NAIA National Championship Preview
May 18, 2011
2011 NAIA Women's Tennis National Championship Preview
The 24-team field is comprised of 14 squads who earned an automatic berth by winning their respective conference/independent/unaffiliated group tournament, nine at-large selections and one host berth. The nine at-large selections were determined by the final NAIA Women's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll released May 9.
The top eight seeds receive a first-round bye and will begin action on May 18 at 1 p.m. That group includes No. 1-seed Fresno Pacific (Calif.), No. 2-seed Embry-Riddle (Fla.), No. 3-seed Auburn Montgomery (Ala.), No. 4-seed Azusa Pacific (Calif.), No. 5-seed Oklahoma Christian, No. 6-seed Point Loma Nazarene (Calif.), No. 7-seed Concordia (Calif.) and No. 8-seed Brenau (Ga.).
Headlining the qualifiers is returning champion and No. 1-seed Fresno Pacific. Guided by head coach Neil Castro, the Sunbirds spent nine-straight weeks at No. 1 in the Top 25 Poll and are making their seventh-straight trip to the National Championship.
Since the team format began in 2000, Auburn Montgomery has captured eight national titles in 11 years. After winning six-consecutive crowns, the Lady Senators streak was ended by the Sunbirds last year. Fresno Pacific, who had finished as the runner-up to AUM in the four previous National Championships, defeated the Lady Senators 5-2. Brenau and Northwood (Fla.) are the only other programs to take home the banner since 2000.
There are four programs that are making their 12th-consecutive appearance at the event, which is most among the field: Auburn Montgomery, Azusa Pacific, Indiana Wesleyan and Point Loma Nazarene (Calif.). Brenau and Embry-Riddle each qualified for the 11th time in a dozen years.
William Jewell (Mo.) snaps the longest NAIA tennis postseason droughts out of this year's field. The Cardinals, who won the Heart of America Athletic Conference Tournament championship, return to National Championship play for the first time since 2005. Indiana Southeast breaks the second-longest drought, making its first trip to Mobile since 2006.
William Carey (Miss.) and Martin Methodist (Tenn.) will both be making their first-ever National Championship appearances. Besides the newcomers, seven teams will be seeking their first win on the National Championship court.
The Golden State Athletic Conference leads all leagues with five schools in the championship field: Fresno Pacific, Azusa Pacific, Point Loma Nazarene, Concordia and Vanguard (Calif.).
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May 17, 2011
Contact: Adam Samson, NAIA Sports Information and Media Services Intern,asamson@naia.org
MOBILE, Ala. - (Match Schedule) Sixteen teams will hit the court at the Mobile Tennis Center on Tuesday at 1 p.m. CDT to kick off the 2011 NAIA Women's Tennis National Championship. The 31st annual event is a single-elimination, dual match tournament that will be held over the course of five days, concluding with the championship match on Saturday at 2 p.m.
The top eight seeds receive a first-round bye and will begin action on May 18 at 1 p.m. That group includes No. 1-seed Fresno Pacific (Calif.), No. 2-seed Embry-Riddle (Fla.), No. 3-seed Auburn Montgomery (Ala.), No. 4-seed Azusa Pacific (Calif.), No. 5-seed Oklahoma Christian, No. 6-seed Point Loma Nazarene (Calif.), No. 7-seed Concordia (Calif.) and No. 8-seed Brenau (Ga.).
Headlining the qualifiers is returning champion and No. 1-seed Fresno Pacific. Guided by head coach Neil Castro, the Sunbirds spent nine-straight weeks at No. 1 in the Top 25 Poll and are making their seventh-straight trip to the National Championship.
Since the team format began in 2000, Auburn Montgomery has captured eight national titles in 11 years. After winning six-consecutive crowns, the Lady Senators streak was ended by the Sunbirds last year. Fresno Pacific, who had finished as the runner-up to AUM in the four previous National Championships, defeated the Lady Senators 5-2. Brenau and Northwood (Fla.) are the only other programs to take home the banner since 2000.
There are four programs that are making their 12th-consecutive appearance at the event, which is most among the field: Auburn Montgomery, Azusa Pacific, Indiana Wesleyan and Point Loma Nazarene (Calif.). Brenau and Embry-Riddle each qualified for the 11th time in a dozen years.
William Jewell (Mo.) snaps the longest NAIA tennis postseason droughts out of this year's field. The Cardinals, who won the Heart of America Athletic Conference Tournament championship, return to National Championship play for the first time since 2005. Indiana Southeast breaks the second-longest drought, making its first trip to Mobile since 2006.
William Carey (Miss.) and Martin Methodist (Tenn.) will both be making their first-ever National Championship appearances. Besides the newcomers, seven teams will be seeking their first win on the National Championship court.
The Golden State Athletic Conference leads all leagues with five schools in the championship field: Fresno Pacific, Azusa Pacific, Point Loma Nazarene, Concordia and Vanguard (Calif.).