KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Seattle University men’s and women’s tennis squads are making preparations to begin competition at the 2015 Western Athletic Conference tournament, with first matches set for Friday, Apr. 24. The women will be the No. 4 seed in the tournament while the men are the No. 5 seed.
Michelle Lui (Bellevue, Wash.) was named WAC Freshman of the Year in a vote by the league's head coaches, also named Second Team All-WAC alongside teammate Kelli Woodman (Denver, Colo.). Lui and Woodman also received Second Team All-WAC honors as a doubles pair.
Sophomore Connor Leahy (Portland, Ore.) leads the men’s side with a 13-16 overall singles record while Matt Alderson (Bainbridge Island, Wash.) posted a team-high seven wins in dual play and a 2-2 record in WAC play during his freshman campaign. Leahy and doubles partner, redshirt sophomore transfer Tanner Berkabile (Las Vegas, Nev.) won a team-high 11 matches in 2014-15 (11-16 record together).
On the women’s side, freshman Lui led the Redhawks with a 19-18 overall singles record, including 11-12 in dual play and 8-6 in fall invitationals. Sophomores Woodman (Denver, Colo.) and Barbara Carey (Seattle, Wash.) won eight dual matches apiece while Woodman posted a 2-1 record in WAC duals. Lui (14-19), Woodman (12-19), and freshman Madison Maloney (Idaho Falls, Idaho) (12-21) led Seattle U in doubles play.
All matches in the tournament, hosted by the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC), will take place at the Plaza Tennis Center from Apr. 24-26. The women will start first as No. 4 Seattle U is set to take on No. 5 Chicago State at 9 a.m. CT/7 a.m. PT on Friday, Apr. 24, with the winner advancing to take on No. 1 New Mexico State on Saturday and the championship match set for Sunday morning. On the men’s side, the No. 5 Redhawks will face No. 4 Chicago State at 1 p.m. CT/11 a.m. PT, with the winner facing No. 1 New Mexico State on Saturday and the championship match on Sunday afternoon.