Tigers Tennis Punches Ticket to NAIA Championships
By Travis Rae, Communications and Sports Information Intern
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has officially released the 24 qualifying teams for the 2013 NAIA Women's Tennis National Championship, held May 14-18 in Mobile, Ala. The bracket and pairings for the 33rd annual event will be announced Tuesday by 5 p.m. CDT.
Defending national champion, Auburn Montgomery (Ala.) looks for its third-straight title. The Warhawks clinched an automatic berth by winning the Southern States Athletic Conference Tournament. Auburn Montgomery enters the National Championship with a record of 13-8.
This year's 24 teams include 13 automatic qualifiers – awarded to conference/independent/unaffiliated group tournament champions – ten at-large bids and one host berth. The 10 at-large selections were determined by the final NAIA Men's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll released Monday. Mobile (Ala.) of the Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC), received the host berth.
Five teams will be making their first trip to the national championship including: Coastal Georgia, Davenport (Mich.), Evangel (Mo.), Oklahoma Baptist and SCAD Atlanta (Ga.).
Auburn Montgomery and Indiana Wesleyan are making their 14th appearance, the most out of any team in the field. Auburn Montgomery has the most national championships in the field with 12. Four other schools in this year's field - Brenau (Ga.) (2), Mobile (Ala.) (1), Northwood (Fla.) (1) and Westmont (Calif.) (1) - have won a national title.
NeuLion, the NAIA's official video-streaming company of 12 select NAIA national championship events, will be broadcasting the championship match on May 18. Streaming of the championship match will be free. For more information and to pre-register, click here.
2013 Women's Tennis National Championship Qualifiers
School | Qualification | Record^ | Appearances* | Last Time | National Championship Record | Titles |
Auburn Montgomery (Ala.) | Southern States Athletic Tournament Champion | 13-8 | 14th | 2012 | 49-3 | 12 |
Bethel (Kan.) | Kansas Collegiate Athletic Tournament Champion | 14-3 | 5th | 2012 | 0-4 | 0 |
Brenau (Ga.) | At-Large No. 1 | 12-4 | 13th | 2012 | 23-11 | 2 |
Coastal Georgia | At-Large No. 9 | 8-8 | First | - | - | - |
Concordia (Calif.) | At-Large No. 7 | 9-11 | 5th | 2012 | 6-4 | 0 |
Cumberland (Tenn.) | At-Large No. 10 | 14-6 | 3rd | 2008 | 3-2 | 0 |
Davenport (Mich.) | Unaffilated Group (2 A.I.I./MCC/WHAC) Tournament Champion | 20-9 | First | - | - | - |
Embry-Riddle (Fla.) | At-Large No. 3 | 10-10 | 13th | 2012 | 15-12 | 0 |
Evangel (Mo.) | Unaffiliated Group 1 (AMWC/HAAC/TranSouth) Tournament Champion | 11-3 | First | - | - | - |
IU Southeast | Kentucky Intercolleigate Athletic Tournament Champion | 13-6 | 5th | 2012 | 0-4 | 0 |
Indiana Wesleyan | Crossroads League Tournament Champion | 22-1 | 14th | 2012 | 9-13 | 0 |
Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) | Unafilliated Group 4 Cascade/Frontier/MCAC/RRAC/SAC) Tournament Champion | 10-8 | 13th | 2012 | 10-12 | 0 |
Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) | Mid-South Tournament Champion | 17-2 | 9th | 2012 | 13-8 | 0 |
Mobile (Ala.) | Host Berth | 10-4 | 8th | 2011 | 1-7 | 1 |
Nebraska Wesleyan | Great Plains Athletic Tournament Champion | 13-7 | 6th | 2012 | 0-5 | 0 |
Northwood (Fla.) | At-Large No. 6 | 8-7 | 8th | 2010 | 10-6 | 1 |
Oklahoma Baptist | At-Large No. 4 | 13-10 | First | - | - | - |
Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) | Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Tournament Champion | 16-6 | 9th | 2011 | 1-8 | 0 |
SCAD Atlanta (Ga.) | At-Large No. 8 | 7-3 | First | - | - | - |
SCAD Savannah (Ga.) | The Sun Tournament Champion | 12-2 | 11th | 2012 | 7-8 | 0 |
Vanguard (Calif.) | At-Large No. 5 | 11-16 | 11th | 2012 | 14-10 | 0 |
Westmont (Calif.) | Golden State Athletic Tournament Champion | 17-2 | 6th | 2006 | 1-5 | 1 |
William Carey (Miss.) | At-Large No. 2 | 11-8 | 3rd | 2012 | 2-2 | 0 |
Xavier (La.) | Unaffiliated Group 3 (AAC/A.I.I./GCAC) Tournament Champion | 17-7 | 7th | 2012 | 5-6 | 0 |
*Includes this year's qualification and all appearances since the team format began in 2000