INDIANAPOLIS --- The 35th-ranked Tusculum College men's tennis team will open the national postseason, Thursday, May 8 when the Pioneers face No. 9 Rollins College in the first round of the 2008 NCAA Division II Tournament. Thursday's Southeast Regional match will begin at noon at the Buccaneer Tennis Center and hosted by Barry University in Miami Shores, Fla. TC will be the No. 5 seed in the regional, while Rollins is the No. 4 seed.

The Pioneers (20-1) will be making their second straight NCAA Tournament appearance and sixth in the last seven years. Tusculum earned an automatic berth by winning the Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Tournament. TC also captured the SAC regular season title, establishing a new school record for most wins in a season (20).

Rollins (15-7) earned an at-large bid to the NCAA postseason as the Tars finished fourth in the Sunshine State Conference Tournament. This will mark the second time TC and Rollins have met in the NCAA Tournament. The Tars defeated the Pioneers in the opening round of the 2003 event, which was played at Rollins.

The winner of the Tusculum/Rollins match will face No. 5 Barry or No. 40 Palm Beach Atlantic State University (17-7) in the second round on Friday, May 9 at 2 p.m. The second round winners will advance to the NCAA II National Championship Festival in Houston, Texas (May 14-17).

- NCAA -

NCAA Division II Men's Tennis Southeast Regional
Miami Shores, Fla.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
9:30 a.m. - No. 1 Barry vs. No. 8 Palm Beach Atlantic
Noon - No. 4 Rollins vs. No. 5 Tusculum

Friday, May 9, 2008
2 p.m. - Barrry/Palm Beach Atlantic winner vs. Tusculum/Rollins winner