Official NCAA Tournament Bracket

By Dylan Vazzano, TTU Sports Information Coordinator

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – An eruption rumbled through the Eagles Nest Tuesday afternoon, as the Tennessee Tech tennis team roared with excitement and eagerness at the prospects of heading to the Golden State for the 2017 NCAA Tournament. Surrounded by fans, staff and administration, Tech learned that it would be off to Berkeley, Calif. to tangle with No. 8 Cal in the first round of the tourney.

Back in the NCAA Tournament for the second-straight year, TTU (13-6) will hook up with the Bears on Friday, May 12 from the Hellman Tennis Complex. Northwestern and Utah State make up the other two teams in the region, and will face off for the right to play the Tech-Cal victor on Saturday, May 13. The tournament is single-elimination format.

TTU will enter the exclusive field of 64 fresh off another championship driven campaign that saw the Golden Eagles collect a pair of titles in 2017. With another undefeated conference season, Tech captured the OVC regular season championship, the program's fifth in the last six years, and fourth undefeated slate over that stretch. The Golden Eagles then went into Nashville and seized their second-consecutive OVC Tournament title after knocking off Belmont, 4-1, in the semifinals, before taking down Eastern Kentucky, 4-0, in the championship match.

Cal (18-7) wrapped up the regular season in second place in the Pac-12 with a 5-1 conference mark. The Bears were upended in the semifinals of the Pac-12 Championships, falling 4-1 to USC.

Tech's meeting with Cal will be the first in program history.

The national quarterfinals, semifinals and championship will take place May 18-23 at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex in Athens, Ga. Stay posted to ttusports.com as well as the Tech Athletics Facebook and Twitter for continuous updates on all things Golden Eagle tennis, including a detailed preview of the region as the start of the tournament draws closer.

Photo by Thomas Corhern