ANDERSON, S.C. - After both teams closed their 2015 seasons with double-figure victories and berths into the South Atlantic Conference Championship semifinals, Anderson University men's and women's tennis head coach Joey Eskridge announced the 2016 schedules on Thursday looking to return to the top of the SAC standings.
With a combined 21 home matches between the two squads, the women's team is scheduled to open the brand new AU Tennis Complex on Feb. 2 when they welcome National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) opponent Columbia to the Electric City. The men's team will play their first home match of the spring on Feb. 11 when they host Belmont Abbey for a regional contest.
With a challenging nonconference slate that features Peach Belt Conference rivals USC Aiken (2/17), Augusta (3/8) Columbus State (3/22), Anderson hosts six SAC matches on each side this season, including a women's matchup with Newberry (3/1) in a rematch of last season's SAC Championship quarterfinals and a men's contest featuring Lincoln Memorial (3/4), which AU eliminated in the postseason. The Trojans are also scheduled to host Brevard for the final time as conference rivals on Feb. 21.
Women - vs. Columbia College (2/2 - 2 p.m.)
Last Time: AU won 9-0 (2/5/15 - Columbia)
Notes: Columbia closed the 2015 season with a 4-8 overall record,
as standout Michelle Troup was named to the Appalachian Athletic
Conference All-Freshman Team at the conclusion of the season. The
nonconference match will be the first spring contest inside the
brand new AU Tennis Complex.
Men & Women - at Southern Wesleyan (2/6 - 2
p.m.)
Last Time (M): AU won 9-0 (1/31/15 - Anderson)
Last Time (W): AU won 9-0 (1/31/15 - Anderson)
Notes: After a scheduled fall match was cancelled due to the rain,
the Trojans travel to SWU for the first time as Division II
opponents. The men's team finished with a 0-16 record while the
women's team posted a 1-15 mark last year.
Men & Women - vs. Belmont Abbey (2/11 - 2
p.m.)
Last Time (M): AU won 7-2 (2/7/15 - Belmont)
Last Time (W): AU won 9-0 (2/7/15 - Belmont)
Notes: On the men's side, Belmont Abbey finished the year with a
9-16 overall record, while finishing tied for seventh in the final
Conference Carolinas standings. The BAC women's team recorded a
5-15 overall record with a 3-8 mark in Conference Carolinas
play.
Men & Women - vs. Newberry (2/14 - 1
p.m.)
Last Time (M): AU won 6-3 (3/24/15 - Lexington)
Last Time (W): AU won 5-4 (4/16/15 - Brevard)
Notes: The Anderson women's team ended Newberry's postseason run, a
season ago, with a memorable 5-4 victory in the opening round of
the SAC Championship. The win avenged a regular-season setback to
the Wolves. On the men's side, the Trojans have never lost to their
in-state rivals as SAC members.
Men & Women - vs. USC Aiken (2/17 - 2
p.m.)
Last Time (M): USCA won 5-0 (4/9/15 - Aiken)
Last Time (W): AU won 5-3 (4/9/16 - Aiken)
Notes: The AU women's team picked up its first win over a Peach
Belt Conference school since 2012 with its 5-3 road victory over
the Pacers a season ago. On the women's side, USC Aiken finished
with a 9-12 overall record and a 4-9 mark in PBC play. On the men's
side, the Pacers closed the 2015 year with an even 9-9 record but
missed the PBC Tournament.
Men & Women - vs. Mars Hill (2/20 - 1
p.m.)
Last Time (M): AU won 7-2 (2/28/15 - Anderson)
Last Time (W): AU won 8-1 (2/28/15 - Anderson)
Notes: Anderson has never lost to Mars Hill since joining the SAC
on either side, as the Trojans will open conference play against
the Lions for the first time.
Men & Women - vs. Brevard (2/21 - 1
p.m.)
Last Time (M): AU won 7-2 (3/17/15 - Brevard)
Last Time (W): AU won 9-0 (3/17/15 - Brevard)
Notes: The February meeting is slated to be the last matchups
between Anderson and Brevard as Division II opponents pending the
postseason. The Tornados will make the transition into Division III
next season and part ways with the SAC.
Women - vs. Converse (2/24 - 3:30 p.m.)
Last Time: AU won 9-0 (3/29 - Spartanburg)
Notes: In the past three seasons, the Trojans have recorded three
straight 9-0 victories over the Valkyries. Converse closed the 2015
season with a 6-12 record while finishing 5-6 inside Conference
Carolinas.
Men & Women - at Catawba (2/27 - 1
p.m.)
Last Time (M): AU won 7-2 (2/14/15 - Anderson)
Last Time (W): AU won 8-1 (2/14/15 - Anderson)
Notes: Catawba just missed the postseason on both sides a season
ago, as the men's team finished tied for seventh in the final SAC
standings with a 4-7 league record, while the women's team claimed
the 10th slot posting a 2-9 record.
Men & Women - at Queens (2/28 - 1 p.m.)
Last Time (M): AU won 5-4 (3/4/15 - Anderson)
Last Time (W): QUOC won 8-1 (3/4/15 - Anderson)
Notes: Last season, Anderson picked up its biggest victory of the
season over the Royals with a 5-4 triumph with Queens entering the
match ranked No. 29 in the country. The victory marked AU's first
over its Tar Heel State rivals since the Royals entered the SAC
before the 2014 season. The AU women's team is still searching for
its first win over Queens in the span, as the Royals earned an
at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament, but fell in the opening
round.
Men & Women - vs. Lincoln Memorial (3/4 - 2
p.m.)
Last Time (M): AU won 5-0 (4/16/15 - Brevard)
Last Time (W): AU won 7-2 (3/21/15 - Harrogate)
Notes: The AU men's team eliminated Lincoln Memorial from the SAC
Championship a season ago with a 5-0 blanking. The victory was
Anderson's second win over LMU in 2015, following a narrow 5-4 win
in Harrogate during the regular season. On the women's side, the
Trojans have won five straight matches over the Lady
Railsplitters.
Women - vs. California (Pa.) (3/5 - 11
a.m.)
Last Time: First Meeting
Notes: The Vulcans closed the 2015 season with a berth into the
NCAA Tournament Round-of-16 before seeing their season cut down by
Midwestern State. CalU finished the season with a 15-4 record with
two of its setbacks coming against Division I opponents Towson and
West Virginia.
Men & Women - at Augusta (3/8 - 1 p.m.)
Last Time (M): Augusta won 8-1 (3/21/14 - Augusta)
Last Time (W): Augusta won 6-3 (3/21/14 - Augusta)
Notes: Formerly GRU Augusta, Anderson will meet the Jaguars for the
first time since the 2014 seasons after the 2015 matchups were
washed away due to inclement weather. Neither squad has beaten
Augusta in the SAC era.
Men & Women - at Columbus State (3/12 - 2
p.m.)
Last Time (M): CSU won 9-0 (2/12/15 - Anderson)
Last Time (W): CSU won 9-0 (2/12/15 - Anderson)
Notes: Columbus State blanked Anderson on both sides a season ago,
as both teams went on to have memorable years. The CSU men's team
closed the year with a 18-6 record and advanced to the NCAA
Tournament, while the women's team ended the campaign with a 23-4
overall record and advanced to the national quarterfinals.
Men & Women - at Lenoir-Rhyne (3/22 - 2
p.m.)
Last Time (M): AU won 5-4 (4/8/15 - Anderson)
Last Time (W): AU won 5-4 (4/8/15 - Anderson)
Notes: Last season's matching 5-4 victories over the Bears were the
closest the scores have ever been in the all-time series, as the
Trojans are perfect against L-R in the series since 2011.
Men & Women - vs. Carson-Newman (3/25 - 2
p.m.)
Last Time (M): AU won 8-1 (3/16/15 - Jefferson City)
Last Time (W): AU won 7-2 (3/16/15 - Jefferson City)
Notes: The Eagles missed the SAC Championship on both sides a
season ago, as the women's team closed the year with a 7-10 overall
record and a 4-7 mark in league play. The men's team tied for ninth
in the final conference standings with a 3-8 record within the SAC
and a 4-12 record overall.
Men & Women - at Wingate (3/30 - 2
p.m.)
Last Time (M): WU won 7-2 (4/1/15 - Anderson)
Last Time (W): WU won 5-0 (4/17/15 - Brevard)
Notes: Wingate claimed SAC Tournament titles on both sides last
season, as both squads earned the automatic bids into the NCAA
Tournament. Despite entering the national tournament, both squads
fell in their respective opening-round matches.
Men & Women - vs. Tusculum (4/2 - 1
p.m.)
Last Time (M): TC won 5-2 (3/7/15 - Brevard)
Last Time (W): TC won 7-2 (3/7/15 - Greeneville)
Notes: On the men's side, Tusculum claimed a share of the
regular-season title finishing its conference slate with a 10-1
record. Despite closing the SAC Championship with an 18-2 record,
the Pioneers did not advance into the NCAA Tournament. The women's
team finished second in the final conference standings, but was
eliminated in the SAC Championship semifinals by Queens.
Women - vs. Erskine (4/6 - 3:30 p.m.)
Last Time: EC won 7-2 (4/10/14 - Due West)
Notes: After last season's match was washed away due to inclement
weather in the Upstate, Anderson and Erskine pick back up its
rivalry after one-year hiatus. The Fleet advanced to the Conference
Carolinas Championship match, but fell to Pfeiffer, 5-0.
Men & Women - at Coker (4/9 - 1 p.m.)
Last Time (M): AU won 8-1 (2/8/15 - Anderson)
Last Time (W): AU won 6-3 (2/8/15 - Anderson)
Notes: The Coker women's team earned a spot into the SAC
Championship for the first time in its program history by saw its
season cut down by Queens in the opening round. The men's team
closed the year with a 4-7 SAC record, tying Catawba for
seventh.
Men - at Erskine (4/11 - 3:30 p.m.)
Last Time: AU won 8-1 (3/2/15 - Anderson)
Notes: Anderson has defeated Erskine in 12 straight regular-season
matches, as the Fleet's last victory over the Trojans came during
the 2008 Conference Carolinas Tournament.
Women - vs. Limestone (4/13 - 2 p.m.)
Last Time: AU won 5-4 (3/28/15 - Gaffney)
Notes: The Saints swept through Conference Carolinas play with a
perfect 11-0 conference record, but fell to Erskine in the
Conference Carolinas Championship semifinals, 5-4, ending their
season.
Men - at Limestone (4/15 - 2 p.m.)
Last Time: LC won 6-3 (4/3/14 - Anderson)
Notes: Limestone closed the year with a 12-6 overall record and
advanced to the Conference Carolinas Championship match before
seeing its season end, falling to Mount Olive, 5-0. The
regular-season finale for the Trojans this season will mark the
first meeting since 2014 after the 2015 match was cancelled due to
rain.
