Lady Pirates' Doubles Tandem Earns National Ranking
March 23, 2006 | Women's Tennis
March 23, 2006
GREENVILLE, N.C. - East Carolina's doubles tandem of seniors Gillie Bailey and Kirstin Buchanan currently rate as the nation's No. 48 pair according to the latest FILA Collegiate Tennis Rankings released late Wednesday.
The ranking, conducted by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) and CollegeTennisOnline.com, rates the top 60 NCAA Division I doubles teams every two weeks during the season.
Bailey (Launceston, Tasmania) and Buchanan (Benoni, South Africa) have teamed up to post a 10-3 record this spring, which includes an 8-7 win over No. 45 Meg Fanjoy and Austin Smith of North Carolina on March 13. In all, Bailey and Buchanan have won 14 of 20 overall matches this season after recording a 4-3 mark during fall tournament play.
During the course of their respective careers, Bailey has turned in a 56-20 (.737) doubles record while Buchanan has contributed a 71-30 (.703) slate. While playing together, the pair has combined to win 17 of 23 matches, which includes a perfect 3-0 mark in 2004-05.
East Carolina will return to action Friday and Saturday when it faces Conference USA rivals Memphis and UAB in a pair of neutral site meetings at Myrtle Beach, S.C.
The national ranking marks a first for an ECU doubles team in the modern era of Lady Pirate tennis.
