Hopkins Earns First NCAA Men's Tennis Bid

Blue Jays to Face Host Mary Washington in First Round

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Head coach Chuck Willenborg and the Blue Jays will make their NCAA Tournament debut on Saturday at Mary Washington.

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May 1, 2006

BALTIMORE, MD -- The Johns Hopkins men's tennis team is one of 27 that was selected to compete in the 2006 NCAA Division III Men's Tennis Championships, it was announced Monday, May 1. The Blue Jays (11-8) are making their first-ever appearance in the NCAAs and will take on Mary Washington (20-3) in the first round of the Atlantic South Regional on Saturday, May 6 at Mary Washington.

The Eagles are the top seed in the regional, while second-seeded Washington College (19-3), third-seeded Swarthmore (6-10) and fourth-seeded Hopkins round out the Mary Washington half of the Atlantic South Region. The winner of the Mary Washington-Johns Hopkins match will take on the winner of the Washington-Swarthmore match on Sunday, May 7.

In the other half of the Atlantic South Regional, Emory (18-3), Sewanee (16-6) and Washington & Lee (12-8) will play down to one winner this weekend at Emory with winner of the Mary Washington bracket facing the winner of the Emory bracket in the NCAA Quarterfinals on May 17 at Mary Washington. Mary Washington is the predetermined host site of the quarterfinals, semifinals and finals.

Under the guidance of second-year coach Chuck Willenborg the Blue Jays have quickly made their mark at the national level. Willenborg guided Hopkins to its first-ever Centennial Conference title and a 13-2 record in 2005 before upgrading the schedule this season to better position the Blue Jays for a chance at a selection to the NCAA Tournament.

Johns Hopkins spent the entire 2006 season ranked among the top 10 teams in the region and entered the Centennial Conference Championships as the number three seed and ranked eighth in the region. A 4-3 upset of second-seeded (and number seven regionally-ranked) Haverford landed the Blue Jays in the Centennial title match and likely secured the at-large berth to the NCAAs.

Johns Hopkins and Mary Washington met last Thursday (April 27) with the Eagles taking a 7-0 decision with two of the singles matches going three sets and one of the doubles matches ending 9-8 (3). The Eagles were ranked seventh in the nation at the time of the match and are making their seventh straight appearance in the NCAA Division III Championships. Mary Washington advanced to the NCAA Quarterfinals in 2003, 2004 and 2005.