This Week In Armstrong Atlantic State Athletics, 10-16-00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 10-16-00

This Week In Armstrong Atlantic State Athletics

Monday, October 16
No Events Scheduled

Tuesday, October 17
• Men's and Women's Basketball Media Day, 12:30 p.m.

Wednesday, October 18
No Events Scheduled

Thursday, October 19
No Events Scheduled

Friday, October 20
• Volleyball vs. USC Aiken, 7:00 p.m.
• Men's Tennis at University of South Carolina Tech Fall Invitational (Columbia, S.C.)

Saturday, October 21
• Cross Country at Peach Belt Conference Championships (Columbus, Ga.)
• Volleyball vs. Augusta State, 4:00 p.m.
• Men's Tennis at University of South Carolina Tech Fall Invitational (Columbia, S.C.)

Sunday, October 22
• Men's Tennis at University of South Carolina Tech Fall Invitational (Columbia, S.C.)

Volleyball (20-6, 6-1 Peach Belt, No. 24 AVCA Division II Top 25, No. 2 South Region)

The No. 24-ranked Armstrong Atlantic State volleyball team split four matches on the week, pulling off the biggest win in school history with a 3-2 road win over No. 7 Tampa, then going 1-2 at the 24^th Annual Moccasin Invitational in Lakeland, Fla.

AASU traveled to Tampa to face the Spartans on Thursday evening and, after trailing by two games, rallied to win in five, 10-15, 4-15, 17-15, 16-14, 15-13. The win was the first ever for the Pirates over the Spartans and marked the highest-ranked opponent AASU has ever beaten.

From there, the Pirates traveled to Lakeland, Fla., and dropped two of three matches at the 24^th Annual Moccasin Invitational, hosted by Florida Southern. AASU lost to the host Mocs, 15-12, 15-9, 15-5 on Friday, then defeated Rollins, 15-7, 15-5, 15-9 on Saturday morning before losing to AU-Rio Pedras, 15-4, 9-15, 15-9, 17-15 on Saturday afternoon.

The win over Rollins was the 20^th for the Pirates this season, the first time AASU has recorded back-to-back 20 win seasons in school history.

This week, AASU hosts two Peach Belt Conference matches as USC Aiken visits Savannah on Friday, Oct. 20 at 7 p.m. and Augusta State comes to town on Saturday, Oct. 21 at 4 p.m.

Women's Cross Country (No. 5 South Region)

The Armstrong Atlantic State women's cross country team enjoyed a week off as the Pirates gear up for the Peach Belt Conference Championships on Saturday, Oct. 21, in Columbus, Ga. AASU finished third last season behind the second-place finish of Nikki Garland, who finished the 5000 meter course in a time of 18:29.7. As a team, AASU is currently ranked third among PBC teams in the South Region Rankings, behind North Florida and Kennesaw State.

Men's and Women's Tennis

Three AASU men's tennis players took part in the Georgia Tech Fall Invitational this weekend in Atlanta, Ga., taking on Division I competition in singles and doubles action.

Senior Stefan Wirtz earned a first-round bye and won his second round singles match over Peter Netzler of Furman, 6-3, 6-1, but fell in the third round to No. 3 seed David Wright of Georgia Tech, 6-3, 6-7 (5-7), 7-5. Junior Blaise Tribolet also received a first-round bye and won his second round singles match over Gordon Hwang of Georgia Tech, 6-2, 6-2, but fell in the third round to No. 4 seed Nicholas Boeker of Georgia, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2.

Senior Christopher Petersen, after a first-round bye, fell in his second-round singles match to Joao Menano of Georgia Tech, 6-4, 6-1. In doubles action, Petersen and Tribolet won their first-round match against Henderson and Lloyd of Furman, 8-3, but lost to the Georgia Tech team of Aguirre and Taggar, 8-2.

The AASU netters are back in action at the South Carolina Fall Invitational on Friday, Oct. 20-Sunday, Oct. 22 in Columbia, S.C.

Men's Golf

The Armstrong Atlantic State men golf team shot 670 over two days to finish in seventh place at the Dogfight at the Challenge, hosted by Barton College, at Hideaway Country Club in Graham, N.C.

Freshman Clay Best (Twin City, Ga.) finished with a 20-over-par 164 after a second-round 78, finishing tied for 20^th place to lead the Pirates individually.

Freshman Thomas Whittaker (Holmes Chapel, England) was the next finisher for the Pirates, carding a 23-over-par 167 after firing a second-round 76. Freshman Bill Faith (Dalton, Ga.) finished in 30^th place after a 170 two-day total, followed by freshman Andrew Suggs (Fayetteville, Ga.), who shot 174 and finished 32nd, and sophomore Chris Connolly (Savannah, Ga.), who finished tied for 33^rd with a 176 total.
North Carolina State paced the nine-team with a 26-over-par team total of 602 over the two days to capture the team title. Ross Wellington earned medalist honors with a three-over-par 147 total.

The Pirates will be next in action on Nov. 4-6 at the Rollins College Intercollegiate in Winter Park, Fla.

-Pirates-