RUSSELLVILLE - With the league schedule of the 2019 Great American Conference tennis regular season complete, the league announced the brackets and schedules for the GAC Men’s and Women’s Championships.
The event begins on Thursday from Memorial Park in Bentonville.
On the women’s side, Harding’s 7-0 victory against Arkansas Tech last week pushed the Lady Bisons up to the No. 2 seed by virtue of winning on three-way tiebreaker with Tech and Oklahoma Baptist.
The Golden Suns dropped the No. 4 seed. They will face Southeastern Oklahoma State, who they defeated, 6-1, on April 12. Oklahoma Baptist, the 2018 GAC Champions draws Henderson State.
Southern Arkansas had already secured the top seed after the Lady Muleriders ran through the GAC schedule with a 6-0 record.
The SAU men also enter the GAC Championships at the No. 1 seed. Southern Arkansas became the first school to earn the top seed in both tournaments since Southeastern Oklahoma State in 2015.
The Muleriders square off with Harding in one semifinal. SAU clinched the regular-season title with a 4-2 victory against the Bisons on April 2.
The other semifinal features two programs - Ouachita and Southeastern Oklahoma State - that have combined to win six of the seven previous GAC Men’s Tennis Championship titles. The Tigers claimed the No. 2 seed by defeating the Savage Storm 4-2 on April 7.
Women’s bracket
MATCH 1: 2 p.m., Thursday, April 25 - First Round 1 - No. 4 Arkansas Tech vs No. 5 Southeastern Oklahoma State
MATCH 2: 2 p.m., Thursday, April 25 - First Round 2 - No. 3 Oklahoma Baptist vs No. 6 Henderson State
MATCH 3: 2 p.m., Friday, April 26 - Semifinal 1 - No. 1 Southern Arkansas vs Match 1 Winner
MATCH 4: 2 p.m., Friday, April 26 - Semifinal 2 - No. 2 Harding vs Match 2 Winner
MATCH 5: 2 p.m., Saturday, April 27 – Championship Game
Men’s bracket
MATCH 1: 10:30 a.m., Friday, April 26 - Semifinal 1 - No. 1 Southern Arkansas vs 4 Harding
MATCH 2: 10:30 a.m., Friday, April 26 - Semifinal 2 - No. 2 Ouachita vs #3 Southeastern Oklahoma State
MATCH 3: 10:30 a.m., Saturday, April 27 – Championship Game