2015 USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships This Week

The college tennis fall season draws to a close this week as the 2015 USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships get underway Thursday at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, New York.

The NIIC, which runs Nov. 12-15, is the fourth national championship on the 2015-16 ITA National Tournament calendar. Earlier this fall, national champions were crowned at the inaugural Oracle/ITA Masters, Men's and Women's All-American and National Small College Championships.

Live scoring will be available for the entire tournament on event host Columbia University's website http://www.gocolumbialions.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=209751890&DB_OEM_ID=9600. The USTA will once again host a live chat during the event https://www.usta.com/College-Tennis/2015_live_chat/ and Ken Thomas of RadioTennis.com will also be on-site providing coverage. To view updated draws and read daily recaps from the event, visit the ITA Championship Central page http://www.itatennis.com/Events/USTA-ITA-Championships-Events/NationalIndoors.htm. You can also follow the conversation Twitter by following @ITATennis and using the hashtag #NIIC.

In addition, ESPN3 and WatchESPN will broadcast the men's and women's singles semifinals and finals, available at WatchESPN.com. The NIIC broadcast will feature Patrick McEnroe and Stephen Amritraj as the on-air talent for the six matches. Mid-match, on-court interviews with the players will be conducted, a feature that debuted during ESPN's coverage of the 2015 US Open. Semifinal coverage gets underway at 9 a.m. ET on Saturday, Nov. 14, with men's and women's matches played consecutively. Sunday's championship matches begin at 10 a.m. ET, with the men's final, followed immediately by the women's final.

The NIIC features 32 of the nation's elite men's and women's singles players, as well as 20 outstanding men's and women's doubles teams. Champions from the USTA/ITA Division I Regional Championships, USTA/ITA National Small College Championships Super Bowl, Oracle/ITA Masters and the consolation champions, doubles finalists, men's singles quarterfinalists and women's singles semifinalists from the Saint Francis ITA Men's and Riviera/ITA Women's All-American Championships earned automatic entry into the NIIC. Both the USTA and ITA selected at-large and wildcard participants, while Columbia University received a wildcard entry into each draw for serving as event host.

Danielle Collins of Virginia, winner of the Oracle/ITA Masters and Riviera/ITA Women's All-American Championship, highlights a deep women's field that includes Cavalier teammate Julia Elbaba, the 2014 NIIC Champion, and a total of eight players ranked in the Oracle/ITA Collegiate Tennis Rankings top 10.

For the men, TCU's Cameron Norrie and Virginia's Thai-Son Kwiatkowski headline the men's singles draw. Norrie claimed the Oracle/ITA Masters title, while Kwiatkowski won both the singles and doubles titles at the Saint Francis ITA Men's All-American Championship.

NIIC Notes
-The NIIC began in 1978 with the men, with the women joining the fold in 1984.

-12 unseeded men's players have won the NIIC singles championship, including the 2014 winner, Brayden Schnur of North Carolina.

-A player from an ACC institution (North Carolina - 2014, Virginia - 2011, 2012) has won the men's singles title in three of the last four years.

-A player from a Pac-12 institution has competed in five of the last six NIIC women's singles championship matches, winning in 2009 (Jana Juricova, Cal), 2010 (Maria Sanchez, USC) and 2012 (Robin Anderson, UCLA).

-The Pac-12 has also won four (2009, 2011, 2012 and 2014) of the past six NIIC women's doubles championships.

-Since 2000, the No. 1 seed has won the NIIC only four times. VCU's Daniel Andersson (2000); UCLA's Benjamin Kohlloeffel (2006); Virginia's Somdev Devvarman (2007) and Mitchell Frank (2011).

-Past Men's Singles champions include Steve Johnson (USC, 2009); James Blake (Harvard, 1999); Todd Martin (Northwestern, 1990); MaliVai Washington (Michigan, 1989) and Luke Jensen (USC, 1987).

-Since 2004, the No. 1 or 2 seeded men's doubles teams have won the NIIC Championship eight times (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2012 and 2014).

-Notable Men's Doubles champions include Austin Krajicek (Texas A&M, 2010); John Isner (Georgia, 2006) and Luke Jensen (USC, 1987).

-Somdev Devvarman (Virginia, 2007) and Luke Jensen (USC, 1987) are the only individuals to win NIIC men's singles and doubles championships in the same year.

-Sargis Sargsian (Arizona State, 1994-95) and Benjamin Kohlloeffel (UCLA, 2005-06) are the only repeat men's singles champions in NIIC history.

-Scott Green and Ross Wilson of Ohio State are the only men's doubles team to repeat as NIIC champions. The Buckeye duo won in 2004 and 2005.

-The No. 1 seed has prevailed just six times in the NIIC women's singles draw (2013, 2008, 2001, 1994, 1992 and 1989).

-Unseeded women's doubles teams have won 18 NIIC titles, including seven of the last 10 years.

-Aurelija Miseviciute (Arkansas, 2006-07); Agata Cioroch (Georgia, 2002-03) and Laura Granville (Stanford, 2000-01) are the only repeat NIIC women's singles champions since the women's tournament began in 1984.

-In women's doubles, Kaitlyn Christian/Sabina Santamaria (USC, 2011-12); Ania Bleszynski/Julie Scott (Stanford, 1997-98) and Susan Gilchrist/Vickie Paynter (Texas, 1992-93) are the only repeat champions in NIIC history.

-Laura Granville (Stanford, 2001); Tami Whitlinger (Stanford, 1989) and Gretchen Rush (Trinity, 1984) are the only players to win NIIC women's singles and doubles championships in the same year.