April 10, 2008

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- The Samford tennis teams are set to host their final homestand of the 2008 season as they play their last three Ohio Valley Conference matches before the league championship tournament. The Bulldog squads will host Eastern Kentucky and Morehead State and play at Tennessee Tech over the weekend while they try to keep their Conference records spotless.

The Samford women (15-5, 7-0 OVC) earned their seventh consecutive OVC win Wednesday afternoon as they swept the Tennessee State women, 7-0. The Bulldog men (11-7, 6-0 OVC) also kept their undefeated Conference streak going Wednesday with a sweeping win over the Tennessee State men. The Bulldogs also fell in a non-conference match-up Wednesday night to No. 24-ranked Alabama.

The first opponent for the Samford teams will be Eastern Kentucky. The Colonels will arrive on the Samford campus Friday, April 11, for an afternoon match. The Colonel women are currently in first place in the OVC standings with an undefeated Conference record (8-0) and a 17-5 overall record. The EKU men sit behind the Samford men at third place in the Conference standing with a 5-2 OVC record and 15-10 overall record. Match play with the Colonels will begin with the men at 1 p.m., followed by the women at around 4 p.m. at the Pat M. Courington Tennis Pavilion.

Saturday's matches will feature the Samford squads and both teams from Morehead State. Both Eagle squads are ranked seventh in the conference right now. The Morehead State men are one win shy of a .500 overall winning percentage and have only won three out of seven OVC contests. The Eagle women are 7-12 overall while winning only three out of five OVC matches. The men will begin the match at 10 a.m., followed by the women at around 1 p.m. on the Samford campus.

Saturday will also be Samford's Senior Day as two women's players and five men's players will be honored. The Bulldog women will honor seniors Anna Jackson and Katie Weaver for their years of leadership while the men honor seniors Jordan Delass, Hank Grant, Sam Huffman, Sam Rocke and Renan Silveira.

Jackson, a native of Alexander City, Ala., came to Samford in the spring of 2005 from the University of Kansas and made an immediate impact on the Bulldog team the following season. She has played mostly at the No.1 court during her three years at Samford and owns a 35-31 overall career record. Jackson was also named Second Team All-OVC in 2006. She is majoring in journalism and mass communication.

Weaver, is the former Katie McMiller, who is now married to former Bulldog standout Bradley Weaver. Weaver, an Alpharetta, Ga., native, has been a staple in the Samford lineup for the past four years and owns a 57-21 overall career record. She was named to the All-OVC First Team in 2005 and 2006 and played most of her career at the No. 2 position and ranks at the second best singles player in the OVC with a 13-6 overall record for 2008. Weaver is majoring in early childhood education.

Delass came to Samford this year from Georgia Tech. The Marietta, Ga., native made an immediate impact on the Samford lineup, taking on the No. 1 position for most of the year. Delass is the reigning OVC Men's Tennis Player of the Week and owns a 22-11 overall record at Samford. He is majoring in business management.

Two more transfers will be honored as seniors on Sunday - Sam Huffman and Sam Rocke. Huffman transferred to Samford from South Alabama and began playing for the Bulldogs in the fall of 2006. The Mobile, Ala., native has been a steady competitor for the Bulldogs, owning a 24-11 overall record as a Bulldog. Rocke transferred at the same time for Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne and has been a leader on a off the court. Although the Fort Wayne native, only played in a few matches in his two years as a Bulldog, he stepped into a student coaching position several times during the season and has excelled greatly in the classroom. Rocke is majoring in biochemistry.

Hank Grant, of Kennesaw, Ga., currently leads the Bulldogs in winning percentage right now. Boasting a 55-31 overall career record, the senior Bulldogs has been one of the most successful Bulldogs in the Samford tennis program. He has been named OVC Player of the Week numerous times during his career as a Bulldog and was named all-Conference in 2007. Grant went undefeated in OVC play his freshman year, had only four losses in his sophomore year, two his junior year and only one so far during his senior year.

Renan Silveira is the final male Bulldog that will be honored on Sunday. The Pelotas, Brazil, native boast a 63 percent career win percentage while being an all-Conference player almost every year he has been at Samford. The senior was named OVC Freshman of the Year in 2005 as well as earning a spot on the first-team All-OVC in 2005 and 2007. Silveira has progressive gotten better in conference play after having an undefeated season his freshman year. He lost only four matches against OVC foes in 2006, three in 2007 and only one so far in 2008.

Samford will then play at Tennessee Tech on Sunday. The Tech men are the number one team in the OVC. The Golden Eagles own a 15-3 overall record and are only one conference win ahead of the Samford men in the standing with seven wins. TTU's women's team sits at sixth place in the OVC with 7-15 overall, winning four and losing four against conference opponents.

Sunday's matches will begin at noon with both teams playing at the same time. A full recap and results will be available on www.samfordsports.com after each match.