AUSTIN, Texas – The Concordia Texas men's tennis team will compete in their first-ever NCAA Division III Men's Tennis Championships on Saturday when they will face off against Trinity in a second round matchup at the UTD Tennis Courts.

The Tornados claimed their spot in the NCAA Tournament after winning the program's first ASC Tournament Championship with a 5-4 victory over Hardin-Simmons back on May 1.

Concordia Texas will now head to Richardson, Texas, where they will face the Tigers at 10 a.m. on the campus of UT Dallas for a spot in the regional bracket championship match.

Head Coach Luke Helm, who was named the ASC Coach of the Year for the second time in four years on Thursday, is ecstatic for his team and the tall task ahead of them in facing Trinity.

"We're so excited to be playing in our first NCAA tournament," Helm said. "We've spent virtually the entire spring with a target on our backs, and it's a fun challenge to go from being the hunted to the hunter. The guys are playing great, we've got the deepest team we've ever had, and we've earned the opportunity to play Trinity, a perennial D3 powerhouse, with nothing to lose and everything to gain."
 
The Tornados enter the showdown with a 13-4 mark and are on a seven-match winning streak, their second-longest in school history, after closing out the regular season with four straight victories and then reeling off three more in the conference tournament.

Meanwhile, Trinity is coming off their 11th straight Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference title after defeating Southwestern 5-2 in the final.

They enter the NCAA Tournament having won 10 of their last 11 matches with the lone loss being to Division I's SMU 7-0 back on April 18.

Concordia Texas and the Tigers met earlier this season back on March 19 with TU walking away with a 9-0 victory.

The Tornados will seek revenge over the Tigers and their first win over the program in school history when they play on Saturday.

Concordia Texas will have a multitude of weapons to rely on on the court, including four ASC All-Conference selections.

Adrian Munguia, Joeri Bregman, Esteban Arredondo and Michael Davis all received their first career all-conference accolades on Thursday as the ASC released its all-conference teams and award winners.

Munguia is 11-1 in singles play with his lone loss coming against Trinity, but has won his last nine matches. Meanwhile, Bregman collected all-conference honors and was named the ASC West Freshman of the Year after an 8-4 mark in singles and will enter Saturday's match having not recorded a loss since April 2.

Arredondo received all-conference honors for his play in singles and doubles. The Woodlands, Texas native is 12-3 in singles having won eight of his last nine matches.

In doubles, Arredondo and Davis have the best record on the team with a 7-1 mark, their lone loss coming in their first match as a duo against Trinity.

Meanwhile, Robin Van der Heijden, who snagged ASC West First Team honors in singles, will be positioned at line two, where he was 5-7, but has won four of his last seven completed matches.

Joshua Bode, who was an ASC West Second Team selection, will look to jumpstart the Tornados at line one singles, where he has a 7-4 record, while in doubles, alongside Munguia, the pair is 6-1 on the year.

Evan Pena Jr. was also an ASC West Second Team selection after going 11-4 in singles, including a 6-1 mark at line six.

The winner of the second round matchup will meet either Southwestern or Stevens Institute of Technology, who will face each other on the other side of the bracket on Saturday at 3 p.m.

The Tornados look to extend their momentous season on Saturday at 10 a.m. against Trinity at the UTD Tennis Courts in Richardson, Texas. Fans will be allowed at the match and can follow live stats of the match here.

Helm has confidence in his team and their matchup against the Tigers to continue their year.

"We feel great about the matchup and our chances, and are looking forward to extending our historic season," said Helm.