ROCK HILL, S.C. --- The Tusculum College women's tennis team will be the top seed for this week's Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Tournament announced league officials Sunday. The Pioneers (16-4) will host No. 8 seed Lenoir-Rhyne University (1-16) on Tuesday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. at the Nichols Tennis Complex.

Tusculum, winners of eight of its last nine outings, defeated Lenoir-Rhyne 9-0 on Mar. 31. This will mark the third time the Pioneers and Bears have met in the SAC Tournament. TC is 2-0 in its previous two postseason outings against L-R, including last year's 5-0 quarterfinal victory.

Tusculum gains the top seed by claiming the program's fourth SAC Championship and posting its ninth consecutive winning season.

The winner of Tuesday's match will advance to Rock Hill, S.C. this weekend for the semifinal and championship rounds, held at the Rock Hill Tennis Center. The Pioneers or Bears will face the winner of the Brevard/Mars Hill match. The semifinal match will be held at 1 p.m. this Friday with the championship held at noon on Saturday.

Tusculum is the defending champion of this event. The winner earns the league's automatic berth to the NCAA Division II Tournament. Tusculum has won the SAC Tournament in 2004 and 2008.

- SAC -

2009 Food Lion SAC Women's Tennis Tournament
Tuesday, April 21, 2009 â-ª Quarterfinals
No. 8 Lenoir-Rhyne at No. 1 Tusculum, 2:30 p.m.
No. 7 Lincoln Memorial at No. 2 Carson-Newman, 2 p.m.
No. 6 Catawba at No. 3 Wingate, 2 p.m.
No. 5 Mars Hill at No. 4 Brevard, 2 p.m.

Friday, April 24, 2009 â-ª Semifinals
Rock Hill Tennis Center, Rock Hill, S.C.
Tusculum/Lenoir-Rhyne winner vs. Brevard/Mars Hill winner, 1 p.m.
Carson-Newman/Lincoln Memorial winner vs. Wingate/Catawba winner, 1 p.m.

Saturday, April 25, 2009 â-ª Championship
Rock Hill Tennis Center, Rock Hill, S.C.
Championship Match, 9 a.m.