doubles matches while posting a 18-1 mark for the season. Junior Kelly Schmandt and sophomore Audra Falk are both 9-0 in dual action this season. Riske, Tsoubanos and freshman Ashley Schellhas have combined for a 25-3 record this dual-match season.

The Commodores also carry a 14-match regular season winning streak against teams that are ranked lower then them into the Georgia Tech match. The Commodores last loss to a team ranked lower then them was March 17, 2002 against then No. 6-ranked Florida, 4-3.

Led by fourth-year head Bryan Shelton, the Yellow Jackets will present a difficult challenge for the Commodores. Shelton’s squad has taken on some tough competition early on this season, including 19th-ranked South Alabama and 29th-ranked Auburn. The Yellow Jackets have a lot of talent at the top of their lineup.

Senior Jamie Wong and sophomore Catherine Gunn are ranked 33rd and 59th, respectively. Wong and Gunn have combined to win 26 singles match during the 2002-03 season. Another area Georgia Tech has been strong in is its doubles play. In their four matches, the Yellow Jackets have yet to drop the doubles point to their opponent.