MELBOURNE, Fla. - [
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Tournament Page] - The Sunshine State Conference Women's Tennis Tournament begins on Friday, April 22nd, with eight teams battling in quarterfinal action. Barry University will host all tournament matches at IMG Academy in Bradenton.
Barry University earns the #1 seed in the postseason tournament after finishing 9-0 in conference play and winning the regular-season SSC title. The Buccaneers are back-to-back regular-season champs, capturing six of the league's eight trophies since they first were handed out in 2014. Barry has won nine of the last 11 league tournament titles. They are also the reigning NCAA Division II champion four times over.
The Buccaneers draw #8 Florida Southern College (3-6 SSC) in the quarterfinal round. Barry defeated the Moccasins, 4-0, on April 3rd in Miami Shores. Nova Southeastern University (8-1 SSC) is seeded #2 and will take on #7 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (3-6 SSC). The Sharks defeated the Eagles, 5-0, on February 5th in Daytona Beach. Saint Leo University (7-2 SSC) gathers the #3 seed and will face off against #6 Rollins College (3-6 SSC). The Lions defeated the Tars, 6-1, on April 12th in Saint Leo. This year's quarterfinal matches are rounded out by #4 Lynn University (6-3) versus #5 the University of Tampa (5-4 SSC). The Fighting Knights defeated the Spartans, 5-2, on March 18th in Tampa.
All quarterfinal matches will begin at 10:00 AM on Friday, April 22nd, while the semifinals will take place on Saturday, April 23rd at 10:00 AM. The championship and third-place matches are slated to start at 9:00 AM on Sunday, April 24th.
Barry, Nova Southeastern, Saint Leo, and Lynn hold the top four positions in the ITA's April 14th collegiate rankings. Tampa possesses the No. 15 position, while Rollins is No. 21, ERAU is No. 26, and Florida Southern is No. 29. Barry, NSU, and Saint Leo have been Top-10 in every poll this season. In the April 15th NCAA Division II South Region Rankings, Barry, NSU, and Saint Leo are ranked first through third. Lynn sits in fifth, while Tampa, FSC, and ERAU hold the seventh, eighth, and ninth positions.
Barry leads the SSC with six women's tennis national championships, including back-to-back-to-back-to-back titles in 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2021. Lynn is second in the SSC with three trophies, the last coming in 2001. The first women's tennis national championship won by an SSC institution belongs to former member the University of North Florida, which took home the 1994 national title.
NOTE: The SSC and NCAA did not crown champions in 2020 due to COVID-19.
