SOCON TOURNAMENT CENTRAL

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The fourth-seeded Samford women's tennis team will open play in the Southern Conference Tournament against fifth-seeded Wofford Friday at 12 p.m. (CT) at the Champions Club in Chattanooga, Tenn.

Samford and Wofford met once in the regular season, with Samford earning a 5-2 win in the match played in Spartanburg, S.C., on May 9. In the match, Samford won the doubles point, two matches to one, and the Bulldogs earned singles victories at No. 1, No. 4, No. 5 and No. 6.

For the season, Samford posted a record of 10-11 overall and 4-3 in Southern Conference play. The Bulldogs are coming off a 5-2 loss at Chattanooga on April 16.

Samford placed a couple of seniors on the All-SoCon teams. Jessica Northcutt was named second team All-SoCon for singles, and Northcutt and partner Carita Moolman were named second team All-SoCon in doubles.

Wofford comes into the tournament with a record of 11-8 overall and 3-4 in SoCon play. The Terriers are coming off a 4-1 loss to UNC Charlotte on April 16.

The Terriers had one player honored in the SoCon's postseason awards. Freshman Cassidy Hicks was named to the league's All-Freshman team.

The winner of the match between Samford and Wofford will advance to the tournament semifinals to take on either Furman or Western Carolina Saturday at 1 p.m. (CT). The tournament title match is scheduled for Sunday at 12 p.m. (CT). The winner of the tournament earns the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Samford will be looking to continue its success in recent SoCon Tournaments. The Bulldogs won the 2015 event, defeating ETSU, 4-1 in the title match. The win also gave Samford a bid to the NCAA Tournament.

To follow each match in the tournament via live stats, click on the following link: SOCON TOURNAMENT CENTRAL. A full recap and box score will be posted to www.samfordsports.com following the conclusion of each match.