INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. --- The NCAA announced the Division III Women's Tennis Tournament field for its annual team championship in a release on ncaa.com on Monday afternoon. Washington and Lee University, winners of 19 straight and 31 overall conference titles, will be the lone squad to represent the ODAC in the 49-team field.
Later this week, the NCAA will add to the Division III championship setup with the announcement of the individual and doubles tournament competitors. Those athletes will be revealed on ncaa.com on Wednesday.
Like Washington and Lee, 39 of the team tournament's programs received automatic qualification from their respective conferences. One school received a "Pool B" bid as an independent team or squad that competes in a league that does not feature automatic NCAA qualification. The remaining nine teams received at-large bids from "Pool C," which includes all teams that did not receive AQ or Pool B entries.
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Washington and Lee (15-6) is located in the upper-left quadrant of the bracket. The Generals were selected to host a six-team pod that will feature three rounds of competition.
W&L will meet St. Mary's College (Md.) in the first round. The Seahawks (11-7) earned their position in the bracket after winning the North Atlantic Conference (NAC) championship. One additional first-round match will be hosted in Lexington. Stevens Institute of Technology (11-4) and Drew University (12-8) will also square off on day one. The Ducks won the MAC Freedom Conference championship, while the Rangers secured the Landmark Conference title.
Wesleyan University (Conn.) and the University of Mary Washington await the winners of the first round matches in the second round with those contests as well as a subsequent third round showdown to be hosted by Washington and Lee. The Cardinals (20-0) won the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) title and will face the SIT/DU winner. The Eagles (12-5) won the Coast-to-Coast (C2C) championship and will meet the W&L/SMC victor.
Tournament play in the first, second, and third rounds is set for Thursday-Saturday, May 12-14, or Friday-Sunday, May 13-15, based on host weekend capabilities. The remaining eight teams in the bracket will head to Orlando, Fla., on May 23-25 for quarterfinal through championship matches at the USTA National Campus. The USTA, Oglethorpe University, and the Greater Orlando Sports Commission will serve as event hosts.
Match times and ticket information will be announced later this week. For more information, visit the websites of any of the participating schools. You can also go to the home of the ODAC on the Internet at www.odaconline.com. Don't forget to become a fan of the ODAC on Facebook and follow @odacathletics on Twitter and Instagram.