Sunday, April 13, 2008

TUSCULUM SEEDED SECOND,

HOST LENOIR-RHYNE MONDAY TO OPEN FOOD LION SAC WOMEN’S TENNIS TOURNAMENT

ROCK HILL, S.C. --- The Tusculum College women’s tennis team will be the No. 2 seed in the 2008 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Tournament and will open against seventh-seeded Lenoir-Rhyne College Monday afternoon at 4 p.m. in a quarterfinal round match at the Nichols Tennis Complex on the Greeneville campus. Admission to Monday’s match is free.

Tusculum (17-3) is riding a six-match winning streak heading into the postseason and will be in quest of their second SAC Tournament trophy and first since 2004. The Pioneers’ 17 wins are tied for the second most in school history, already matching the win totals posted in 2004-05 (17-5) and 2005-06 (17-7). The 2003-04 team still holds the school record of 20 as TC won its first 20 matches, including a sweep through the SAC Tournament.

Tusculum defeated Lenoir-Rhyne 8-1 in this year’s first meeting. This will mark the second time the Pioneers and Bears have squared off in the SAC Tournament. Tusculum posted a 5-0 win over L-R in the opening match of the 2005 SAC Tournament.

The Pioneers, ranked No. 37 in NCAA Division II, have already clinched its seventh straight winning season under the guidance of head coach Tommy Arnett. In his seven campaigns, Arnett has led the Tusculum women to a 116-30 record, including four trips to the NCAA II Tournament.

The winner will advance to this weekend’s semifinal and final rounds, held at the Rock Hill Tennis Center in Rock Hill, S.C. Monday’s winner will face either Lincoln Memorial University or Wingate University on Friday morning, beginning at 9 a.m.

The SAC Tournament championship match will be held Saturday at noon from Rock Hill, with the winner earning an automatic bid to next month’s NCAA Division II Tournament.

- SAC –

2008 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Women's Tennis Tournament
Quarterfinals
Monday, April 14, 2008
No. 8 Mars Hill at No. 1 Carson-Newman, TBA
No. 7 Lenoir-Rhyne at No. 2 Tusculum, 4 p.m.
No. 6 Newberry at No. 3 Catawba, TBA
No. 5 Wingate at No. 4 Lincoln Memorial, TBA

Semifinals
Rock Hill Tennis Center, Rock Hill, SC
Friday, April 18, 2008
Mars Hill/Carson Newman winner vs. Wingate/Lincoln Memorial winner, 9 a.m.
Lenoir-Rhyne/Tusculum winner vs. Newberry/Catawba winner, 9 a.m.

Final
Rock Hill Tennis Center, Rock Hill, S.C.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Semifinal winners, 9 a.m.