UCA Foe Friday In Tournament Opener
4/24/2018 7:31:00 PM | Women's Tennis
BEAUMONT –Sam Houston will take on Central Arkansas in the first round of the 2018 Southland Conference Women's Tennis Tournament Friday at 2 p.m. at the Beaumont Municipal Tennis Center.
Riding a three-match winning streak, the Kats enter the tournament as the number four seed while the Bears are the five seed. Other match-ups for the opening round see No. 1 seed McNeese play No. 8 Incarnate Word at 2 p.m.; No. 2 A&M-Corpus Christi take on No. 7 New Orleans at 10 a.m. and No. 3 Northwestern State meet No. 6 Abilene Christian also at 10 a.m.
Sam Houston and Northwestern State tied for third place in the final regular season standings, both with 8-3 league won-loss marks. The Demons received the three seed after edging the SHSU women 4-3 in the pair's opening conference match in February. The Kats' other two league losses also were close 4-3 decisions with regular season co-champions McNeese and Corpus Christi. Sam Houston closed regular season play by winning five of their final six contests.
Overall during 2018 dual match competition, the Bearkats posted a 13-5 record, a season record for the SHSU tennis program. The previous record was 12 victories in 1983, 1984, 2002 and 2006. Sam Houston has finished the top three teams in the Southland standings twice before (2006 and 2007).
“This year's Southland Conference tournament looks to be one of the most competitive in a long time,” second-year Bearkat head coach Rob Hubbard said. “The quality of play around the league this spring has been excellent. Whoever gets hot this weekend can win it all. The team is excited. We battled with every team we played this year. These girls are fighters."
The Southland Conference tournament champion earns the league's berth in the NCAA Championships in May. Friday's competition marks the second season in a row for Sam Houston to earn a spot in the Southland women's tennis post-season event. The Kats will be making their 13th appearance in the tournament overall. Sam Houston owns a 5-12 mark in post-season play. The Kats reach the semi-finals in 2005, 2006, 2012 and 2013 and won an opening round play-in versus Stephen F. Austin in 1995
Friday's winners will meet in the semi-finals at 2 p.m. Saturday. The championship match will be played Sunday also at 2 p.m.
