BERKELEY – Third-seeded and third-ranked California rides an eight-match winning streak into the NCAA team tournament, as the Golden Bears host Bryant, No. 29 Houston and No. 34 Mississippi State in first- and second-round action from May 8-9 at the Hellman Tennis Complex. This marks the 10th straight season that Cal – which plays Bryant in the first round – will host opening NCAA matches, including the first and second rounds from 2008-14 and regionals from 2006-07.
Cal is one of 64 teams in the single-elimination, NCAA Division I field, while Berkeley is one of 16 sites for first- and second-round action. The May 8 first round in Berkeley features Houston taking on Mississippi State at 10 a.m. and Cal facing the Bryant Bulldogs at 1 p.m. The first-round winners meet in the second round on May 9 at noon.
“We’re excited to be hosting the first and second round of the NCAA tournament again here in Berkeley,” Cal head coach Amanda Augustus said. “We’re excited to host some new teams that we don’t ordinarily play. We’re looking forward to getting the tournament started. It’s been a good season so far, and we’re pleased to be the third seed in the tournament.”
The Bears finished the regular season with a 20-3 record and took second place in the Pac-12 Conference with a 9-1 record, before they competed in the recent Pac-12 Championships. Bryant has a 9-7 record. The Bulldogs defeated LIU Brooklyn, 4-0, on April 19 to win their first NEC championship and claim their berth into NCAAs.
The Houston Cougars bring a 22-5 record to Berkeley, after losing to Tulsa, 4-3, in the American Athletic Conference Tournament championship on April 18. The Mississippi State Bulldogs have a 15-11 record and most recently lost to Georgia, 4-0, in the SEC Tournament quarterfinal round on April 17.
Cal is one of five Pac-12 teams in the NCAA field, including top-seeded and second-ranked USC (21-2), seventh-seeded and sixth-ranked UCLA (18-4), 14th-seeded and 13th-ranked Stanford (15-5) and 25th-ranked Arizona State (15-7).
Every team in the field of 64 is attempting to get to Waco, Texas, where Baylor will host the NCAA Championships from May 14-25 upon the conclusion of the second round of the team tournament. The NCAA team competition continues on May 14 and ends on May 19, while the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships run from May 20-25 in Waco.
The NCAA will announce its singles and doubles fields on Wednesday.
Ticket Information
Tickets for the NCAA first- and second-round matches in Berkeley will cost $10 for adults as well as $5 for seniors 65 and older, youth high school age or younger, and students with valid ID from the four participating institutions. Tickets can be purchased (cash only) at the Stow Plaza gate at the Hellman Tennis Complex on the day of each match.
Last Year in the NCAA Team Tournament
The 2013-14 season was a banner year for Cal, which won its first Pac-12 championship with a perfect 10-0 conference record. The sixth seed in the NCAA team tournament and No. 6 team in the ITA rankings, Cal defeated Fairleigh Dickinson, 4-0, in the first round and then bested No. 24 Pepperdine, 4-0, in the second round at the Hellman Tennis Complex to advance to the NCAA round of 16 in Athens, Georgia.
Rain moved Cal’s round of 16 match against rival Stanford to Georgia Tech’s indoor courts. After each team won on the other’s home courts during the regular season, the 11th-seeded and 11th-ranked Cardinal prevailed, 4-3, on the neutral courts in Atlanta to end the Cal team’s postseason run. The Bears finished with a 20-5 overall record.
