Michigan Draws Sacramento State in NCAA First Round
4/28/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- The No. 17-ranked University of Michigan women's tennis team received an at-large bid to the 2009 NCAA Division I Championship field, announced Tuesday (April 28) by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. The Wolverines (17-6) will head to South Bend, Ind., to face No. 58-ranked Sacramento State (19-8) in first-round action on Friday, May 8, at 10 a.m. at the Courtney Tennis Center. It marks the third time in the last four seasons that the Maize and Blue will begin NCAA play on the University of Notre Dame campus.
"We're looking forward to playing Sacramento State," said U-M head coach Ronni Bernstein. "It's an opportunity to see another team that we haven't faced in the past. If we can get through that match and play Notre Dame, we'll have another chance to face an opponent that we played pretty tight earlier in the year. The girls are very excited about their chances. They're confident and feel that they have a great shot at making it to the NCAA Sweet 16."
It marks the eighth straight NCAA bid for the Wolverines, who earned a runner-up finish at last weekend's Big Ten Tournament after finishing second in the conference's regular-season standings (9-1). With a victory over the Hornets, Michigan would face the winner of No. 5 Notre Dame (24-4) and Illinois-Chicago (15-7) on Saturday, May 9, at 1 p.m.
Sacramento State earned its eighth straight invitation to the NCAA Championship by claiming the Big Sky Tournament title last weekend in Gold River, Calif. The Hornets have been victorious in 12 of their last 16 outings dating back to March 8, with the four losses coming on the road to Fresno State, Arizona, Arizona State and Stanford. Sacramento State has been a dominant force in the Big Sky over the past eight years, claiming the league tournament crown each season while winning 62 straight conference matches. It will mark the first-ever meeting between the Wolverines and the Hornets.
Notre Dame, which is making its 14th straight NCAA appearance, earned the Big East's automatic bid by claiming the conference tournament crown last weekend in Tampa, Fla. The Fighting Irish have dropped just four matches this year, with all of those losses coming to opponents ranked no lower than No. 7 nationally. Michigan and Notre Dame have squared off against each other on 29 previous occasions, with the Irish holding a 20-9 lead in the all-time series. The two teams met earlier this season in South Bend, where Notre Dame came away with a narrow 4-3 victory (Feb. 6, 2009).
Illinois-Chicago is making its 10th consecutive NCAA appearance. The Flames, who currently hold a nine-match winning streak, earned the Horizon League's automatic bid by claiming their 13th straight conference tournament title last weekend in Indianapolis, Ind. The Wolverines are undefeated in two all-time meetings with Illinois-Chicago.
The regional winner advances to the 16-team NCAA Team Championship field, which will compete for the national title May 15-19 at Texas A&M University's George P. Mitchell Tennis Center in College Station, Texas.
NCAA FIRST AND SECOND ROUNDS
(Courtney Tennis Center, South Bend, Ind.)
Friday, May 8
Sacramento State vs. #17 Michigan, 10 a.m.
Illinois-Chicago vs. #5 Notre Dame, 1 p.m.
Saturday, May 9
Michigan/Sacramento State winner vs. Notre Dame/Illinois-Chicago winner, 1 p.m.
Contact: Marc Ressler (734) 645-0045
