04/20/06– FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

THIRD-SEEDED JAGUARS OPEN SUN BELT CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP PLAY WITH SIX-SEED TROY ON FRIDAY

CONTACT: Kit Strief

MOBILE, Ala. - The University of South Alabama men's tennis team plays host to the 2006 Aeropostale Sun Belt Conference Championship this weekend at the Bruce David Lubel Memorial Courts and the Mobile Tennis Center. The Jaguars seeded third (18-7), ranked 48th in the latest ITA Tennis poll plays Troy (8-11) at 12:30 p.m. at the Lubel Courts.

The meeting between Jags and Trojans is the second meeting between the two teams this year. USA posted a 7-0 win over Troy on Feb. 5 in Mobile. The Jaguars won four of six singles matches in straight sets and won all three doubles matches.

South Alabama is led in singles action by sophomore all-conference selection Jack Baker who is ranked 66th in ITA and has a 16-4 record in dual matches this spring. Along with Baker, eight of the nine Jags have double-digit wins in singles this year. R.J. Nagle is 14-1, while Filip Kricka is 13-3 and Marek Sramek is 16-6. In doubles, the Jaguars are led by Dias Doskarayev and Monte Tucker at the no. 1 position. The tandem is 6-6 on the year. Leading the team in wins is the duo of Sam Huffman and Kricka at 10-6.

The Trojans enter with an 8-11 overall mark and have dropped four of their last five matches. Leading the way for the Trojans this year is Pasqual Duttlinger at 10-6 in dual match play this spring. He is the only Trojan to have double-digit wins in singles. The doubles tandem of Marko Despot and Irving Morales leads the team with an 8-3 mark.

Middle Tennessee is the top seed on the men's side and is ranked 32nd nationally and sports a 15-6 record. USA did defeat Middle Tennessee earlier in the year, 4-3 in the third place match at the HEB Invitational in Corpus Christi, Texas.

This will be the sixth-straight season and 11th time overall that USA has hosted the conference tournament.

MEN'S SEEDINGS
1. Middle Tennessee
2. Louisiana-Lafayette
3. South Alabama
4. Denver
5. Arkansas-Little Rock
6. Troy
7. Western Kentucky

*New Orleans did not compete this season due to Hurricane Katrina

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
FRIDAY, APRIL 21
MEN’S
12:30 PM M1 #4 Denver vs. #5 UALR MTC
12:30 PM M2 #3 South Alabama vs. #6 Troy USA
12:30 PM M3 #2 Louisiana-Lafayette vs. #7 Western Kentucky MTC

SATURDAY, APRIL 22
MEN’S
2:30 PM M4 M3 W vs. M2 W MTC
2:30 PM M5 #1 Middle Tennessee vs. M1 W USA

SUNDAY, APRIL 23
MEN’S
10:00 AM M7 M4 L vs. M5 L MTC
2:00 PM M6 M4 W vs. M5 W USA

* IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUN BELT CONFERENCE POLICIES, THE HOST INSTITUTION (SOUTH ALABAMA) HAS THE OPTION OF CHOOSING COMPETITION LOCATION. LOCATIONS AND TIMES LISTED ABOVE ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE TO ENSURE THAT SOUTH ALABAMA HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO PLAY THEIR MATCHES ON THE SOUTH ALABAMA TENNIS COURTS.