April 30, 2013
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The No. 23 Notre Dame women’s tennis team is heading to Ann Arbor, Mich., for the first and second rounds of the NCAA Championship, the NCAA women’s tennis selection committee announced Tuesday afternoon.
The six-time BIG EAST Champion Irish (17-8) will meet No. 47 N.C. State (14-9) with the winner facing either IPFW (23-7) or the host Wolverines of Michigan (21-5, No. 6) for the right to advance to the University of Illinois and the NCAA Round of 16. Notre Dame has never played at Michigan in the NCAA Championship, but did play the Wolverines at home this season, losing 5-2.
Notre Dame is making its 18th consecutive and 20th overall appearance in the NCAA Championship. The Irish have reached the NCAA Round of 16 on 10 occasions and advanced to the quarterfinals or further in 1996, 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2010.
Last year the Irish defeated Hawai’I, 4-0, before falling to the host Northwestern Wildcats, 4-2, in the second round.
The NCAA Championship features a field of 64 teams, consisting of 31 automatic-qualifying conference champions and 33 at-large selections. The first and second rounds will take place May 10-12 at 16 campus sites. The later rounds of the single-elimination tournament will be held in Champaign, Ill., May 17-21.
The draws for the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships will be announced Wednesday.
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