PHOENIX – The Western Athletic Conference's two best teams are set for an epic showdown on Sunday, as conference undefeated Tarleton State plays at conference undefeated Grand Canyon on Sunday at 5 p.m. CT.
 
The 1-seed in the WAC Tournament is on the line. Both the Texans and Lopes are a perfect 5-0 in WAC play, and each only have two losses overall on the season, as Tarleton State sits at 14-2 and GCU 17-2. With only two regular season matches remaining, Sunday's match will lock up the 1-seed in the conference tournament for the winner. The winner will also clinch at least a share of the WAC regular season title.
 
If the Texans go 2-0 over their final two regular season matches, they will be the outright Western Athletic Conference regular season champions. The same can be said about Grand Canyon. If both teams go 1-1 over the final two matches, regardless of Sunday's result, the Texans and Lopes will share the WAC regular season title.
 
Tarleton State can clinch the top seed at the conference tournament for the first time at the NCAA Division I level. In their first opportunity to play in the conference tournament last year, they were the 2-seed behind UT Arlington. GCU and Tarleton State met in the WAC Tournament Championship last season, with the Lopes pulling out the tightest match seemingly possible. GCU has won two of the last three WAC Tournaments, last serving as the 1-seed in 2021.
 
Tarleton's two losses this season were a road match at Northwestern State in February and a home match against North Texas in March. GCU lost at home to Arizona in January and lost at Baylor in February. Besides that, the two teams are a combined 31-0, with the Texans owning an active five-match winning streak and the Lopes an active eight-match winning streak.
 
In singles, the Lopes are a combined 73-13 (.849) and the Texans are 68-28 (.708). In doubles, the Texans are a combined 36-11 (.766) to GCU's 36-12 (.750) mark.
 
GCU is likely to have Natasha Puehse at No. 1, who is 15-1 this season, and Santa Strombacha at No. 2, who is also 15-1. The Lopes have shuffled their courts otherwise, although they've primarily played the same student-athletes. Valeriia Krokhotina is 12-1 across Courts 3-6, Elizaveta Morozova is 11-2 across Courts 3-6, Iva Sepa is 10-4 across Courts 3-5, and Dania Deaifi is 9-2 on Court 6. Puehse and Strombacha are 15-3 together at doubles on Court 1, and Morozova paired with Sepa is 11-1 on Court 3.
 
Tarleton's top player is Emma Persson, although she didn't play in the last match. Elsa Boisson has primarily been at No. 2, she's 11-5 overall this season. Martha Makantasi has primarily been at No. 3, and she is 14-2 overall. Noelia Lorca owns a team-best 15-1 singles record. Tarleton's top court in doubles is Makantasi and Maretha Burger, who is 12-4 at No. 1. Persson and Lorca are 12-1 together on Court 3.
 
Sunday's match will be live streamed, found here, and have live scoring, found here.