Conference Teams Set to Take the Court at Tennis Nationals
MOBILE, Ala. – Four teams from The Sun Conference will be representing the league on the national stage when the NAIA Tennis National Championships get underway on Tuesday. Embry-Riddle, Savannah College of Art and Design and Northwood are the three women’s teams who earned berths in the 24-team field, while Embry-Riddle and St. Thomas are the conference representatives on the men’s side.
Northwood, Embry-Riddle and SCAD finished in a three-way tie in the women’s league race with identical 5-1 conference records. Northwood, who is playing in its seventh national tournament, enters the tournament with a 7-5 record and will face Lindenwood in their tournament opener on Tuesday.
SCAD has amassed a 10-3 record on the year. The Bees are making their sixth national tournament appearance and will take on Tennessee Wesleyan on Tuesday.
Embry-Riddle’s women’s team is 15-10 heading into the tournament and is making its 10th appearance on the national stage in 11 seasons. The Eagles won the conference tournament title with a shutout of Northwood. The Eagles also take the court at 9 a.m. on Tuesday against Walsh.
St. Thomas is making its first national tournament appearance in tennis. The Bobcats finished second in the regular season and as the runner-up in the conference tournament and go into the national tournament with an 11-5 record. They will take on Lewis-Clark State at 1 p.m. on Tuesday.
The Embry-Riddle men enter the tournament as The Sun Conference regular season and tournament champions with an 18-5 record. The Eagles are making their 11th straight tournament appearance and are the No. 4 seed in the 24-team field, which affords them a first-round by. They will take on the winner of Tuesday’s match between Walsh and Union (Ky.) at 1 p.m. on Wednesday.
The NAIA National Tennis Championships will be held May 18-22 at the Mobile Tennis Center in Mobile, Ala., and is being hosted by the Mobile Tennis Center, Spring Hill College and the University of Mobile.