MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The No. 10 West Florida women’s tennis (11-8, 3-1 GSC) prepares to defend its 2009 Gulf South Conference Championship title this weekend at the GSC Championships April 17-18 being played in Montgomery, Ala. The Argonauts finished the regular season with an 11-8 overall record and a 3-1 mark against GSC schools. The Argos will attempt to earn their 11th GSC Championship in the program’s history, and their fourth in the past five years as the women’s program won in 2006, 2007 and 2009.
In last year’s tournament, West Florida qualified for the final match with a 5-0 win over both Arkansas Tech in the quarterfinals and Delta State in the semifinals, and faced Valdosta State for the Championship title. The Argonauts recovered from 8-1 and 5-2 losses to Valdosta State earlier in the season to come back and win the GSC title with a 5-4 score and become the only program in the history of the GSC to win 10 conference crowns.
“Last season we had lost to Valdosta State during the regular season and came back strong in the GSC Championships to win the title,” said Head Coach Derrick Racine. “This year we are hoping for a little more of that magic as our girls have worked hard in the weeks leading up to the tournament and all that's left is to put it all out on the court.”
The Argos were the GSC East Division runner-up this year, and will enter the tournament as the No. 2 seed team overall and in the East Division. West Florida’s victories include 9-0 wins over West Alabama, No. 28 Delta State, Alabama-Huntsville, and North Alabama. The squad has only dropped a 6-3 match to No. 6 Valdosta State who is undefeated in GSC play this year. Valdosta State (8-4, 4-0 GSC) enters the tournament as the No. 1 seed, and is seen as the toughest competition for the Argonauts in the GSC Championships.
“On the women's side the GSC is very strong, as Valdosta State is also nationally ranked in the top-10. We hope to be fortunate enough to face off once again with them in the GSC final. The road to the final will not be easy though as Delta State has a very strong program capable of beating many of the top teams in the nation. We hold the title and we want to keep it,” added Racine.
The Argonauts will kick off competition at the Gulf South Conference Championships against Arkansas Tech (10-5, 4-2) on Saturday, April 17 at 11:00 a.m. CT. The quarter-finals and semi-finals will take place on Saturday, April 17, and the teams that advance to the final match will play Sunday, April 18 at 9 a.m.The matches will be played at the Lagoon Park in Montgomery, Ala. For information on all UWF Athletics, visit www.GoArgos.com.