ASHEVILLE, N.C. - Both the UNC Asheville Men's and Women's Tennis teams have been selected to the 2024 NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history, announced by the NCAA today (Monday, Apr. 29).
Off their first Big South Conference Championship since 1986, the Bulldogs' men's team (16-7) will travel to Durham, N.C. to face No. 13 Duke in the opening round. Asheville captured the second Big South Conference championship in program history with a 4-1 win over top seed Gardner-Webb back on Apr. 22, along the way notching nine All-Conference honors. Freddy Murray and Sam Nicholson landed on the All-Conference First Team for singles play, while Rafa Serra and Jon Brann Reid were named All-Conference First Team for doubles play. Bruno Serra and Cian Ingles as well as the tandem of Nicholson and Murray each landed on the All-Conference Second Team for doubles play. Reid was also the league's Scholar-Athlete of the Year as well as being named to the All-Academic Team.
Duke (18-9) will also host No. 21 Alabama (17-12) and No. 46 Charlotte (19-7).
The match will take place at Duke's Ambler Tennis Stadium on Friday (May 3). First serve is set for 4:00 p.m., with tickets available
here.
Asheville Women's Tennis (16-3) heads into its first NCAA tournament berth after capturing the Big South Conference tournament championship as well as its second consecutive regular season championship. Asheville racked up the All-Conference honors for the second straight year, earning Player of the Year, Freshman of the Year and Coach of the Year honors for the second consecutive year. Linge Steenkamp earned Player of the Year and First Team All-Conference honors in both singles and doubles along with partner Ari Siegel, while Angelina Joy Hug and Rosie Dickson earned First Team All-Conference in doubles play. Alexis Nyborg earned Freshman of the Year honors as well as Second Team All-Conference honors in singles play, along with Louise Booker and Hug on the All-Conference Second Team for singles play. Dickson was also named to the All-Academic Team for the second consecutive year, while Lise Gregory was also named Coach of the Year for the second straight year.
This is Florida State's (16-8) seventh consecutive NCAA tournament berth, as the Seminoles advanced to the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament semifinals this year. Also in the regional is host and SEC champion Georgia (20-4) and Southwest Athletic Conference champion Alabama State (14-8).
The match will take place at Georgia's Dan Magill Tennis Complex on Friday (May 3). First serve is set for 10:00 a.m., with tickets available
here.
Additional information for both matches will be available closer to match day.