Friday, August 11, 2006

TUSCULUM RELEASES ITS 2006-07 MEN'S TENNIS SCHEDULE

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Five teams which advanced to the NCAA Division II Tournament highlight the 2006-07 Tusculum College men's tennis schedule, which was released Friday. (Schedule)

Tusculum, which went 12-8 in 2005-06 and ended the season ranked No. 40 in NCAA II, will face a schedule that features five nationally-ranked opponents and four that won their respective conference titles.

The Pioneers open the fall schedule Sep. 10 with a road trip to Concord University. Tusculum will follow that with an appearance at the USC Upstate Tournament in Spartanburg, S.C., from Sep. 22-23.

Tusculum wraps up the fall slate on Sep. 30 when it hosts Johnson C. Smith University. The Golden Bulls posted a 15-13 mark last year while capturing the CIAA Western Division title.

The spring season begins Feb. 23 as Tusculum welcomes King College to the Roger M. Nichols Tennis Complex. The Pioneers host Francis Marion University the following day as the Patriots come to town. FMU went 19-3 in 2005-06, advanced to the NCAA Tournament and ended the season ranked No. 15 in the nation.

The Pioneers will hit the road for three away matches in consecutive days, beginning with a Mar. 1 contest at Lander University. The Bearcats posted a 17-3 worksheet and won the Peach Belt Conference title. Lander added another NCAA Tournament appearance in 2005-06. The Bearcats won eight NCAA National Championships from 1993-2000.

A Mar. 3 match at Brevard College wraps up the road swing for the Pioneers.

Lincoln Memorial University begins a four-match home-stand for Tusculum as the Railsplitters come to Greeneville. LMU is the newest member of the South Atlantic Conference, but will be ineligible for championships and awards this season. The Railsplitters went 13-7 last season and advanced to the NCAA postseason.

Limestone College will be at Tusculum on Mar. 17 following a 17-10 campaign in 2005-06, followed the next day by in-state foe Milligan College.

The Pioneers open conference action on Mar. 21 when they host Carson-Newman College. The Eagles are coming off a No. 37 national ranking and a trip to the NCAA Tournament.

League play continues with three road matches at Catawba College (Mar. 24), Wingate University (Mar. 25) and Mars Hill College (Mar. 28). On Mar. 29, the Pioneers host Anderson University, the 2006 CVAC Champions. The Trojans recorded a 16-5 mark, earned a NCAA Tournament berth and finished No. 25 in the country.

Tusculum will close out the league portion of the schedule with two matches at home. Newberry College visits the Pioneers on Mar. 31, while Presbyterian College comes to town the following afternoon (Apr. 1). It will mark the final time that TC and Presbyterian will meet in a SAC match as the Blue Hose are moving to NCAA Division I next year. PC is the defending SAC Champions and ended the 2006 campaign No. 16 in the land.

The Pioneers travel to Lees-McRae College Apr. 5, before returning home to entertain Virginia Intermont College in the regular season finale on Apr. 13.

The 2007 Food Lion SAC Men's Tennis Tournament begins Apr. 16 with quarterfinal matches played at campus sites. The semifinal and final of the tournament will be held Apr. 20 in Mars Hill, N.C.

Tusculum College, located in Greeneville, Tenn., is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church, USA and is a NCAA Division II member of the South Atlantic Conference which is comprised of nine colleges and universities in Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina.

- TC -