The men’s and women’s tennis teams travel this week to compete in the ITA Regional Championships as their fall season draws to a close. The men will be making their way to Fort Worth where the tournament will be hosted at TCU, and the women will be in Waco at Baylor.

With a successful fall slate under their belts, the teams are ready to take on the best competition in Texas, and some of the best schools in the nation for Div. 1 tennis. Sophomore transfer Autumn Crossnoe, who came to ACU from Texas Tech’s Div. 1 program, knows both the men and the women will find themselves up against high performing competitors at the ITA Regionals, but says that she’s confident in her team’s ability to play well and play hard.

“Playing teams like these is what builds character as a whole, along with preparing us for our spring season,” Crossnoe said. “We have to learn to embrace the challenges that competitive Div. 1 tennis has to offer, and once we learn that and play to glorify God, all the pieces will fall into place.”

The Wildcats have been working hard to make sure they’re at their best going into the last tournaments of their fall season, and lately have put a great emphasis on the way they handle themselves during the tough matches and the crucial points.

Crossnoe said that specifically they have been focusing on staying aggressive and going out of each point with an open mind. Working on their mental game in addition to consistently improving on their physical and technical game will help the players perform well in matches that are close and mentally challenging, something that is often seen on a highly competitive Div. 1 level.

The women’s team will begin competition Thursday at Baylor, and the men will start playing this Friday at TCU.