The St. Mary’s College of Maryland men’s and women’s tennis teams are headed to the NCAA Division III Tennis Championships. The NCAA Division III Men’s Tennis Committee announced the 44-team bracket, and the St. Mary’s College of Maryland men’s tennis team (11-3) will face Drew University (16-4) in the first round on May 5 in Rocky Mount, N.C.
The St. Mary’s College of Maryland women’s tennis team (10-4) will take on SUNY New Paltz (12-4) in the first round in Amherst, Mass., on Friday, May 5, according to the NCAA Division III Women’s Tennis Committee.
The men’s team will head to the campus of N.C. Wesleyan University for first-, second-, and third-round action on May 5-7. The Seahawks picked up the United East Conference’s automatic qualifying (AQ) berth to the 2023 NCAA Division III Championship following its 5-0 win over Lancaster Bible College in the United East Tournament final match on April 29.
Drew, who comes from the Landmark Conference, is making its seventh appearance in the NCAA Tournament and first since 2021, bringing a 4-6 record into the weekend. The winner of the St. Mary’s-Drew matchup will then battle No. 7 Emory University (16-5) in the second round on Saturday, May 6. The third round will feature the winner of the Emory – St. Mary’s / New Paltz match versus the winner of No. 16 N.C. Wesleyan (16-10) – No. 25 Washington & Lee University (17-5) contest.
On the other hand, the St. Mary’s College of Maryland women’s team will head to the campus of Amherst College for first-, second-, and third-round action. The St. Mary’s-New Paltz matchup winner will square off against No. 8 Amherst (12-4) in the second round on Saturday, May 6. The third round will feature the winner of the Amherst – St. Mary’s / New Paltz match versus the winner of the No. 9 Babson College (15-1) – Endicott College (12-7) / Farmingdale State College (12-5) match.
Match time and ticket information will be released later this week. The United States Tennis Association (USTA), Oglethorpe University, and the Greater Orlando Sports Commission will host the team championships finals on May 14-25 at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Fla.
The Seahawks men’s team enters this weekend as back-to-back United East champions, having won in 2022 and 2023. The team looks to add to their 1-1 record in NCAA Tournament play. Emory, a member of the University Athletic Association, is appearing in its 36th NCAA Championship Tournament and brings an 84-31 NCAA postseason record, including winning it all six times, most recently in 2021 (2003, 2006, 2012, 2017, 2019, 2021). The Eagles claimed an at-large berth after falling 5-1 to Case Western Reserve University in the UAA semifinals on April 22.
Meanwhile, the St. Mary’s women’s team gained a berth in the 2023 NCAA Division III Championship after earning the United East Conference’s automatic qualifying (AQ) berth with a hard-fought 5-3 victory over Penn State Harrisburg in the United East Championship Tournament final match on April 30.
The Seahawks women’s team is also back-to-back United East champions, having won in 2022 and 2023. Amherst earned an at-large bid after falling to 5-2 to Wesleyan (Conn.) University in the New England Small Colleges Athletic Conference (NESCAC) semifinals on April 29. This is the Mammoths’ 27th NCAA Tournament appearance, owning a 66-31 record in tournament play. Amherst was crowned the national champion in 1999 while finishing as the national runner-up five times (2004, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014). New Paltz, a State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) member, captured the SUNYAC championship title by blanking SUNY Oneonta, 5-0, on April 29 for the league’s AQ. The Hawks will be appearing in their sixth NCAA Tournament and first since 2021. New Paltz heads into the weekend with a 2-5 record in tournament action.
This marks the second straight year that both the St. Mary’s men’s and women’s tennis teams have made it to the NCAA Division III Championships. The Seahawks have been performing consistently this season, with the men’s team having an 11-3 record and the women’s team having a 10-4 record. The players are excited to compete and represent their school in the national tournament.
The NCAA Division III Tennis Championships will take place at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Florida. This is a significant event for college tennis players across the country, as it provides an opportunity for them to showcase their skills and compete against some of the best teams in the nation.
St. Mary’s College of Maryland has a strong tradition in tennis, with many successful seasons in the past. The Seahawks men’s team has won the United East Conference title for two consecutive years, while the women’s team has won the conference title for three straight years. The players are excited to continue this legacy and bring home a national championship.
In conclusion, the St. Mary’s College of Maryland men’s and women’s tennis teams are set to compete in the NCAA Division III Championships. The men’s team will face Drew University in the first round, while the women’s team will take on SUNY New Paltz. Both teams are looking forward to representing their school and competing against some of the best teams in the country. The championships will take place at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Florida, on May 14-25.