Thursday, August 10, 2006

2006-07 TUSCULUM WOMEN'S TENNIS SCHEDULE RELEASED

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum College women's tennis team will compete in 21 regular season matches according to its 2006-07 schedule which was released Thursday. (Schedule)

The Pioneers will play 13 of those matches at the Roger M. Nichols Tennis Complex and will also host the semifinal and final round of the 2007 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Women's Tennis Tournament, Apr. 21.

TC will face a schedule that features three teams that ended the year nationally ranked and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.

The Pioneers will open the fall portion of its schedule Sep. 10 when they travel to Concord University. On Sep. 22-23, Tusculum will compete in the USC Upstate Tournament in Spartanburg, S.C. before wrapping up the fall slate on Sep. 30 with a home match with Johnson C. Smith University.

TC will open spring play on Feb. 23 when it welcomes in-state foe King College to Greeneville. The next day, national powerhouse Francis Marion University visits Tusculum. The Patriots finished the year ranked No. 11 in NCAA Division II while posting a 20-6 record.

Tusculum hits the road for three matches in as many days. On Mar. 1, Tusculum faces Lander University. Lander will field a women's tennis team for the first time since 2000. TC goes to North Greenville University on Mar. 2, before wrapping up the road swing on Mar. 3 at Brevard College.

Tusculum opens South Atlantic Conference play on Mar. 14 when it hosts Lenoir-Rhyne College to begin a five-match home-stand. Two days later, Lincoln Memorial University visits the Nichols Tennis Complex. LMU, the newest member of the SAC, won't be eligible for conference championships or awards this season, but it will count as an important regional contest. The Lady Railsplitters posted a 16-5 worksheet in 2005-06, while earning a berth in the NCAA Tournament.

After an impressive 21-9 season, Limestone College comes to Tusculum on Mar. 17. The Saints ended the year ranked No. 37 in the country. Two matches against in-state opposition wraps up the home-stand. Tusculum will face Milligan College on Mar. 18, before hosting arch-rival Carson-Newman College on Mar. 21 in an important league battle.

Three SAC matches on the road are next up for the Pioneers. On Mar. 24, TC visits Catawba College and heads to Wingate University the next day. Mars Hill College hosts the Pioneers on Mar. 28 before TC welcomes Anderson University to the Nichols Complex on Mar. 29.

Tusculum wraps up the SAC slate on Mar. 31 and Apr. 1. The Pioneers entertain Newberry College first before hosting defending conference champion Presbyterian College. This will mark the final time Tusculum and Presbyterian will meet as conference opponents as the Blue Hose will begin its transition to NCAA Division I next season.

Tusculum closes out 2006-07 slate with three non-conference tilts beginning with an Apr. 5 trip to Lees-McRae College. The Pioneers face Virginia Intermont College (Apr. 13) and Converse College (Apr. 15) to end the regular season schedule.

The Food Lion SAC Tournament begins Apr. 17 with quarterfinal round matches at the higher seeds. TC welcomes the quarterfinal survivors to Greeneville on Apr. 21.

Tusculum posted a 17-7 record and ended the season ranked No. 10 in the NCAA II Southeast Region.

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 -