University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Cajuns Prepare For Sun Belt Championships
4/24/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
MOBILE, Ala. – After two straight
eighth place finishes at the Sun Belt Conference
Tennis Tournament, Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns men's tennis
team will look to win its first Sun Belt Conference
title since 1992 when they take on New Mexico State in the
first round of the SBC Championship Friday at 3 p.m. here at
the Mobile Tennis Center. UL Lafayette enters the 26th Annual
Sun Belt Championships as the No. 3 seed. Last season,
Louisiana-Lafayette was the No. 6 seed when they knocked off
the No. 3 seed, New Mexico State, 4-3 The Cajuns (9-10), ranked No. 71 in
the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association's rankings,
has not faired well on the road this season, posting a 4-10
record away from Acadiana. In their last road match of the
season, Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns were shut down by No. 64
South Alabama 7-0 in Mobile. The Cajuns will also look to reach
double-digit wins for the first time since 2000, when UL
Lafayette finished 15-7. That season's squad finished
second in the Sun Belt Championships. In their last meeting, then-No. 57 UL
Lafayette cruised past the Aggies 6-1 at Cajun Courts.
Senior Jakub Ilowski (11-5) saw his nine-match winning
streak come to an end, after a straight-set 6-3, 6-3 loss to
Mark Roberts. Since beginning the season 9-1, No.
83-ranked Ilowski has dropped four of his last six matches,
including two straight to a nationally-ranked opponent.
WOMEN It took exactly one year for
Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns women's tennis to win a match. On
April 13, 2002, UL Lafayette defeated Southern Miss 4-0 in
Hattiesburg, Miss. Then, the losing streak began. The
Cajuns endured a 15- match losing streak before getting back
in the win column. The Cajuns knocked off Southern
University 4-1 on April 13 on this year. Louisiana-Lafayette (1-12) enters the
19th Annual Sun Belt Conference Tournament as the No .11
seed. The Cajuns will face No. 6 Florida International
(5-12). UL Lafayette's lone win is the fewest
wins for the program since 1988 when then-USL won only two
matches (2-10). The Golden Panthers hold a 3-0 edge in
the series with the Cajuns. In last season's SBC Championships, UL
Lafayette dropped both matches, a 4-1 decision to
Arkansas-Little Rock in the first round and a 4-2 decision
to North Texas in the ninth place match. Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns will face
the FIU Golden Panthers at 8 a.m. on Friday at the
Mobile Tennis Center. 26th Annual Sun
Belt Conference Men's Tennis Tournament April 25-27, 2003 (Mobile, Ala.) (7) Arkansas-Little Rock vs. (2) New
Orleans, Friday 10 a.m. (MTC)
(6) New Mexico State vs. (3) Louisiana, Friday 3 p.m. (MTC)
(8) Western Kentucky vs. (1) South Alabama, Friday 1 p.m.
(USA)
(5) Denver vs. (4) Middle Tennessee, Friday 10 a.m. (USA)
19th Annual Sun Belt Conference Women's Tennis Tournament
April 25-27, 2003 (Mobile, Ala.)
(10) Western Kentucky vs. (7) New
Mexico State, Friday 8 a.m. (MTC) 10/7 winner plays (2)
Denver, Friday 3 p.m. (MTC)
(6) Florida International vs. (11) Louisiana, Friday 8 a.m.
(MTC) 6/11 winner plays (3) Middle Tennessee, Friday 3 p.m.
(MTC)
(9) North Texas vs. (8) Arkansas State, Friday 8 a.m. (MTC)
9/8 winner plays (1) South Alabama, Friday 4 p.m. (USA)
(5) Arkansas-Little Rock vs. (4) New Orleans, Friday 3 p.m.
(MTC)
-Ragin' Cajuns-
