By TOMMY REZAC
St. Joseph Post
The Missouri Western women's tennis team earned its second ever NCAA tournament bid Tuesday night and its first since 1998.
The Griffons will play in the Central Region Tournament just days after its first-ever MIAA Championship appearance as a team.
The NCAA announced Missouri Western (17-5, 6-2 MIAA) as the No. 5 seed. The Griffons will play No. 4 Harding (17-5) on Friday, May 6 at 11 a.m. in Edmond, Oklahoma. The winners goes to face No. 1 Central Oklahoma (16-1).
The Griffons faced Harding earlier this season back on March 12 in Searcy, Arkansas. Missouri Western fought hard early on and won the doubles point, but Harding won the majority of singles play to take the match, 4-3.
On May 6-7, a maximum of 48 teams will play a single-elimination tournament at 16 preliminary-round tournaments to determine the 16-team field. There will be 20 conferences that will receive automatic qualification.
CENTRAL REGIONAL SEEDS
No. 1 seed – Central Oklahoma (16-1)
No. 2 seed – Augustana (20-1)
No. 3 seed – Southeastern Oklahoma (14-7)
No. 4 seed – Harding (17-5)
No. 5 seed – Missouri Western (15-5)
No. 6 seed – Washburn (13-11)
THE BRACKET
Central Region #1
Friday, May 6: No. 4 Harding vs. No. 5 Missouri Western — 11 a.m.
Saturday, May 7: Day 1 winner vs. No. 1 Central Oklahoma — 11 a.m.
Central Region #2
Friday, May 6: No. 3 Southeastern Oklahoma vs. No. 6 Washburn — 3 p.m.
Saturday, May 7: Day 1 winner vs. No. 2 Augustana