MOBILE, Ala. – Exactly 60 years ago, a young, aspiring musician named Elvis Presley took the city of Mobile, Alabama, by storm with his shows at Ladd Stadium. Six decades later, McMurry University tennis head coach Mark Hathorn hopes his War Hawks' teams will have things all shook up at the 2015 National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) championships – beginning Tuesday (May 5) and continuing through Friday (May 8) - at the Copeland-Cox Tennis Center.
 
The eight men's and eight women's teams will compete in pool play matches on Tuesday and Wednesday.  The top-two teams from each of two pools will then engage in a four-team single elimination bracket beginning Thursday (9 a.m.), with the finals on Friday (9 a.m.).
 
This will be the first time that Hathorn has had both his men's and women's teams in Mobile for the NCCAA championships. The previous two seasons, only the War Hawks men's squad made it out of the regional tournament (placing third in 2013 and second last season).
 
"I'm so excited to be here with the men's and women's team," Hathorn said.  "It's been men only for the last two years. These kids have worked so hard on the court and in the classroom to get here.
 
"We have been studying and taking finals since getting here. We had a great Christian Service Project that (participants) do at the NCCAA nationals on (Monday) morning, as well. We are just ready to start the tournament.  It's been a few weeks since we played on the women side, so we are ready to play another team, not against ourselves. The (other) teams look tough for sure this year."
 
The McM men (15-5) – ranked No. 3 in the NCCAA final national poll – will open with Point (Ga.) University (13-8) in Tuesday's morning (8:30 a.m.) match, before facing Campbellsville (Ky.) University (15-5) in the afternoon (2:30 p.m.). McMurry completes pool play on Wednesday (8:30 a.m.) versus Judson (Ill.) University (9-8), before awaiting the bracket round.
 
The other NCCAA men's pool includes Indiana Wesleyan University (18-7), Palm Beach Atlantic University (17-3), Cedarville University (11-10) and Dallas Baptist University (9-8).
 
The War Hawks women's team (15-3) – cited as the No. 4 team in the last NCCAA national poll – will see Indiana Wesleyan University (which at 21-6 has the most victories of any team in the tourney) in its morning (8:30 a.m.) match and the University of Northwestern (Minn.) (18-8) in the afternoon (2:30 p.m.) on Tuesday. On Wednesday (8:30 a.m.), the War Hawk women face Shorter (Ga.) University (16-5) to wrap up pol play before it, too, hopes to reach the championship bracket.
 
The second women's poll is comprised of Mississippi College (9-8), Campbellsville (11-7), Dallas Baptist (12-3) and Roberts Wesleyan University (11-10).
 
"Both teams know we need to start quick with doubles and get a lead," Hathorn explained. "(The tournament format) stops the match when one team gets to five points, enough to secure the (team) win, so it's important the get that fast start."