UTC coach Jeff Clark University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women’s tennis coach Jeff Clark announced Wednesday his team’s schedule for the spring semester, beginning with a Jan. 17 match at Memphis.
UTC will have 12 home dates, beginning Jan. 22 indoors at McCallie School and capped by the Southern Conference tournament April 22-24 at the Champions Club.
“We have put together some quality regional matches with some tough competition,” Clark said in a school release, “and I think our fans will enjoy the number of home matches we play this year.”
Other indoor home contests include UAB on Jan. 30, Evansville on Feb. 12 and Murray State on Feb. 13. The first outdoor match is set for Feb. 20 against Jacksonville State at the Champions Club. Among other road dates, the Mocs will visit Tennessee on Jan. 24 and Middle Tennessee State on Feb. 4. Clark’s team has won 18 matches each of the past three seasons, and this year’s Mocs return five starters from the 2015 SoCon runners-up.
Rifle
* The Southern Conference announced Wednesday that it will add rifle as its 21st varsity sport in the 2016-17 school year, and full league members The Citadel, VMI and Wofford will be joined that first season by UAB, Georgia Southern and North Georgia as associate members. The SoCon will join the Ohio Valley Conference as NCAA Division I leagues sponsoring rifle competition. The SoCon sponsored rifle from 1956 to 1985, with The Citadel winning a league-best 10 titles. “Rifle is a unique sport and the SoCon looks forward to providing a championship experience for the skilled young men and women who participate,” SoCon commissioner John Iamarino said in the announcement release.