INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) on Monday announced the 44-team field for its Division III Men’s Tennis Championship, and Gustavus (24-10), with the MIAC’s automatic qualifier, got a bid through the first round as a host seed.
The Gusties will host five teams in Saint Peter, welcoming Grinnell, Luther, Wisconsin Whitewater, Milwaukee School of Engineering, and the University of Chicago to campus. With a bye through the first round of competition, Gustavus will face the winner of UW-Whitewater and MSOE in the second round.
The Gusties enter the national tournament for the 35th time, having faced four of five teams in the regional bracket already this season. Gustavus cruised to victories over Grinnell (9-0), Luther (8-1), and UW-Whitewater (5-3) earlier this year, but fell to defending national champions Chicago 5-3 during the ITA Indoor Championships, and again 7-2 on March 25.
The teams will play a single-elimination tournament with the first-, second- and third-rounds played at Gustavus, May 4-7 with official start times yet to be announced. The United States Tennis Association, Oglethorpe University and the Greater Orlando Sports Commission will host the team championships finals, which will be held May 13-16 in Orlando, Florida.