For the first time in the modern era, Grace’s men’s tennis team has earned a berth to the NAIA National Championships.
The Lancers, ranked No. 16 currently by the NAIA, received an at-large bid to the national tournament.
Grace boasts a 21-5 record, already setting Grace’s record for most wins in a season. The team’s 21 wins are the second-most in the NAIA under head coach Andy Lewis.
The 2021 NAIA National Championships will be held at the Mobile Tennis Center in Mobile, Ala., from May 18-22. The tournament is comprised of 24 teams — 12 automatic bids, 1 host berth and 11 at-large selections. The at-large teams were determined by the NAIA Tennis National Selection Committee.
Grace’s first match in the tournament will be against No. 17 Southeastern (Fla.) on May 18 at 2:30 p.m. (Eastern time). The winner of that match will take on No. 1 Georgia Gwinnett on May 19. Georgia Gwinnett is the six-time defending NAIA national champion.
Grace has played against four of the 24 NAIA-qualifying teams this year, including Asbury, Cumberlands, Indiana Wesleyan and Northwestern Ohio.
The Lancers are likely headed for a lengthy stay in Mobile, Ala. The team is poised to receive a bid to the NCCAA National Championships, held at the same site a week before the NAIA tournament (May 11-14).
The Lancers last competed as a team in the national tournament in 1988 when current head coach Andy Lewis played for Grace.
To see the complete NAIA bracket, click here.
To see the NAIA’s release, click here.