University of Alabama Team Page
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - For the second time in as many years, the women's tennis team will host the NCAA Championship First and Second Rounds at The University of Alabama Tennis Stadium. The Crimson Tide, coming in as the tournament's No. 9 overall seed, will take on Northwestern State in the first round on Friday, May 10, at 1 p.m. CT. That match will be preceded by the Florida State/Memphis contest that will begin at 10 a.m. CT.
"This is a very exciting time for the program," said Alabama head coach Jenny Mainz. "We have worked really hard and earned this opportunity to host. To play in front of our home crowd is awesome. The postseason is a new season. Anything can happen, and we are looking forward to playing our best tennis."
This marks the 12th NCAA Championship appearance for Alabama (19-5) and the 10th under Mainz. Last season, the Tide won its opening contest, defeating Army, 4-0, before falling to Georgia Tech, 4-3, in the second round to move to 6-11 in the tournament. The Tide will be looking to advance to the Round of 16 for the first time as Alabama's top finish in the 64-team field has been the second round on six occasions.
Florida State, coming off its third trip to the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship, will head to the tournament for the seventh-straight season and 16th overall. In last season's NCAA Championship, the Seminoles (16-9) fell in the first round to Washington State, 4-3, setting their record in the tournament at 7-16.
Memphis is making its first appearance as a team in the NCAA Championship after collecting a 17-6 overall record, which includes a pair of top-25 victories. The Tigers earned an at-large bid after falling, 4-3, in the Conference USA semifinals to 24th-ranked Tulsa.
Northwestern State, the automatic qualifier from the Southland Conference, enters the tournament with a 14-7 record, with its most recent victory coming against Texas A&M - Corpus Christi to win the league championship. The Lady Demons are 0-1 overall in the NCAA Championship after dropping a 4-0 decision to top-ranked Baylor in the first round of the 2010 tournament.
The winners of both first round matches will meet on Saturday, May 11, at 1 p.m. CT for the opportunity to advance onto the Round of 16, which will take place on the campus of the University of Illinois in Urbana, Ill., beginning May 17.
Tickets for the first and second rounds are available by clicking here or by visiting or calling the Alabama Ticket Office at 1-877-TIDETIX. In addition, tickets will be on sale at the gate on May 10 and 11, beginning one hour prior to the start of match play. The cost per session is $5 all ages and $3 for Alabama students.
SCHEDULE OF PLAY
Friday, May 10
10 a.m. CT - Florida State vs. Memphis
1 p.m. CT - Alabama vs. Northwestern State
Saturday, May 11
1 p.m. CT - Winner of Match 1 vs. Winner of Match 2
