CLEVELAND, Miss. – The Delta State men's and women's tennis teams will close out the 2018 regular season with a pair of Gulf South Conference matches against the University of West Alabama and Shorter University. Delta State will host West Alabama for its final home match of the season on Thursday, April 12, at 1:30 p.m. at the Cleveland Country Club before traveling to Rome, Ga., to take on the Shorter Hawks on Saturday, April 14, for the final match of the season.
 
Prior to the start of Thursday's match against West Alabama, Delta State will honor its seniors during Senior Day festivities at 1:00 p.m. at the Cleveland Country Club. 
 
"Thursday's match will be another big conference match for us," said Jeffrey Farris, head coach for the Delta State men's and women's tennis teams. "We need fans and the community to come out and support Delta State tennis. I also want to recognize our outstanding seniors. They have been remarkable student-athletes. It will be an emotional day, but we have to stay focused for our match at Shorter on Saturday."
 
DSU VS. UWA MATCH NOTES:

• The Statesmen enter Thursday's match looking to snap a four-match losing streak.
• On home turf, the Statesmen are 2-1
• With a 14-4 record and 8-2 GSC record, the West Alabama Tigers are currently second in GSC standings and enter Thursday's match ranked No. 32 in the latest ITA poll.
• The Lady Statesmen are battling for the eighth and final seed of the GSC Women's tournament. Just two wins out of eighth place, the Lady Statesmen need to win against UWA and Shorter for a shot at postseason play.
• The Lady Tigers will be a tough team to beat as the No. 35 team in the nation with a 13-4 overall record and 7-3 GSC record.
• The Lady Tigers enter Thursday's contest riding a six-match winning streak.
• Last season, the Lady Tigers defeated the Lady Statesmen 7-0, while the Tigers defeated the Statesmen, 7-1. Senior Joao Yamacita was the only Delta State tennis player to earn a match point against UWA.

 
DSU VS. SHORTER MATCH NOTES

• Shorter's men's tennis team is currently 3-11 and has yet to earn a Gulf South Conference victory.
• Shorter's women's tennis team has only one GSC win this season, but boasts a 4-10 overall record.
• Last season, the Statesmen defeated the Hawks 5-0, and the Lady Statesmen defeated Shorter, 5-4.

 
ALLEZ LE TERRIER:

• Freshman Emile Le Terrier has dominated the competition at the No. 1 spot for the Statesmen.
• A native of Paris, France, Le Terrier is ranked No. 39 nationally in the Oracle/ITA Division II National Singles Rankings. He is the first Statesman since 2008 to earn a national ranking. Pascal LaPlace was the last Statesman to earn an ITA national ranking, finishing the 2008-09 season ranked No. 46 in DII.

 
NOTABLES:

• The Statesmen are 5-4 against GSC competition and have clinched a spot in the 2018 GSC Men's Tennis Tournament.
• Delta State's five GSC wins mark the most conference victories in a season since 2014 when the Statesmen finished 5-3 in GSC play.
• With last Friday's win against West Georgia, the Lady Statesmen have tied last year's record for conference wins.
• Seniors Charlotte Le Flohic, Jemina Sorman, and Joao Yamacita, along with graduate assistant coach Julian Massa, will be recognized during Senior Day festivities on Thursday for their contributions to Delta State tennis.  

 
UP NEXT:
The Statesmen will advance to the first round of the Gulf South Conference Men's Tennis Tournament in Montgomery, Ala., on Thursday, April 19.