Men's Tennis | 5/13/2024 4:25:00 PM
McPHERSON, Kan. — For the first time since 2019, both Bulldog men's and women's tennis teams have qualified for the NAIA National Championship this week in Mobile, Ala. McPherson College is one of 19 schools to have both their men's and women's programs qualify for the NAIA Championship.
MEN
No strangers to the postseason, the Bulldog men will be the No. 18-seed in the national championship, their highest since 2016, after capturing their ninth-straight KCAC Tournament title. The Bulldogs will take on Lindsey Wilson College.
Lindsey Wilson comes into the contest with a 14-5 record, and finished second in the regular season of the Mid-South Conference (MSC), earning a No. 15-seed. The Blue Raiders are 4-4 this season against this year's tournament field, with wins over Holy Cross (4-3), Grace (5-2), Union (6-1), and Cumberland (5-2).
LWC received an at-large bid to the tournament after falling in the MSC semifinals to eventual champion Cumberland University. Three of the seven MSC teams qualified for the national tournament field.
MC has three wins all-time in the NAIA Tournament, including last years' upset win over No. 13-seeded Ave Maria 4-1. The Bulldogs are 3-5 in first round matches.
The Bulldogs have two wins over this year's field, both coming against fellow KCAC foe Ottawa University, and fell to ninth-seeded Reinhardt University 4-3 back in March in Waleska, Ga.
With a win, the Bulldog men would advance to the second round to play fourth-seeded Tennessee Wesleyan University in a rematch of last season's second round match.
WOMEN
The Bulldog women are making their first appearance in the NAIA Tournament since 2019, securing the No. 21-seed, their highest since 2017. MC is making its sixth trip to Mobile, Ala., and are looking for their first-ever win in the national tournament.
McPherson will take on the No. 12-seeded Union College (Ky.) Bulldogs in the first round. Bulldog fans may be familiar with Union, as the men's team competed against UC in the 2021 and 2022 tournaments.
MC has been a part of a pair of competitive matches in the NAIA Tournament, falling to Graceland 6-3 in 2014. The Bulldogs won two out of three doubles matches, carrying a 2-1 advantage into the singles competition. Then, in 2017 the Bulldogs went toe-to-toe with No. 12-seeded University of Mobile. MC fell behind 2-1 in the doubles competition before winning on courts one and two to open singles.
Union comes into the match with a 16-6 record overall, and finished second in the regular season of the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC). The Bulldogs fell in the AAC tournament championship match 4-2 to top-seeded Tennessee Wesleyan.
UC is 1-3 with their lone win coming against Oakland City University back on Mar. 12.
With a win, the Bulldog women would advance to the second round for the first time in school history, and take on fifth-seeded Middle Georgia State University.
Both teams are in action on Tuesday (May 14) with the men playing at 9:00 a.m., and the women coming at 1:00 p.m.
