CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS
The Patriots went 9-1 in Lone Star Conference play this season, dropping only one match to Texas A&M-Kingsville. That record was the top mark in the league, making the program Lone Star Conference Regular Season Champions for the first time ever.
This is the first Division II conference championship for the women's team. It is their first conference title of any time since all the way back in 2018 when they claimed the ASC Tournament title.
LSC RECOGNITION
The Patriots earned several awards at the season-ending banquet on Wednesday night, highlighted by Coach of the Year
Chris Bizot and Sportsmanship Player of the Year
Yona Bancarel.
Bancarel was named First Team Singles and Doubles, and her doubles partner
Natalia Gorzny joined her on First Team Doubles and was named Second Team Singles and to the All-Academic Team.
Paula Castellanos and Claudia Di Leonard were each named Honorable Mention Singles, and the pair of Castellanos and
Maria Antonio Ortega were named Honorable Mention Doubles.
IN THE RANKINGS
UT Tyler is ranked #26 again this week in the latest ITA Rankings after going 2-0 against UT Dallas and St. Mary's to wrap up the regular season.
Yona Bancarel and
Natalia Gorzny are #9 and #50 in the singles rankings, and they are #8 in the doubles rankings.
In the last edition of the NCAA South Central Region Rankings, the Patriots are number one and will look to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time. They are currently in position to host a portion of the regional tournament, with the top four teams in the rankings qualifying.
THE LSC TOURNAMENT
The Patriots are the #1 seed in the LSC Tournament this week for the first time, and as such they receive a bye into the semifinals taking place on May 1.
Midwestern State got the other bye as the #2 seed, and Lubbock Christian, Angelo State, St. Mary's, and Cameron make up the rest of the field.
The LSC Tournament takes place at the Arlington Tennis Center in Arlington, Texas. This is the fifth consecutive year the tournament has been hosted at this site.
Quarterfinal matchups pit #4 Angelo State against #5 St. Mary's and #3 Lubbock Christian against #6 Cameron. The winner of the #3 vs. #6 matchup will face off with #2 Midwestern State, and the winner of the #4 vs. #5 matchup will face off against #1 UT Tyler.
The semifinals are scheduled for 9 a.m. on Friday, with the championship scheduled between the two semifinal winners on Saturday at 9 a.m.
