ASC Tennis Tournament Web Site

ABILENE, Texas - Head coach Mark Hathorn and the McMurry University War Hawks tennis team don't want to let one disappointment dissuade them from their original goal this season: winning the American Southwest Conference Championship.

After breezing through most of its competition this season and posting a school record 18 wins and just two losses, the War Hawks fell in the final regular season match of the year April 21 to Hardin-Simmons nixing McMurry's hopes of a three-peat as ASC West Division champs.

“We didn't talk about our loss to HSU after we left their courts on Thursday,” Hathorn said. “They knew they blew it and just wanted to get back to work. They wanted to start back on the one and only goal this season of winning the ASC Tournament.”

While a 6-0 record would have been nice in league play and a third-straight divisional championship would have sweetened the season, McMurry will have to settle for the No. 2 West Division seed in this weekend's ASC Tennis Championship Tournament in Belton.

“The only difference of entering the tournament as the No. 2 seed is that you have to play on Friday and we don't get a bye,” Hathorn said. “But, if you're going to win it all, you have to beat everyone anyway.”

The journey for McMurry's first ever ASC title seemed to be at its greatest likelihood in 2011. After all, the War Hawks took down three-time defending champ UT-Tyler 6-3 Feb. 19 in the second match of the season, defeated three NCAA Division II schools and carried an 11-match win streak from March 10-April 8.

Then, the Cowboys of HSU began Thursday's match by sweeping the doubles court to go up 3-0 forcing McMurry to have to win five of six singles matches. The War Hawks battled, but came up just short taking four of six matches.

However, according to Hathorn, if anything, it re-focused and re-energized McMurry heading into the tournament.

“The guys had a very positive, hard week of practice, one of the hardest weeks that we had all year. We worked on the things that each individual needed to get better on and get their confidence on,” he said. “It doesn't matter if we were the first seed, the second or third seed; any team can win it if they play as a team and play their best tennis. We went back to the basics this week and are trying to get our swagger back and take care of business.”

For seniors Bryan Rainwater, Daniel Olivares, Tony Williams and Adam Ewing, an ASC title would be the last piece of the puzzle of a group that has helped the program win its first two ASC West Division titles in 2009 and 2010. and reach the title match for two consecutive years in the ASC Championships.

“ I have four seniors this year, and all I can tell you is that the loss did not make them any less motivated to win the tournament,” Hathorn said.

McMurry will take on UT-Dallas, the No. 3 east division seed to open the quarterfinals Friday morning at 9 a.m. at Belton High School. The winner will take on defending champ UT-Tyler in the semi-finals Saturday at 9 a.m. before the championship Sunday at 1 p.m.