The 64-team fields for the NCAA Men's and Women's Tennis Championships were announced today. UC Irvine earned the Big West's first-ever women's tennis at-large selection as the Anteaters join Long Beach State in the postseason. UC Santa Barbara will be representing the Big West on the men's side.
Long Beach State will be making its fourth consecutive NCAA appearance and fifth overall. The 49ers are 18-7 overall and finished second in the Big West regular season standings. LBSU defeated Cal State Fullerton, Cal State Northridge and Cal Poly last weekend to win their fourth Big West Championship in a row at Indian Wells Tennis Garden.
The 44th-ranked 49ers will battle No. 20 Pepperdine in the first round of the NCAA Championships on May 12 in Fresno. That match will begin at 10:00 a.m. The other first round match pits Army against host and No. 14-ranked Fresno State. The winners will meet in a second round match on May 13 at 1:00 p.m.
Regular season champion UC Irvine, ranked No. 34 in the nation, was selected to the NCAA Championships for the first time in school history. The Anteaters finished 21-4 overall and had an unblemished 7-0 mark in league play. UCI is the first at-large selection for the Big West in 23 years of sponsoring women's tennis.
The Anteaters will not have to travel far as they will face No. 30 Texas in the first round on May 12 at 9:00 a.m. on the campus of USC in Los Angeles. The other first round match features Boston University against the host Trojans. The two winners will battle in second round action on May 13 at 1:00 p.m.
UCI won't be the only team descending on the Marks Stadium courts at USC. So will the UC Santa Barbara men's team. The Big West Tournament champions also were sent to USC to square off against the Trojans in first round action on May 11 at 4:00 p.m. Pepperdine and Penn State are the other participants. The winners will meet in the second round on May 13 at 3:00 p.m.
UC Santa Barbara overcame a rash of injuries to win its second straight Big West Tournament title. The Gauchos enter postseason play at 6-18.