FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 11-12-01

This Week In Armstrong Atlantic State Athletics

Monday, November 12
No Events Scheduled

Tuesday, November 13
No Events Scheduled

Wednesday, November 14
No Events Scheduled

Thursday, November 15
• Volleyball at NCAA Division II South Regional (Tampa, Fla.)
AASU vs. USC Spartanburg, 8:00 p.m.

Friday, November 16
• Women's Basketball Hosts AASU/Chatham Orthopaedics Lady Pirate TipOff Classic
Presbyterian vs. Ferris State, 5:30 p.m.
AASU vs. Fayetteville State, 7:30 p.m.
• Volleyball at NCAA Division II South Regional (Tampa, Fla.)
• Golf at Flagler College Intercollegiate (St. Augustine, Fla.)

Saturday, November 17
• Women's Basketball Hosts AASU/Chatham Orthopaedics Lady Pirate TipOff Classic
Consolation Game, 5:30 p.m.
Championship Game, 7:30 p.m.
• Volleyball at NCAA Division II South Regional (Tampa, Fla.)
• Men's Basketball at Presbyterian, 7:00 p.m.
• Golf at Flagler College Intercollegiate (St. Augustine, Fla.)

Sunday, November 18
• Golf at Flagler College Intercollegiate (St. Augustine, Fla.)

Volleyball (28-9 Overall, 11-3 Peach Belt, 4th South Region)

The Armstrong Atlantic State volleyball team earned its second consecutive NCAA bid, receiving an at-large berth to the 2001 NCAA Division II National Championships.

AASU, the No. 4 seed in the South Region, will face the No. 5-seeded USC Spartanburg Rifles in the first round on Thursday, November 15 at 8:00 p.m.

The Pirates came up short in their bid for the Peach Belt Conference tournament title over the weekend, finishing runner-up for the third straight season. North Florida captured the title with the 30-27, 30-24, 30-17 win over the Pirates.

AASU advanced to the PBC Tournament finals by virtue of their 3-0 wins over Lander and Spartanburg on Friday. Junior Sofie Hakansson and junior Erin Melius were named to the All-Tournament team.

Men's Basketball

The Armstrong Atlantic State men's basketball season opens up on Saturday, November 17 with a 7:00 p.m. game at Presbyterian College in Clinton, S.C.

AASU, under first-year head coach John Marhefka, lost its one meeting against Presbyterian last season, 75-72, and meet for the third time overall.

Women's Basketball

The Lady Pirates open the season by hosting the 2001 AASU/Chatham Orthopaedics TipOff Classic this weekend. Fayetteville State and Presbyterian, two 20-game winners last season, join Ferris State and AASU to form a strong tournament field.

AASU will face Fayetteville State in the first round at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, November 16. Ferris State and Presbyterian meet at 5:30 p.m. and the consolation and championship games will be at 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 17.

Men's Tennis

The AASU men's tennis wrapped up the 2001 fall season by competing in the 2001 Florida Collegiates over the weekend, hosted by Flagler College.

Sophomore Caue Figueiredo advanced to the final of the Flight C singles, defeating Elliot of Lynn, 6-0, 6-0, then Grenwall of Rollins, 6-4, 6-1, before falling to Rip Rice of Rollins in the final, 6-2, 6-3.

Freshman Dale White advanced to the semifinals of the Flight B singles, knocking off Schweizer of Flagler, 6-3, 6-4, before losing to Brandon Smith of Rollins, 6-2, 6-3.

The doubles duo of Figueiredo and Achim Roth advanced to the Flight B doubles final, picking up an 8-6 win over Rice and Martin from Rollins and a 9-7 win over Croke and Mugia of Lynn, but losing in the finals to Thomeson and Chatham of Rollins, 8-6.

Men's Golf

The Armstrong Atlantic State men's golf team fired a 28-over-par 892 to finish sixth at the Rollins College Intercollegiate held at the 6,950-yard par 72 Forest Lake Golf Club in Ocoee, Fla., on Monday and Tuesday.

The Pirates finished 24 strokes behind team champion Florida Gulf Coast. Host Rollins College finished second, followed by Valdosta State, Florida Southern and Georgia College & State.

Freshman Lee Clarke placed 11th as the Pirates' top finisher with a six-over-par 222 total. Freshman Ashley Loyd, in his first action this season for the Pirates, finished tied for 17th place with an eight-over-par 224 total. Sophomore Clay Best finished tied for 21st with a nine-over-par 225 total, while sophomore Thomas Whittaker finished tied for 32nd with an 11-over-par 227 total. Freshman Jonathan Cox rounded out the Pirates' scoring, finishing tied for 46th with a 14-over-par 230 total for the tournament.

AASU wraps up its fall season at the Flagler College Intercollegiate in St. Augustine, Fla., from Friday, November 16 through Sunday, November 18.

- Pirates -