Flushing, N.Y.--Georgia State junior Abigail Tere-Apisah takes on Tennessee's Kata Szekely in the first round of the USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships in a rematch of last season's NCAA Singles Championship second round match.

Tere-Apisah, ranked No. 23 in the ITA Preseason Singles rankings, defeated Szekely, No. 28 in the same rankings, by a 6-3, 6-4 margin in the 2012 NCAA Singles Championship. Tere-Apisah earned All-American status with the win becoming the first GSU tennis player in school history to earn that honor.

Play in both singles and doubles begins at the Indoor Intercollegiate Championship at 9 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 8. Tere-Apisah's match is scheduled for 3 p.m. Fans can follow Tere-Apisah's progress at the event by following live stats, live radio or a live blog. Columbia University will also update its official tournament page throughout the day with results. There will be a live blog of Tere-Apisah's match vs. Szekely courtesy of UTSports.com here.

Tere-Apisah became the first women's tennis player in Georgia State history to be invited to the elite tournament. She earned an at-large invite after earning All-American status last year and competing in the Riviera/ITA All-American Championships in Pacific Palisades, Calif., earlier this fall.

She enters Thursday's competition following a strong showing at the ITA Southeast Regional Championship. In singles play, Tere-Apisah advanced to the semifinals before losing to eventual champion Lauren Herring (Georgia) in a grueling 6-4, 6-4, match.

Szekely defeated her teammate, Brynn Boren 6-4, 6-2 to claim the singles title at the ITA Ohio Valley Regional Championship in West Lafayette, Ind. She also won the doubles title with Boren as her partner to earn an automatic entry into the doubles draw at the USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships.

Tere-Apisah, a native of Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, has played elite opponents this fall. She began the fall season by competing with her teammates against top-notch competition at the Southern Shootout hosted by Georgia State. She took on three ranked singles opponents on the weekend, defeating two and dropping her lone match narrowly to the No. 19-ranked player in the nation. She then competed at the Riviera/ITA All-American Championships in Pacific Palisades, Calif. She earned a victory over No. 20 Aeriel Ellis from Texas in straight sets, but fell to the top seed of the tournament in the next round.

Check the women's tennis page on GeorgiaStateSports.com for daily updates on Tere-Apisah's play at the elite tournament.

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