AASU Tennis Hosts 2008 Mid-Atlantic Regional

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 5-1-08

AASU Tennis Hosts 2008 Mid-Atlantic Regional

SAVANNAH, Ga. (May 1) – The Armstrong Atlantic State men’s and women’s tennis teams will each host one of two NCAA Division II Mid-Atlantic Tennis Regionals, beginning on Thursday, May 8, and concluding on Friday, May 9. The winner of each regional advances to the 2008 NCAA DII Tennis Championships Round of 16 on May 14-17 in Houston, Texas, as a part of the Division II Spring Sports Festival.

The top-ranked and undefeated AASU men (25-0) hosts its fourth straight regional as the top seed after capturing the Peach Belt Conference's regular season and tournament titles. The Pirates will face No. 8 seed and CIAA champion Shaw (11-5) - the Bears are four-time conference champions and this is the fourth straight year the two schools have met in first-round NCAA action. The two teams will face off at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday. The other match features No. 4 seed GCSU (16-6) and No. 5 seed Columbus State (13-11), Peach Belt Conference rivals who played a tight 6-3 match on April 10. GCSU is currently ranked 17th in the latest ITA DII National Rankings, while Columbus State is 21st.

The No. 2- ranked AASU women’s tennis team (26-1) is the top seed in the Mid- Atlantic Region and hosts its ninth consecutive regional. The Peach Belt Conference champions will host No. 8 seed and CIAA champion Virginia State (17-1) – a first-time participant in the NCAA Championships - at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday. The other half of the women’s regional pits No. 4 seed Clayton State (19-4) against No. 5 seed Augusta State (17-7) in a battle of two fellow Peach Belt Conference members on Thursday at 11:00 a.m. Clayton State is currently ranked eighth in NCAA Division II, while Augusta State is ranked 26th.

The women’s final will take place at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, with the men’s final beginning at 2:00 p.m. Fans can follow along with all the action via the regional website at http://www.athletics.armstrong.edu/tn08regional.html which will include a live matchday webcam and live stats, with results and stories following each match.

- Pirates -