CARY, N.C. -- On Friday at the USTA Tennis On Campus National Championship, nothing came close to the Golden Coast as the University of Virginia.

 

Three California teams - the University of Southern California, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and the University of California at Berkeley - will join the Cavaliers in the semifinals tomorrow after all four emerged against some stiff competition in the Gold bracket at the Cary Tennis Park. Tomorrow's semifinals will begin at 8 a.m. ET as UC Berkeley takes on USC, along with Cal Poly matching against Virginia. The third place consolation match will begin around 3 p.m., followed by the National Championship match at 6:30 p.m.

 

Here are some additional highlights from Friday's play:

 

Staying power is a point of pride for the Western Washington University (WWU) Vikings, the only team to qualify and compete at each Tennis On Campus National Championship since it debuted in 2000.

 

With the precision of a seasoned tennis player, Michigan State’s Elizabeth Houghton slammed serves against her opponents at Cary Tennis Park during the USTA Tennis On Campus National Championship. Balancing the ball on her racquet and launching it high into the air, her method seems unconventional – she serves with just one hand.

 

At birth, Houghton’s right arm had to be amputated just above the elbow. What appears to be an impressive feat to a spectator is quite normal to her.

 

The Indiana University Hoosiers’ club tennis president Lauren Rothstein has pushed her team to new heights this season. Participation in the club has grown to nearly 80 student-athletes and has quickly gained respect on campus.

 

Prior to the club heading to Cary, N.C. for the Tennis On Campus National Championship, they were awarded Most Improved Sports Club of the Year and Rothstein was named IU Club Sports Female Athlete of the Year; an impressive feat considering there are nearly 50 club sports teams at Indiana. Along the way, Rothstein reignited her passion for tennis.

 

One of the perks of Tennis On Campus is the balance it provides between athletics and academics. Many of the players on the club tennis teams choose the program for that exact reason. From bio engineering to neurophysiology; all of the players have bright futures. But how do the student-athletes balance their academics during Nationals? See how the University of Oklahoma Sooners went the extra mile.

 

The USTA Tennis On Campus National Championship is decided using the World TeamTennis rules. This unique coed format includes women’s and men’s doubles, women’s and men’s singles and mixed doubles. 

 

During Thursday’s late pool play rounds at Cary Tennis Park, players could be seen checking the back of their score cards to refer to one of the most interesting WTT rules, the super tie breaker. 

 

The 16 teams remaining in the Gold divison competed bright and early this morning. The University of Illinois, Cal Berkeley, University of Southern California, University of South Florida, Stanford University, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, University of Virginia and the University of Central Florida advanced to the final eight.

 

In the next round USF and USC gathered a crowd of spectators for a coast-to-coast showdown. USC took the win to move the semifinals in a super tiebreaker. To add to the list of California schools, Cal Berkeley and Cal Poly moved on to the semifinals. Virginia joined the west coast crew to compete for the National Championship tomorrow.

 

Cal Berkeley is the only past champion still remaining, but they lost to USC earlier this season in the California Cup. For a complete listing of gold, silver, bronze and copper brackets, visit the Tennis On Campus website.