Longwood Men’s Tennis Accepts Bid to 2026 UTR Sports NIT Championship
By Longwood Athletics
MIAMI, Fla. — Fresh off its first appearance in the Big South championship match, the Longwood men's tennis team's season will continue as the Lancers accepted a bid to compete in the 2026 UTR Sports NIT Championship, announced by the organization on Thursday.
The third-seeded Lancers will face No. 2 seed North Alabama of the Atlantic Sun Conference in the semifinals of the event on May 7 at 11:30 a.m., at Rome Tennis Center at Berry College, in Rome, Ga.. The Lions are 14-9 overall and fell in the semifinals of the ASUN tournament to Stetson. The winner advances to the championship match, slated for May 8 at 9 a.m.
"This is an exciting opportunity for our men to have postseason play," Longwood Director of Tennis Charlotte Clarke said. "It has been a historic season for our program and we're not done yet."
The tournament, created in 2023 in an effort to to support the growth of college tennis across the country and now in its fourth year, features five teams to form the draw. Joining Longwood are Chattanooga, North Alabama, North Carolina Central and Virginia Tech.
Longwood is 13-6 on the year, tying for its most wins in a season since 2019, while posting its best winning percentage (.684) since 2017.