MARYVILLE, Mo. – The Northwest Missouri State University men’s and women’s tennis teams each earned bids to the NCAA Tournament on Tuesday night. It marks the 33rd and 34th times a Bearcat team has qualified under head coach Mark Rosewell, who has now earned 1,012 career victories in 33 years as a head coach.

The Northwest women earned the No. 3 seed in the Central Region and will face No. 6 seed Nebraska Kearney on Monday, May 4, in Tahlequah, Okla. No. 2 seed Northeastern State will play No. 7 seeded Augustana in the first round with the winners to meet on Tuesday, May 5. The women hold a 19-15 record in the tournament all time, last qualifying in 2009. This season, the Lopers and the Bearcats met twice, with Northwest claiming a 5-4 victory on April 17 in Maryville and a 5-3 win in the consolation final of the MIAA Tournament in Springfield, Mo., on April 26.

The Bearcat men earned the team’s 18th NCAA Tournament bid as the Central Region’s No. 2 seed and MIAA automatic bids. All time, Northwest is 14-17 in the tournament, and has qualified each year since 2006. The men will host No. 3 seed Nebraska-Kearney in the first round in Maryville, Mo., with the winner advancing to the next round in Surprise, Ariz., starting on May 13. The Bearcats and the Lopers have met twice this year, both resulting in Northwest victories. The teams met in Maryville on April 17, a 6-3 Northwest win. The two teams also met in the MIAA Championship match on April 26 in Springfield, Mo., with the Bearcats winning, 5-0.

This marks the 12th time coach Rosewell has sent both teams to the NCAA Tournament in the same season. Match times for the women along with match date and time for the men will be released at a later date.

— Northwest Sports Information —