After wrapping up the 2015 dual-match season in Ojai, Calif. at the Pac-12 Championships last week, the Sun Devils learned today that they will take on the Arkansas Razorbacks in the first round in the NCAA Division I Women's Tennis Tournament.
This will be ASU's 29th straight appearance in the tournament; head coach Sheila McInerney (the women's tennis head coach in school history) has gotten her teams to now 29 of 30 possible tournaments.
The Sun Devils earned an at-large bid after posting a 15-7 record and finishing 6-4 in the Pac-12.
The Razorbacks finished the dual-match season with a 16-13 record, including a 4-9 conference record as a part of the Southeastern Conference (SEC).
Arkansas features one player in their singles lineup who's currently ranked in the latest ITA poll in Ukranian junior Yuliya Lysa, who finished the spring as the No. 48-ranked singles player in the nation.
Lysa and sophomore Shannon Hudson form the Razorbacks' only nationally-ranked doubles pair, having earned the No. 35 ranking.
The winner of the bout between Arkansas and ASU will go on to face the winner of a matchup between Boston University and Oklahoma State.
The Cowboys earned the No. 12 seed in the tournament, and finished 21-5 with a 8-3 conference record out of the Big 12 Conference. The singles lineup features three players currently slotted in the top-125, and also boast the No. 10 doubles pair in the country.
Boston earned an automatic-qualifying bid after claiming the Patriot League conference title. The Terriers finished with a 14-7 overall record and 4-0 record in conference play.
While there are certainly favorites out just about every region (including this one), every team involved will have a fair shot at outlasting their opponents.
The NCAA has determined that the standard scoring format (inclusive of deuce and advantage point) will be in use throughout the entire tournament, making this tournament a test of stamina as well as skill.
Meanwhile, the Sun Devils will look to improve upon last year's run, where they fell to Princeton 3-4 in the first round.
Opening matches have been scheduled to take place between May 8 and May 9, however no specific date or time has been officially determined.
Reach the reporter at kajone31@asu.edu or follow @kaelenjones on Twitter.
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