All right, now it’s official.

The Syracuse tennis team can confirm its previously made travel plans and hotel reservations.

Earlier this week, the Orangewomen got the bid they had anticipated from the Big East tournament selection committee.

‘I’m happy and the team’s happy,’ head coach Mac Gifford said. ‘We played well when we had to, and we’re here. This is the goal every year, to be here.’

The Orangewomen (10-7, 5-2 Big East) will compete against the five other teams selected (Miami, Notre Dame, Boston College, Virginia Tech and Rutgers) in the single-elimination tournament this weekend in Coral Gables, Fla.

Winning will be difficult, since the Orangewomen are seeded No. 6 out of six teams. SU plays its opening-round match today at noon against BC.

‘I don’t take seeds too seriously,’ freshman Wei-Ming Leong said. ‘Seeds sometimes matter. Sometimes they don’t. As long as we made it, it’s a good thing. I don’t care.’

‘I would have liked to have the fifth,’ Gifford said. ‘I would have liked to have had the fourth. But we’re at six. We could not even be in the tournament, so I’m going to take the positive route and say that we did a good job of getting into the tournament, because the Big East is stronger this year.’

The top of the conference may be strong. But not the bottom.

Syracuse’s five Big East wins came against Seton Hall, Georgetown, West Virginia, Connecticut and St. John’s, none of which qualified for the tournament. The Orangewomen’s two conference losses came against BC and Rutgers, the only tournament teams they faced this year.

But the Orangewomen are confident that future meetings against these teams will end differently.

When Syracuse faced BC in Chestnut Hill, Mass., on Feb. 7, the Eagles won, 5-2. But the circumstances were different then, since it was Syracuse’s second match of the season and first against a Big East opponent.

‘BC’s home court is the most ‘home-court’ place you’ve ever seen,’ Gifford said. ‘The ceilings, the backdrop, the surface, the fans right on top of you.’

At a neutral court, without these distractions, the Orangewomen are more confident.

‘Our goal is to get into a round where we can play a Notre Dame or a Miami and upset somebody,’ Gifford said.

‘I’m kind of expecting to win on Friday,’ assistant coach Ana Radeljavic said. ‘But it will be tough.’

Should the Orangewomen win, they will face No. 2 Notre Dame at noon Saturday. The championship will be held Sunday, also at noon.

With a loss today, the Orangewomen would have a match for fifth place Saturday afternoon at 3. But a loss is the last thing on the ever-optimistic Gifford’s mind.

‘This team has met challenges before,’ Gifford said. ‘I was thinking last night that it can be done. We’re not favored to do that well, as far as the draw goes, but this team has surprised me before. I see them surprising people.

‘One of these years, we’re going to be really good, and we’re going to show the world that we can do it. With a little bit of fate, and a little luck here and there, you never know.’

Published on April 24, 2003 at 12:00 pm