Third-Seeded Bulldogs Open Horizon League Tournament Saturday Against Detroit

April 18, 2005

Third-seeded Butler will begin its run at the school's first women's tennis Horizon League crown Saturday morning against sixth-seeded Detroit at the 2005 Championships at North Central High School in Indianapolis. The 9 a.m. contest is a rematch of Butler's 5-2 over the Titans Feb. 12 in Indianapolis.

Butler swept the doubles point and won the top four singles matches in that contest. Butler enters the tournament with a record of 11-10 overall and 5-2 in league play. Detroit stands at 12-12 (2-5).

Junior Tayo Bailey has won 11 straight singles matches at the No. 2 singles spot and enters the championships as arguably the conference's hottest player. Coach Jason Suscha has gone with a line-up of Alaina Griffin, Bailey, Michelle Hawes, Shaden Dowiatt, Kim Jenson and Kaitlin Elliott for most of the season, but Jenson missed both weekend matches due to injury and her status for the championships is questionable.

The winner of the Butler-Detroit match will face the winner of the Saturday morning match between second-seeded Youngstown State and seventh-seeded UW-Green Bay. Butler dropped a 4-3 decision at YSU Sunday and defeated UWGB, 6-1, in March.

Top-seeded UIC has won eight straight league titles, with Butler finishing second in the past six tournaments. The championship match is scheduled for 10:15 a.m. Sunday morning.

Click here for a printable version of the 2005 Horizon League Women's Tennis Championship bracket.