MONROE, La. --- The ULM tennis team will open play in the 2008 Sun Belt Conference Tennis Championships against a familiar opponent. The Warhawks will face Arkansas State in the first round of the tournament at Heard Stadium at 8:00 a.m. on April 18 in the opening event of Super Warhawk Weekend.
ULM (8-12), the tournament's 10th seed, will face seventh-seeded Arkansas State (12-9) for the second time this season. The Warhawks dropped a close 4-2 decision against ASU in the only meeting between the two squads during the regular season. Arkansas State was one of only five conference foes that the ULM netters played during the 2008 campaign.
"This is a great first round opponent for us," ULM head coach Terrence De Jongh said. "We know we can win the doubles point and that we just have to step up and give a little more in singles. Having played them before, we know we can win this match up and make it to the second round. From there, we just have to stay together and work as a group."
The winner of the ASU/ULM match will advance to face second-seeded South Alabama, the nation's 45th-ranked team at 6:30 p.m. at Heard Stadium.
Other first round matches on the women's side beginning at 8 a.m. include No. 8 Middle Tennessee against No. 9 UALR at Heard Stadium and No. 6 North Texas against No. 11 Florida Atlantic at Forsythe Park. Fifth-seeded Troy and No. 12 Western Kentucky will play their first round match at Heard Stadium at 11:30 a.m.
Top-seeded Denver, the nation's 28th-ranked team, third-seeded Florida International (ranked 51st) and fourth-seeded Louisiana-Lafayette, join USA in receiving first round byes.
On the men's side, 45th-ranked Denver landed the top spot and will play eighth-seeded Western Kentucky at 3 p.m. at Heard Stadium. Second-seeded South Alabama plays No. 7 Troy at Heard Stadium at 11:30 a.m. while third-seeded Middle Tennessee plays No. 6 Louisiana-Lafayette at Forsythe Park in the first men's session. No. 4 Florida Atlantic and No. 5 UALR will face at Heard Stadium at 3 p.m. to round out the first round of men's play.
The opening round of the men's tournament and the first two rounds of the women's tournament will be played on Friday at the two sites before the semi-final rounds are played at Heard Stadium starting Saturday at 1:30 p.m. Finals and consolations for the women are scheduled for 10 a.m. on Sunday at Heard Stadium while the men will play the finals and consolations starting at 3 p.m. at Heard Stadium.
Admittance to the tournament for both sites is free of charge.
With the first serve of the Sun Belt Conference Tennis Championships at 8:00 a.m. Friday, Super Warhawk Weekend will officially begin. Fans are encouraged to spend their weekend with ULM athletics and enjoy the Spring Football Game, baseball series against Middle Tennessee and softball series against Florida Atlantic.
