The women’s college tennis season is winding down to the end: the NCAA Tournament. This season has seen a lot of teams find success in different parts of the year, with teams like Georgia and Ohio State succeeding early while teams like Auburn, NC State, and Virginia have found a late surge. With contenders all around and a draw full of quality teams, it’s time to break down this year’s bracket. (We also have a separate preview for the men’s tournament.)
Quarter 1: Georgia’s Title Defense Hopes, NC State on the Rise
Despite falling in the semifinals of the SEC Tournament to LSU, Georgia has still maintained the top seed at the NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs are 18-5 on the year, including a run to the National Indoors title. But their latest match, the loss to LSU, doesn’t inspire much confidence as Georgia had opportunities to pull ahead but didn’t take them. Still, Georgia is hosting the first three rounds and the final site is Athens, so they’ll have home-court advantage the entire tournament.
On the other side of the quarter, N.C. State just barely eked out a Top 8 seed, but is certainly deserving of it. The Wolfpack took out UNC and Virginia en route to the ACC Tournament title and are playing their very best tennis down the stretch. With Georgia vulnerable and N.C. State hot, a potential quarterfinal upset is on the cards.
Dark horses in this quarter include No. 9 seed Texas and No. 16 seed Arizona State, as well as an unseeded UCLA team that could be dangerous on any given day. But the top two seeds in this quarter feel safe in at least a quarterfinal run, but once they get there things could get interesting.
Quarter 2: Ohio State and Oklahoma Bounce Back
Both No. 3 seed Ohio State and No. 6 seed Oklahoma are coming into this tournament in the exact same situation. Both hosted their conference tournament and were the top seed, but neither won. Oklahoma suffered a 4-3 loss to LSU, while Ohio State fell to Michigan. Both of these teams now have something to prove.
They diverge, though, with how their seasons have gone. The Buckeyes were dominating early, while the Sooners took a little longer to get going. Both have tough teams in their sections of the draw, though. Ohio State could take on No. 14 seed Vanderbilt, a team that has been hampered by injury issues. Should the Commodores be at full strength, that would be a tough out for Ohio State. And Oklahoma has No. 11 seed Pepperdine to contend with. The Waves came out firing early, even being ranked No. 2 at one point, but have since been quietly running the gauntlet in the West Coast Conference.
Ohio State and Oklahoma’s disappointing conference tournament losses could hinder them, or it could motivate them to even greater success in a tough quarter of the draw.
Quarter 3: Top-Heavy UNC and Texas A&M
Texas A&M’s Lucciana Perez and North Carolina’s Reese Brantmeier are the top two singles players in college tennis right now. Perez is undefeated in the spring, and Brantmeier is the reigning NCAA singles champion. Both of their teams have been able to back them up for both to get Top 5 seeds, but not enough for a conference title. In this quarter, both teams will need their depth.
No. 4 seed Texas A&M had a strong regular season in the SEC but couldn’t overcome Auburn in the tournament. On paper, the Aggies have a tough test in the form of No. 13 seed USC, but the Trojans just suffered a huge upset loss to Maryland in the Big Ten Tournament.
That same Maryland team could face No. 5 seed North Carolina in the second round, but the Tar Heels have an even more pressing concern in the form of No. 12 seed Michigan. The Wolverines had a slow start to the season, but they’re riding the momentum of an upset win over Ohio State in the Big Ten final. And North Carolina didn’t have a strong end to its season, failing to clinch a regular season title and falling to N.C. State in the semifinals of the ACC Tournament–a match that included a Brantmeier loss.
Quarter 4: Auburn’s Rapid Rise, Virginia’s Quiet Consistency
No team is coming into this tournament hotter than No. 2 seed Auburn, a team that tore through the SEC draw for its first ever conference tournament title. They have countless paths to win, with strong doubles teams and consistent singles spots. The Tigers continue to make program history with their success, and despite being the second seed they might just be the favorites. That said, this is all new for Auburn, and that inexperience could hold it back.
On the other side of the quarter, No. 7 seed Virginia has been nothing but consistent in a season of inconsistency. The Cavaliers lost to N.C. State in the ACC Tournament final, but they won the ACC regular season title and went undefeated in conference play. Virginia is a team that beats who they’re supposed to, but hasn’t shown much potential for upsets outside of conference play.
This quarter is full of quality teams. No. 10 seed LSU, No. 15 seed Duke, and Big 12 champions TCU are all capable of big wins in high-pressure moments, and though the top seeds in this quarter have looked solid all year, any of these teams could make a deep run.
Main Photo Credit: Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK
