FERRIS STATE TENNIS TEAMS ADVANCE TO NCAA-II SWEET SIXTEEN
Bulldog Men's & Women's Squads To Open Round Of 16 Play This Wednesday
 | Ferris State's men's & women's teams celebrate after claiming Great Lakes Regional titles last Friday (Photo by Sandy Gholston) |
The Ferris State University men’s and women’s tennis teams both advanced to this week's NCAA Division II Sweet Sixteen by claiming Great Lakes Regional championships last Friday (May 7) at FSU's Racquet and Fitness Center in Big Rapids, Mich.
Both Ferris teams will now advance into the 16-team single elimination national championship field slated for this Wednesday thru Saturday (May 12-15) at Sanlando Park in Altamonte Springs, Fla. The Bulldog women's tennis team, which is ranked 20th in the current (April 29) Intercollegiate Tennis Association Division II national poll, will square off against East Region champion Millersville (Pa.) in Wednesday's (May 12) round of 16 while the 28th-ranked FSU men's squad will face Kutztown (Pa.) in the Sweet Sixteen. MU's unranked women's team is currently 11-3 overall while 38th-ranked Kutztown is presently 16-4 overall this campaign in men's tennis action. Match times have not yet been announced.
The winner of Wednesday's Millersville-Ferris women's contest will meet the winner of the Armstrong Atlantic State (Ga.)-Rollins (Fla.) match in Thursday's (May 13) national quarterfinals. The Bulldog men's team would battle either Rollins or South Carolina-Spartanburg on Thursday by winning their opening match. The championship matches are scheduled for Saturday (May 15).
The Bulldog men’s tennis team claimed its fifth consecutive regional championship by defeating Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) rival Wayne State by a 5-0 score in Friday's title match. Ferris, which is currently 17-8 overall this campaign, will advance to the round of 16 for the eighth time in school history. FSU is making its seventh-straight and 10th all-time tournament bid to date.
FSU's women’s squad, which is midst its ninth consecutive and 14th all-time NCAA Divison II Tournament appearance, reached the final round of 16 for the first time in three years and the fifth time overall by defeating fellow GLIAC member Michigan Tech 5-1 on Friday in the regional finals. The Bulldogs improved to 17-7 overall and earned their fourth regional crown in the last six seasons to date.
The national championships will be co-hosted by the Central Florida Sports Commission, Rollins College and the Sunshine State Conference.
The men's and women's tennis championships are part of the inaugural NCAA Division II Championships Festival, which will be held in the greater Orlando Area. More than 600 student-athletes will participate in six championships that will be decided by Sunday (May 16): men's and women's tennis, men's and women's golf, women's lacrosse, and softball.
|
