MT tennis programs garner high seeds at upcoming league tournaments

Men's Bracket

Women's Bracket

NEW ORLEANS – The Middle Tennessee men’s and women’s tennis teams will enter the upcoming Sun Belt Championships with high seeds, as they earned a No. 2 and No. 3 seed, respectively. The Blue Raider men will be looking to defend their title from a year ago, while the women garnered the first bye in program history when the tournament begins play Thursday at the Waranch Tennis Complex in Denton, Texas.

Men’s tennis earned the No. 2 seed after garnering a No. 53 national ranking in the latest ITA polls. The ranking is the highest mark under second-year head coach Jimmy Borendame, the league’s reigning Coach of the Year. The Blue Raiders begin the quest to defend their 2011 Sun Belt tournament title against WKU on Thursday at 3 p.m.

MT enters the tournament with a 16-7 record, having won eight of its last nine. It marks the most wins since the Blue Raiders also won 16 matches in 2009.

Ben Davis has been outstanding in his sophomore campaign, playing in the top slot throughout the season. An All-Sun Belt honoree last season, Davis holds an overall record of 23-8, including a 15-4 mark in dual action, and has won nine consecutive singles matches. He has also been stellar in doubles play, partnering primarily with freshman Christoph Lang in the No. 2 slot. The duo has won eight of its last 10 and is 13-10 overall.

Middle Tennessee has won two of the last three Sun Belt titles, claiming the crown in 2009 in addition to 2011. The Blue Raiders’ only other SBC championship came in 2005.

Denver earned the top seed with a No. 48 national ranking, while No. 71 Louisiana is the No. 3 seed and No. 57 South Alabama round out the top four.

For more information on the men’s team, click here.

Middle Tennessee is seeded third in the 12-team women's field, its highest seeding since also earning a No. 3 seed in 2004. The Blue Raiders await the winner of No. 6 seed South Alabama and No. 11 seed Louisiana for an 8 a.m. Friday match at North Texas’ Waranch Tennis Complex.

Middle Tennessee takes a 14-6 overall record into the event, including a 6-2 mark against Sun Belt competition this spring. The Blue Raiders have won 11 of their last 14 matches, which includes an eight-match winning streak that encompassed a month.

Middle Tennessee previously earned a No. 3 seed three other times in the conference tournament, from 2002 through 2004. However, this year is the first time the Blue Raiders will not have to begin competition on the tournament’s opening day.

Host North Texas, the lone ranked program in the conference at No. 59, earned the top seed with FIU next ahead of Middle Tennessee. Rounding out the four schools with byes was Denver at No. 4. The Panthers won last year’s event in Mobile, Ala.

For more information on the women’s team, click here.

Follow the Blue Raiders on Twitter @MTAthletics for continued updates.