Clemson Selected for 11th Consecutive NCAA Tournament

May 1, 2012

PRINT BRACKET | INTERACTIVE BRACKET | Watch Selection Show ReplayCLEMSON, SC – The Clemson women’s tennis team was selected to the 2012 NCAA Tournament on Tuesday by the selection committee as announced on NCAA.com. Clemson (15-9), ranked 23rd in the nation by the ITA, will play Arizona State (11-9) on May 11 at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex in Athens, GA. The winner will then take on the victor between site-host and 6th-seeded Georgia (21-4) and Southern Conference Champion, College of Charleston (25-5). “We’re excited to go back to the NCAAs and compete,” said head coach Nancy Harris.  “We have a very strong draw in ASU. I think it has a lot of pluses for us, because we can take advantage of the opportunity with travel, and being acclimated to the region. Arizona State is a challenging opponent, and they have a fine coach. We can’t look past them at all. We’ll take it one point and match at a time.”

“It was really exciting to see we were going to play at Georgia against a very difficult draw playing Clemson right off the bat,” said Arizona State Head Coach Sheila McInerney. “We’re a three-seed and Clemson is a very talented two seed so it will be a challenge. I’ve known Nancy [Harris] for a while. They’ve had a really good team. They’ve been to the Sweet 16 quite a few times. They’ve got a very good program and Nancy has done an exceptional job coaching them for sure. We know certainly we have our hands full.”The appearance will mark the 11th straight time the Tigers will play in the team NCAA Tournament, a record at Clemson for all women’s sports. Clemson, ranked 23rd in the nation, will take on the 36th-ranked Sun Devils, who make their home in the PAC-12, which features four of the top ten teams in the nation. The Tigers have a 2-1 all-time mark against ASU, with the most recent meeting coming in 2004, Clemson’s first of two Final Four seasons. If the Tigers hope to advance to a sixth straight Sweet 16, they’ll have to go through a tough Sun Devil squad, and will have to do so in Athens, the site of the 2012 Sweet 16 and remainder of the Championships. Should the Tigers advance past Arizona State, they’ll meet either Georgia or College of Charleston, both of whom the Tigers have played this season. “It always helps to know the other teams, and they’ve [UGA and College of Charleston] both had great years,” said Harris. “But I’m not looking past Arizona State at all, and they are very well coached, and have some great players. I’m delighted. You always have an opportunity when you are playing in a familiar part of the country – we’re in control of our own destiny, and hopefully we’ll be able to adapt.” The selection show was delayed by an hour due to severe weather in the Indianapolis (NCAA Headquarters).