UT Tyler Set to Host ASC Tennis Championship
April 17, 2008

The University of Texas at Tyler women’s tennis team went 5-0 in American Southwest Conference East Division play to give the Patriots the right to host the 2008 ASC Tennis Championships, which begins Friday in Tyler.

The hosting rights of the ASC championships – which features both the men and women – rotates each year. The men’s and women’s ASC champion will each earn the conference’s automatic bids into their respective NCAA Division III Tennis Championships.

For the first time in the 12-year history of the tournament, live statistics will be available for all matches. They can be found on the official championship website, http://www.uttyler.edu/athletics/asctennis/.

Head Coach Chris Bizot’s Patriots (15-3) won their third consecutive East crown and also earned a first-round bye in the six-team, single elimination women’s tournament. UT Tyler, which is in its first year eligible for postseason play after serving as an NCAA provisional the past four years, will wait until Saturday at 2:30 p.m. to get the winner of Friday’s Noon match between West No. 2 seed University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (7-3) and East No. 3 seed LeTourneau University (10-10).

The other side of the women’s bracket will pit East No. 2 seed Mississippi College (7-7) against West No. 3 seed McMurry University (7-11) at 2:30 p.m. on Friday. That victor will face seven-time defending ASC champion Hardin-Simmons University (10-6), the top seed from the West, at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday. Head coach Shane Williford and HSU have won nine ASC titles overall and 74 straight matches against ASC competition.

On the men’s side, Texas-Tyler and Hardin-Simmons – both nationally-ranked by College Tennis Online – also wrapped up their division’s respective top seed and received first-round byes. They will both wait for semifinal action on Saturday. The Patriots (15-6) will get Friday’s 9:30 a.m. winner between West No. 2 seed McMurry (12-6) and East No. 3 seed University of Texas at Dallas (10-6). On Saturday at 10 a.m., the Cowboys (11-6) will play Friday’s 9:30 a.m. quarterfinal victor between East No. 2 seed Mississippi College (11-4) and West No. 3 seed Schreiner University (5-5).

The Texas-Tyler men have won five straight ASC East crowns and like the women, will get their first chance at postseason play this season. Hardin-Simmons has won six straight ASC titles – seven overall – and currently owns a winning streak of 68 matches against ASC opponents.

Both the men’s and women’s semifinal winners will face off for the titles on Sunday. The men will start at 1 p.m. and the women will begin 30 minutes following the conclusion of that match.

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