Semi-Tough

Friday has arrived, which brings the NCAA Tennis Semifinals. The Pirates are the only school left in the field with a men's and women's tennis team still alive, but Friday brings two familiar foes for AASU.

The women face BYU-Hawaii for the seventh straight year in the NCAA Championships. AASU has beaten the Seasiders once - in the 2005 National Championship match - but since then BYUH has reeled off 88 straight wins. When AASU knocked off the Seasiders in 2005, it ended a 130-consecutive match win streak for BYU-Hawaii.

The men take on West Florida, who knocked the Pirates out of the 2005 and 2006 NCAA Championships. The Argonauts defeated the Pirates, 5-1, in the semis in 2005 en route to a national title and two seniors on this year's squad - Robert Jendelund and Davor Zink - have a chance to exact a little revenge for the semifinal loss they suffered as freshmen.

Today's NCAA News - a daily publication they are producing on site and distributing throughout the hotel and the venues - features AASU's men's tennis on the cover with a giant picture of freshman Rafael Array with the headline "Armstrong stays strong".. let's hope they have reason to repeat that headline tomorrow with two teams in the finals !