Yesterday, both the men’s and women’s tennis teams were selected at-large to compete in the NCAA DIII Tournament, making it the second consecutive year that both squads were selected.
Following an unexpected fourth place finish at the UAA Championship, the men were feeling skeptical about earning an at-large bid. The NCAA postseason appearance will be the fourth for the Chicago men in the team’s history and its second consecutive bid. UChicago placed No. 4 in the nation last year after NCAA postseason play.
The first three rounds of the tournament comprise regional play and will be hosted by the University of Chicago on its own Stagg Courts. The NCAA tournament is played in single-elimination format. The Championships will be help later in the month at Kalamazoo College. Altogether, there are 43 teams competing in the tournament, with eight schools hosting regionals, including our very own Maroons.
Five teams will compete in the Midwest Regional this weekend on the South Side. After an excellent season, going 15–5 and sitting at No. 8 in the nation, the Maroons have earned a bye for the first round of the tournament, and will play the winner of the Carthage College and John Carroll University match on Saturday. Gustavus Adolphus College will play Coe College in the first round. The South Siders’ chances look strong, as they have already defeated two of the regional opponents, Gustavus Adolphus College and Coe College.
It is the women’s side’s ninth trip to the tournament overall and their eighth consecutive bid. Impressively, all nine of these postseason appearances have come since 2006, demonstrating the program’s dominance in recent years.
The squad will travel to UW-Whitewater for regional play. Also having received a first round bye, the Maroons will need to wait until Friday to face off against the winner of Gustavus Adolphus College and Wheaton College. Hope College, University of Northwestern-St. Paul, and host UW-Whitewater are the other three competitors.
The South Siders are currently ranked No. 9 in the nation and boast an 11–5 record on the season. They look to improve upon their overall tournament record, which is now 18–11.
