FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 5-8-00

AASU Tennis Teams Learn NCAA Championship Draw
Lady Pirates face Hawaii-Pacific, Men play St. Edward's (Texas) in First Round

SAVANNAH, Ga. – The No. 6-ranked Armstrong Atlantic State men's and women's tennis teams learned its first opponents in the upcoming NCAA Division II Men's and Women's Tennis National Championships as the 16-team draws were announced by the NCAA late Sunday evening.

The Lady Pirates, who have made it to the NCAA Finals each of the past five seasons, will play No. 11-ranked Hawaii-Pacific in the first round on Thursday, May 11 at 8:30 a.m. The road for the finals will be rough for AASU, as a matchup with defending national champion and No. 1-ranked BYU-Hawaii looms in the quarterfinals should AASU defeat Hawaii-Pacific.

The men's squad faces St. Edward's (Texas) in its first round matchup on Thursday, May 11 at 4:00 p.m. and has a similarly daunting task awaiting them in the quarterfinals as well – Lander University, the seven-time defending DII champion. AASU and Lander have split two meetings this season already.

AASU is the only school to have had both the men's and women's teams advance to the round of 16 each of the past six seasons. The National Championships begin on Thursday, May 11, in Pensacola, Fla.

- Pirates -