The Kentucky women?s tennis team returns to the courts for the first time since November Friday when the team competes in the 2006 National Collegiate Tennis Classic in Palm Springs, Calif. The Cats will begin the spring as the No. 13 team, according to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association.

The Cats will be led by junior Kim Coventry who enters the NCTC as the 53rd-ranked player in the country after capturing 11 wins in the fall. Coventry will also be in doubles competition with fellow junior Joelle Schwenk. Schwenk, who will also be competing in singles, teams with Coventry to form the 18th-ranked doubles team.

The NCTC will also feature the return of senior Danielle Petrisko, as well as juniors Lara Maurer, Liis Sober and Caroline Winebrenner. The NCTC will also mark the first collegiate tennis tournament for freshman Carolina Escamilla Pinilla.

The 27th annual NCTC is often referred to as ?the Wimbledon of College Tennis” and is the first major collegiate invitational of the season. The Cats will face some of the top players in the country from teams such as No. 1 and defending national champion Stanford, No. 2 Florida, No. 3 Texas and No. 6 Northwestern.

Singles matches will begin tomorrow at 11 a.m. EST and will run all day. Fans can check ukathletics.com for a complete recap of the day?s action.