Belton, TX – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor men's and women's tennis teams will open the 2013 spring schedule at home this weekend with the Crusader Challenge Tournament. The two-day, four-team event will be played at the Yvonne Li Tennis Center and the UMHB Recreational Tennis Courts on Friday and Saturday.
The Cru men and women will be joined by men's and women's teams from Austin College, Howard Payne University and Southwestern University in the tournament. There will be flighted draws in singles and doubles in both the men's and women's tournaments. Play starts at noon on Friday and 8:30 AM on Saturday with players scheduled to play one singles match and two doubles matches apiece on Friday. Play will then close out with two singles matches and one doubles match per player on Saturday.
The UMHB men and women both qualified for the American Southwest Conference Championship Tournaments last spring. The Cru women finished 12-6 overall and went 5-1 in ASC play last spring. This fall, senior
Brittni Fausett became the first UMHB female to advance to the ITA Small College National Championships. Fausett finished third in the country in that event and headlines a roster that returns four letter winners from last year's squad. The UMHB men finished last spring with a 9-7 overall record and also went 5-1 in ASC play. The Cru men welcome back six letter winners, including five ASC All-West Division selections.
This weekend's tournament is the only tournament on the spring schedule for the Cru men and women. Dual match play begins with home matches against LeTourneau University on February 23
rd. The Cru men and women will open ASC West Division play at home against Sul Ross State on April 5
th.
