NORFOLK, Va. (ODUSports.com) - The No. 30 nationally ranked Old Dominion women's tennis team will take on Arkansas in the first round of the NCAA tournament on Friday, May 7 at 10 a.m. EST in Chapel Hill, N.C. Arkansas is currently nationally ranked No. 32 by the ITA and boasts an 11-10 overall record and a 4-9 mark in SEC play.
The winner of the ODU/Arkansas match will take on the winner of No. 1 nationally ranked and seeded North Carolina versus South Carolina State.
"We set goals after last season: winning conference, we already checked that box," ODU senior Brooke Pilkington said. "Then, go to NCAAs - we're about to check that box. The next goal is get to the sweet 16."
ODU, a nationally ranked program each of the past three seasons, has never won an NCAA Tournament match.
"Every year has provided an opportunity for this program to grow," ODU head women's tennis coach Dominic Manilla said. "I'm really pleased that this program fought and earned its position in the NCAA Tournament."
Conference USA has three teams in this year's NCAA tournament, as Rice and FIU earned at large bids.
For an official look at the 2021 DI Women's Tennis Championship official bracket, CLICK HERE.
This season marked Old Dominion's second ever conference championship and first ever in Conference USA, as the Monarchs won the CAA crown in 2001. The upcoming NCAA tournament appearance will be the third in program history, as ODU earned an at large bid in 2019.
ODU (12-4) enters the NCAA tournament winners of 10 straight matches, while outscoring its opponents 51-11 during the win streak.
The round of 16 through the national championship will take place at the USTA National Campus (Collegiate Center) in Orlando, Florida from May 16-28.
Earlier on Monday, Dominic Manilla, Yulia Starodubtseva, Tatsiana Sasnouskaya, Holly Hutchinson, Alesya Yakubovich and Alexandra Viktorovich garnered All-Conference USA honors.
Manilla earned the league's Coach of the Year honors for the third consecutive season, Starodubtseva was named the C-USA Player of the Year, Sasnouskaya was tagged as the Freshman of the Year and Hutchinson acquired Outstanding Singles Player of the Championship. This is the first time since 2010-11, that the program has had back to back conference players of the year.
Starodubtseva, Sasnouskaya and Hutchinson were also named to the All-Conference USA Singles First Team. Sasnouskaya/Hutchinson and Starodubtseva/Yakubovich collected All C-USA Doubles First Team honors. Viktorovich joined teammate Sasnouskaya on the league's All-Freshman Team.
