THE FLATS – The 11th-ranked Georgia Tech women’s tennis team will make its 21st consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance this season after receiving an at-large selection to the field of 64 Monday night. The Yellow Jackets will host one of 16 regionals across the country, welcoming Georgia Southern, North Florida and No. 24 Ole Miss, May 7-8, to the Ken Byers Tennis Complex.
Tech (18-10, 8-5 ACC) will host first and second rounds, opening the tournament against Georgia Southern on Friday at 2 p.m. Match times on Friday will be 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. with Saturday’s match slated for 2 p.m.
Georgia Tech enters the tournament with an 18-10 overall record after reaching the title match of the ACC Championships. Seniors Kenya Jones and Victoria Flores collected All-ACC honors last week after helping Tech defeat Virginia Tech, NC State and Miami en route to a chance at the ACC title. This marks the 10th time Tech has hosted first and second round action.
With the 2020 NCAA Tournament canceled due to Covid-19, Tech last appeared in the postseason in 2019, advancing to second round action after edging Ohio State.
Georgia Southern (19-8, 7-3 Sun Belt) earned an automatic berth into the NCAA Championships, winning their first Sun Belt Tournament title with a 4-3 victory over South Alabama. The Eagles, on an 11-match win streak, overcame 3-1 deficit to clinch a trio of three-set matches to prove victorious and clinch their first NCAA Championships appearance.
North Florida (17-7, 8-0 ASUN) was crowned the ASUN Champions, battling to a 4-2 win over FGCU, to claim its sixth-straight conference title and ninth in program history. The Osprey have won eight-straight matches entering the NCAA Championships.
Ole Miss (11-9, 7-6 SEC) fell in the second round of the SEC Tournament to Kentucky after a strong conference season. The No. 24 Rebels are guided by four seniors.
First- and second-round competition takes place May 7-9 at select campuses and each regional features four teams playing in a single-elimination format. Beginning with the round of 16, NCAA Championship action will move to the USTA National Campus (Collegiate Center) in Orlando, Fla. and run May 16-28.
The NCAA singles and doubles selection announcement will be announced on Tuesday, May 4 on NCAA.com.
NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS – ATLANTA REGIONAL ATTENDANCE
There will be limited spectator attendance at the 2021 NCAA Championships Atlanta Regional, May 7-8, at the Ken Byers Tennis Complex. In addition to each competing team’s pass list, a limited number of general admission seats will be available to fans, free of charge, and a limited number of seats will be available for students from each participating school with a valid school ID. The stands will be cleared in between matches on Friday, May 7, to moderate attendance.
If matches are moved indoors at the Ken Byers Tennis Complex, attendance will be strictly limited to a reduced guest list team pass list.
Alexander-Tharpe Fund
The Alexander-Tharpe Fund is the fundraising arm of Georgia Tech athletics, providing scholarship, operations and facilities support for Georgia Tech’s 400-plus student-athletes. Be a part of developing Georgia Tech’s Everyday Champions and helping the Yellow Jackets compete for championships at the highest levels of college athletics by supporting the Support The Swarm Fund, which helps Georgia Tech athletics offset the significant financial challenges associated with Covid-19, and the Annual Athletic Scholarship Fund, which directly provides scholarships for Georgia Tech student-athletes. To learn more about supporting the Yellow Jackets, visit atfund.org.
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