GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The University of Florida was one of 16 schools selected to play host to the first and second rounds of the NCAA Women’s Tennis Championships, the NCAA Committee announced Tuesday afternoon from Indianapolis.
The event will run May 12 and 13 at UF’s Linder Stadium at Ring Tennis Complex. The Gators will host two first round matches on Saturday, May
12 and a second round contest on Sunday, May 13. The winners of each of the regionals advance to Athens, Ga., for the NCAA Round of 16 and beyond. This season, the University of Georgia plays host to the combined men’s and women’s tournament from the Round of 16 through the championship. The women’s Round of 16 begins on Friday, May 18.
The Gators, ranked No. 4 in the country with a 21-2 overall record, received the No. 4 seed in the 64-team draw. Florida faces Jacksonville University (19-3) in its NCAA First Round contest on Saturday, May 12 beginning at 10 a.m. The other NCAA Women’s First Round match played in Gainesville features Florida International (19-4) versus South Florida
(15-7). That match is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. on Saturday. The winning teams from those first round matches meet in the Second Round on Sunday at 1 p.m. UF has hosted First and Second round matches every year since the NCAA Women’s Championships expanded its field to 64 teams in
1999.
The JU Dolphins will be making their first-ever NCAA appearance. Jacksonville enters the NCAA First Round riding a 16-match win streak after capturing the Atlantic Sun Conference Championship.
The FIU Golden Panthers enter the NCAA Championships on a 13-match winning streak, having won their third consecutive Sun Belt Tournament Championship.
The South Florida Bulls stunned No. 2-ranked Notre Dame, 4-3, in the final of the Big East Tournament to become the first-ever USF program to win a Big East title in any sport. This is the second consecutive appearance and seventh overall trip to the NCAA Championships for the Bulls.
Florida is the only team in the Gainesville regional that did not win its conference tournament, as the Gators fell to Georgia, 4-2, in the final of the Southeastern Conference Tournament. Florida is making its
25th appearance in the 26-year history of the NCAA Championships, missing only the 1986 event. The Gators won NCAA team titles in 1992,
1996, 1998 and 2003 and have advanced to at least the NCAA Semifinals 18 times in the last 20 years.
“The state of Florida has always been a hot-bed for tennis and we will get to showcase a lot of that talent in the four teams that will be competing in Gainesville for the NCAA First and Second Rounds,” Gator head coach Roland Thornqvist said. “It is always an honor to be selected to host the opening rounds and is something we take very seriously. I expect to see three extremely competitive matches during the weekend and I hope our fans will come out and appreciate the high level of tennis. We will need to be at the top of our game to advance.”
The announcement of the participants for the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships will be held on Wednesday, May 2, with the names of the individuals posted to the NCAA web site at http://www.ncaasports.com.
Ticket Information: Tickets may be purchased in advance or on each day of the tournament. An all-session pass is $6.00 for adults and $4.00 for senior citizens, college students, and children under 17. Single day tickets for Saturday and Sunday are $5.00 for adults and $3.00 for senior citizens, college students and children under 17.
The schedule of team play in Gainesville is as follows:
Saturday, May 12 * Women’s NCAA First Round
10 a.m. Florida vs. Jacksonville
1 p.m. Florida International vs. South Florida
Sunday May 13 * Women’s NCAA Second Round
1 p.m. Saturday’s First Round winners
Courtesy UF Sports Info.