Nicholasville, Ky. – For the second time in less than seven months, the Transylvania women's team will aim to win another conference tournament championship at this weekend's Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament, held at Top Seed Tennis Club.

In the midst of a robust era, the Pioneers are gunning for their third straight HCAC tournament championship as the conference tournament returns to a fall format following the temporary staging of a springtime conference championship last season.

Transylvania enters the six-team tournament as the No. 1 seed after completing its second consecutive undefeated run through the HCAC regular season, producing a 5-0 record against the conference slate.

"I'm really excited for this group to compete in the conference tournament," expressed Transylvania women's tennis head coach Bill Carey, who has overseen the previous two title runs with the Pioneers in his tenure. "They have an enthusiasm combined with confidence that is very fun and I know they are ready for any matchup."

The Pioneers have savored their most recent conference tournament and regular season championships since late April, when the pandemic forced the HCAC regular season schedule back to the spring. Transylvania shook off any potential signs of rust late in the 2021-22 season with a second straight conference tournament championship as the No. 1 seed when the Pioneers beat Rose-Hulman to earn the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Transylvania will attempt to stamp its third straight nominal ticket to next spring's NCAA Tournament by winning this weekend's six-team single-elimination conference tournament. By earning the top seed in the conference, the Pioneers captured a first-round bye and will begin tournament play in the conference semifinals on Saturday, October 16 at Top Seed at 11:00 a.m. against the winner of the 4/5 seed quarterfinal between Rose-Hulman and Franklin, who square off in the HCAC Quarterfinals this Wednesday in Terre Haute, Indiana.

The winner of Saturday's semifinals between Transylvania and Rose-Hulman/Franklin advances to the HCAC Championship match on Sunday at 10:00 a.m.

The Pioneers began their HCAC championship streak in the fall of 2019, winning the conference tournament as the No. 3 seed. Though they clinched an NCAA Tournament berth, the Pioneers along with the rest of teams across the country were unable to compete in spring 2020 championships due to the pandemic.

The long wait came to an end for Transylvania last May when the Pioneers won their second consecutive conference tournament title under Carey to advance to the NCAA Tournament, where they bowed out in a first-round matchup that went to the limit, 5-4 against Moravian College (Pa.).

Having encountered their first true NCAA postseason trip with their current core of players, the Pioneers look to build upon those experiences with an early trial in the 2021-22 calendar to prove their ongoing conference supremacy.

The Pioneers present plenty of chiseled veterans for their latest postseason encounter, led by seniors Porsche Robinson and Jessica Burton. The three-time reigning All-HCAC First teamers carry undefeated conference records this season into the HCAC Tournament. Robinson enters her final HCAC Tournament as the conference's reigning Most Outstanding Player, the third different player in program history to corral the honors. 

Sophomore Grace Gardner boasts an overall record of 10-0 between her singles and doubles matches this season while freshman Katherine Taylor also sports a 10-0 overall record, competing alongside Gardner at No. 2 doubles and signaling her dominance at the No. 4 and No. 5 singles spots this season.

Though the 2021-22 season is barely over a month and a half old, Carey's Pioneers are ready to reveal the latest fruits of their ongoing efforts towards an early drive for an NCAA championship ticket. "They did a remarkable job of putting in the work and remaining focused to get the number one seed we wanted, and now is the time to show that it is well-deserved." 

For more information on this weekend's conference championships, visit HeartlandConf.org.

For more on Transylvania women's tennis, follow @TransyWTennis on Twitter