BOCA RATON, Fla. – The University of West Alabama men’s tennis team was ousted in the opening round of the 2009 NCAA Division II Men’s Tennis South Regional by Rollins College, 5-0, on Thursday.  The NCAA event was hosted by Lynn University.

The Tigers were making their first-ever appearance in the NCAA South Regional.  UWA finishes the season with a program-best 18 wins against seven setbacks.

The Tars of RC, who finished third in the highly-touted Sunshine State Conference, jumped out to a 3-0 lead on UWA after sweeping the double portion of the match.  UWA’s top duo of James Gardner and Danish Ahmad battled RC’s pairing of Jeff Morris and Adrian Tan before falling, 8-4.  RC’s tandem of Gustavo Carvalho and Neil Clausen topped UWA’s Benny Delgado Rochas and Renat Shaykhelislamov, 8-2.  The Tars tandem Nick Rowlands and Bill Rockwood blanked Carlin Tighe and Alvaro de la Torre, 8-0.

Rollins clinched the match at No. 1 and 3 singles.  At No. 1, RC’s Tan downed UWA’s Gardner, 6-0, 6-0. Jeff Morris turned back Ahmad at No. 3, 6-0, 6-1.  Shaykhelislamov claimed a 6-2 first set win over Carvalho before the match was sealed by the Tars.

The Red and White return the nucleus of the 2009 squad for next season, as UWA only loses one senior – Carlin Tighe.  Tighe, a four-year member of the tennis program, will receive his degree from UWA on Saturday in Livingston.