Throughout the 2011-2012 season, the Tiger men’s tennis team has received recognition on the regional and the national level. Coach Craig Ward and his team were ranked as high as No. 11 in the nation during the regular season, including a No. 1 ranking in the South Central Region. Following an 11-6 season, the Tigers have now captured the inaugural Great American Conference regular season championship.
The Tigers recorded their first conference victory on March 1, when they traveled to Durant, Oklahoma and took a 7-2 victory over Southeastern Oklahoma. Their next conference match didn’t occur until April 11, when they took the trek to Searcy for a match-up against Harding, which the Tigers took by a final score of 8-1. The Tigers capped off their conference season with a clean sweep victory against East Central University on April 14, taking a 9-0 victory and sealing an undefeated season in conference play.
The Tigers will look to take the postseason title as well, as they host the inaugural GAC Tennis Championships this weekend in a joint effort with cross-town rival Henderson State. Ouachita’s first match of the weekend will take place on Friday at 12:15 p.m., when Harding tries to knock off the regular season champion Tigers at Ouachita’s Outdoor Courts. The winner of that match will go on to the finals on Saturday at 11:00 a.m. The finals will also take place at Ouachita’s Outdoor Courts.
