(STILLWATER, Oklahoma / May 2, 2017) – For the third-straight season, the Oklahoma State women’s tennis team will host the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament, it was announced on Tuesday afternoon. The Cowgirls are making their sixth-straight NCAA Tournament appearance, which is the second-longest streak in program history.
“We aim to play for championships around here, and we’ve won a lot of matches over the course of the last three seasons,” head coach Chris Young said. “These girls who are seniors have won a lot of matches and a lot of championships. Obviously, they have the taste of coming up just a little bit short last year in the NCAA Tournament, and even more recently with a tough loss in the Big 12 finals. It’s definitely motivation to finish off this year on a better note, so we’re just excited to see our draw and get back to work.”
No. 9 overall seed OSU will match up with UMKC in the first round of the tournament on Saturday, May 13 at the Greenwood Tennis Center. Arkansas and Wichita State will also travel to Stillwater for the regional, and will play that Saturday as well.
The winner of the first two matches will advance to face each other on Sunday, May 14.
“We’re very familiar with these teams,” Young said. “I figured this would be the way that it was with the rankings of those specific schools. Arkansas is probably getting tired of coming here. They have been here the last couple of years. This is probably the best team they’ve had in five or six years, so they’re going to come here hungry and ready to go. Wichita State continues to have a good program there. UMKC, their men and women qualified, so they’re going to be excited to come here. There is going to be a lot of excitement for this regional, and there are going to be a lot of fans. That’s what you want when you put something like this on. Not only will our fans show up, but these other schools will as well and that’s great for the kids.”
The Cowgirls are 22-5 heading into the NCAA Tournament, coming off their fourth appearance in the Big 12 Championship match in the last five years last weekend.
OSU is a perfect 10-0 at home so far this season, and boast the longest active home win streak in Power Five women’s tennis with 32-straight wins.
All-Session tickets for the event go on sale Wednesday morning at 8 a.m. by phone at 877-255-4678 or the OSU Athletics ticket office only. The tickets are $15 for all sessions. Individual day tickets will be available one hour prior to the first match of each day at the Greenwood Tennis Center.
The Cowgirls are looking to make their third-straight appearance at the NCAA Tennis Championships, which will be held in Athens, Ga., May 18-23.
